Animal Ordinances in Cleveland, OH (2026)
8 verified animal ordinances for Cleveland, Ohio, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Cleveland allows chickens, ducks, and rabbits in residential districts at one animal per 800 square feet of lot, up to six on a standard 4,800-square-foot lot, under Codified Ordinances § 347.02(b). Roosters, geese, and turkeys are banned unless the parcel is at least an acre with a 100-foot coop setback, and every keeper needs a two-year Health Department license.
Cleveland Backyard Chicken and Rabbit Rules
Some RestrictionsCleveland Codified Ordinances § 347.02(b)
(b) Chickens, Ducks, Rabbits and Similar Animals. The keeping of chickens, ducks, rabbits and similar farm animals, and cages, coops and enclosures for the keeping of such animals, shall be governed by the following regulations. (1) In Residential Districts... A. Number. No more than one (1) such animal shall be kept on a parcel of land for each eight hundred (800) square feet of parcel or lot ...
Dog Leash Laws
Cleveland requires dogs to be leashed or confined. ORC §951.02 makes owners liable for dogs running at large. Dog licensing required through county auditor.
Cleveland Dog Leash Laws
Some RestrictionsOhio Rev. Code § 955.22 - Confining, restraining, debarking dogs
"Nuisance dog act" means one of the following actions committed by a dog without provocation and while off the premises of its owner, keeper, or harborer, other than by a police dog that is being used to assist one or more law enforcement officers in the performance of their official duties: (a) Chasing or approaching a person in either a menacing fashion or an apparent attitude of attack; (b) ...
Breed Restrictions
Cleveland does not have a breed-specific dog ban. In 2012, Ohio amended Revised Code §955.11 to remove pit bulls from the statutory definition of "vicious dog," effectively preempting breed-specific legislation statewide. Dogs in Cleveland are classified based on individual behavior as "nuisance," "dangerous," or "vicious" under state law, not by breed. Owners of dogs designated dangerous or vicious must comply with confinement, leash, muzzle, and liability insurance requirements.
Cleveland Dog Breed Restrictions
Few RestrictionsOhio Revised Code Section 955.11
(A) Upon the transfer of ownership of any dog, the seller of the dog shall give the buyer a transfer of ownership certificate that shall be signed by the seller. The certificate shall contain the registration number of the dog, the name of the seller, and a brief description of the dog. Blank forms of the certificate may be obtained from the county auditor. A transfer of ownership shall be reco...
Beekeeping
Cleveland §347.02 allows beekeeping: 1 hive per 2,400 sq ft of lot area, minimum lot size 2,400 sq ft. Hives must be 5 ft from lot lines and 10 ft from dwellings, with entrance facing away from nearest residential property.
Cleveland Beekeeping Rules
Some RestrictionsOhio Rev. Code § 909.02 - Registration of apiaries
Any person owning or possessing bees shall on or before the first day of June of each year, or thereafter within thirty days after coming into ownership or possession of bees, or upon moving bees into this state from outside the state, file with the director of agriculture an application for registration setting forth the exact location of the person's apiaries and such other information as is ...
Exotic Pets
Ohio's Dangerous Wild Animal Act (Revised Code Chapter 935), enacted in 2012 after the Zanesville incident, bans private ownership of most dangerous wild animals statewide, including big cats, bears, elephants, non-human primates, crocodiles, alligators, and certain venomous snakes. Cleveland residents cannot legally acquire these animals, and owners who had them prior to the law had to register and comply with permit, caging, insurance, and microchipping rules. The state Department of Agriculture enforces Chapter 935.
Cleveland Exotic Pet Regulations
Heavy RestrictionsOhio Revised Code Section 935.02
Section 935.02 | Possession of dangerous wild animal prohibited. Effective: September 5, 2012 Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 310 - 129th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF (A) No person shall possess a dangerous wild animal on or after January 1, 2014. (B)(1) Except as provided in divisions (G)(1) and (2) of section 935.06 of the Revised Code, no person shall acquire, buy, sell, ...
Wildlife Feeding
Cleveland bars anyone from feeding pigeons, starlings, sparrows or other birds on public property, or leaving food out for them, whenever doing so raises the risk of rodent infestation. The rule sits inside the City's littering chapter, treating bird feed left on streets, sidewalks, tree lawns and parks as litter.
Cleveland Ban on Feeding Birds in Public Places
Some RestrictionsCleveland Codified Ordinances § 613.02(b)
No person shall litter public property by the feeding of pigeons, starlings, sparrows or other birds, nor shall any person place food for the feeding of such birds on any public property so as to increase the hazard of rodent infestation.
Cat Rules
Cleveland has no cat licensing requirement, but a cat found at large or abandoned can be impounded under Codified Ordinances § 603.03. Redeeming an impounded cat costs a $40 pound fee plus $20 per day of boarding, and an unlicensed cat left unredeemed past three days may be euthanized, transferred, or adopted out.
Cleveland Cat At-Large and Impoundment Rules
Some RestrictionsCleveland Codified Ordinances § 603.03 (Impounding Dogs, Cats, and Domestic Animals)
When any unmuzzled dog, cat, or domestic animal is found at large in violation of Section 603.02, or abandoned in violation of Section 603.06 ... a police officer or animal control officer shall take up and impound the dog, cat, or domestic animal in a City pound. No dog, cat, or domestic animal shall be returned from the pound until a fee of forty dollars ($40.00) is paid to the City... Any im...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Every dog or cat over six months old adopted from Cleveland's City Kennel must be spayed or neutered at the Spay and Neuter Clinic before it goes home, under Codified Ordinances § 603.031. Younger animals can leave under a signed agreement backed by a $30 fee, due within days of reaching six to nine months.
Cleveland Mandatory Spay/Neuter for Kennel Adoptions
Some RestrictionsCleveland Codified Ordinances § 603.031 (Adoption of Dogs and Cats from the City Kennel)
Every dog or cat over six (6) months of age adopted from the City Kennel shall be spayed or neutered at the Spay and Neuter Clinic before release. The cost of the operation shall be borne by the person adopting the animal and is in addition to any adoption fee imposed by the Chief Animal Control Officer. ... A person wishing to adopt a dog or cat under the age of six (6) months shall sign an ag...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Cleveland city rules.
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