Animal Ordinances in Fort Smith, AR (2026)

Fort Smith City Code § 27-701-4(B)

Allowed fowl shall include ducks and/or female chickens only. No roosters shall be allowed. All fowl shall be a breed that cannot fly or must be wing-clipped to prevent flight... A maximum of 20 fowl shall be allowed on lots of at least 21,780 square feet... All fowl shall be kept in a fenced rear yard... shall not be located closer than 25 feet to an adjacent residential structure.

Fort Smith City Code § 4-109(a)-(c)

(a)It is unlawful for any owner of a dog or cat to allow his/her dog or cat to run at large within the city.(b)Dogs or cats must be on a leash and under the control of a person at all times when not in a secure enclosure as described in this chapter.(c)Persons who engage in the trap, neuter, and release process related to feral cats shall not be considered an owner for the purpose of this secti...

Fort Smith City Code § 27-701-1

Except as maintained by professional handlers, exotic animals are prohibited in the city. These animals are defined as any or all of the following animals, whether bred in the wild or in captivity, and also any or all of their hybrids with domestic species... Nonhuman primates and prosimians (such as chimpanzees, monkeys); Felids, except domesticated cats; Canis, including wolf hybrids and exce...

Fort Smith City Code § 4-11(b)

(b)No person shall provide and leave unattended food for stray dogs, stray cats, feral cats, deer, geese, ducks, raccoons, fowl or other wild animals or wildlife. Feeding does not include baiting in the legal taking of fish and/or game or baiting for purposes of the trap, neuter, and release of feral cats.

Fort Smith City Code § 4-141(a)

(a)Any person owning, keeping or harboring within the corporate limits of the city more than four dogs five months of age or over (regardless of the spaying or neutering of the dogs) shall be prima facie evidence that such owner is operating a dog kennel. The burden of proof shall be on the owner to establish the age of dogs maintained to be less than five months of age. Dog kennels may be oper...

Fort Smith City Code § 4-108(a)

(a)In order to control the pet population, dogs and cats kept as pets within the corporate limits of the city must be sterilized/altered. Female dogs and cats having reached reproductive age must be spayed and male dogs and cats having reached reproductive age must be neutered unless secured at all times on a leash or within a secured building, enclosure or yard.

Fort Smith City Code § 4-151

Except as provided in (b) of this section, no person or entity shall sell, trade, offer as gift or give away any animal at any location in the corporate city limits of Fort Smith... The prohibition set forth in (a) shall not apply: (1) To a retail animal sales business operated from a permanent physical location owned or leased by the business, properly zoned pursuant to the UDO, and holding a ...