Animal Ordinances in Clarkstown, NY (2026)
7 verified animal ordinances for Clarkstown, New York, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Homeowners in Clarkstown's R-160 through R-10 Districts may keep domestic animals for individual use without a special permit, but § 290-20K caps the herd: one horse or cow per acre and no more than 25 fowl per lot. Pigs are excluded entirely, and any animal housing or manure storage must stay 50 feet back from every lot line.
Clarkstown Backyard Livestock and Fowl Limits
Some RestrictionsClarkstown Code § 290-20K
In the R-160, R-80, R-40, R-22, R-15 and R-10 Zoning Districts, keeping domestic animals (except pigs) for individual domestic purposes shall be permitted, provided that not more than one horse or cow per acre, five cats or dogs over six months old, and not more than 25 fowl shall be kept on any lot. No animals (except cats or dogs) shall be penned or housed within 50 feet of any lot line, and ...
Dog Leash Laws
Clarkstown bans dogs from running at large and requires any dog off its owner's property to be restrained by a chain or leash no longer than eight feet, with fines of $25 to $250 per violation.
Clarkstown Dog Leash and Restraint Law
Some RestrictionsClarkstown Code § 125-4(A)
Run at large on public property or on private property without the consent of the owner or person in possession of such private property unless the dog is effectively restrained in the immediate custody and control of its owner or possessor by a chain or leash not exceeding eight feet in length. A person owning or possessing a dog which is not so restrained, with or without the knowledge, conse...
Exotic Pets
Clarkstown's zoning code lists the keeping, breeding and raising of foxes, minks, pigs or primates for commercial or laboratory purposes among the uses flatly prohibited townwide under § 290-18. The only carve-out lets a lab keep primates for research on the same premises as an accessory use, and only where laboratories are already a permitted use in that zoning district.
Clarkstown Zoning Bars Commercial Fox and Primate Breeding
Significant RestrictionsClarkstown Code § 290-18C
Operations involving stockyards and slaughter houses, grain elevators, slag piles and the keeping, breeding and raising of foxes, minks, pigs or primates for commercial or laboratory purposes; provided, however, that the keeping and use of primates for laboratory and experimental purposes, within the same premises, is a permitted accessory use in all zones in which laboratories are a permitted ...
Wildlife Feeding
Clarkstown prohibits feeding waterfowl, meaning geese, swans, brant and river or sea ducks, anywhere on Town-owned land except in areas the Parks Board and Recreation Commission specifically designates for feeding, with fines up to $1,000.
Clarkstown Waterfowl Feeding Ban
Significant RestrictionsClarkstown Code § 125-16
No person shall feed any waterfowl on any town lands, except in areas designated for feeding by the Town of Clarkstown Parks Board and Recreation Commission from time to time.
Pet Limits
In the R-160 through R-10 Zoning Districts, Clarkstown's § 290-20K limits any one lot to five cats or dogs over six months old, alongside separate caps on horses, cows and fowl. Unlike livestock and fowl, cats and dogs are exempt from the section's 50-foot animal-housing setback, since the rule only counts and caps them rather than requiring them to be penned.
Clarkstown Caps Household Cats and Dogs at Five
Some RestrictionsClarkstown Code § 290-20K
keeping domestic animals (except pigs) for individual domestic purposes shall be permitted, provided that not more than one horse or cow per acre, five cats or dogs over six months old, and not more than 25 fowl shall be kept on any lot. No animals (except cats or dogs) shall be penned or housed within 50 feet of any lot line...
Pet Groomer Rules
Clarkstown permits pet grooming as a by-right use in its Hamlet Center Zoning Districts (HC-C Congers, HC-VC Valley Cottage and HC-WN West Nyack), but Town Code § 290-7.2G(4) confines the operation entirely indoors, and § 290-3 defines pet grooming to exclude overnight boarding.
Clarkstown Pet Grooming Must Stay Indoors
Some RestrictionsClarkstown Code § 290-3 ("PET GROOMING"); § 290-7.2G(4)
PET GROOMING: An establishment primarily engaged in providing services for common household pets, including bathing, clipping, grooming, feeding and day care, and accessory retail sales. Does not include overnight pet boarding. [§ 290-3] ... (4) Pet grooming. Pet grooming operations shall be limited to indoor operations only. [§ 290-7.2G(4)]
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Clarkstown permits veterinary services by right in its Hamlet Center Zoning Districts (HC-C Congers, HC-VC Valley Cottage, HC-WN West Nyack), but where a clinic offers on-site boarding, § 290-7.2G(5) requires every boarded animal be kept indoors between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.
Clarkstown Vet Boarding Curfew: 8 PM to 8 AM
Some RestrictionsClarkstown Code § 290-3 ("VETERINARY SERVICES"); § 290-7.2G(5)
VETERINARY SERVICES: An establishment for the care of dogs, cats and other domestic animals by practitioners of the sciences of veterinary medicine, including on-site boarding services. [§ 290-3] ... (5) Veterinary services. Where on-site boarding services are permitted, all animals shall be kept indoors between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. [§ 290-7.2G(5)]
Looking for Rockland County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Clarkstown city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Rockland County →