Animal Ordinances in Greenville, NC (2026)
8 verified animal ordinances for Greenville, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Greenville lets any lot keep up to 15 chickens, ducks, pigeons, doves or other fowl under Sec. 12-2-28, provided they're housed in a suitably sized coop, the coop sits at least 80 feet from a neighboring property line, and manure is cleaned out at least twice a week to control odor and flies.
Greenville Backyard Chicken & Fowl Rules
Some RestrictionsGreenville City Code § 12-2-28
Up to 15 chickens, ducks, pigeons, doves, or other fowl may be kept on any single lot, tract, or parcel in the city upon the following conditions: (1) The fowl must be maintained in a chicken house or coop of suitable construction and size for the number of fowl maintained in it. (2) The owner where such houses or coops are maintained shall thoroughly clean the same of all manure and other ...
Dog Leash Laws
Greenville bans letting any domesticated animal, including dogs, run at large: an owner who lets an animal off the property without it being under physical restraint faces a criminal misdemeanor and an escalating civil citation starting at $100, enforced by Animal Protective Services and the Greenville Police Department.
Greenville Dogs and Animals at Large Rule
Some RestrictionsGreenville City Code § 12-2-38
(A) It shall be unlawful for any owner or person to permit or negligently allow any domesticated animal to run at large, provided that a domesticated animal may be off the owner's real property if the domesticated animal is under physical restraint. (B) Penalties. A violation of this section may subject the offender to any or all of the following penalties: (1) Criminal. Any person violat...
Breed Restrictions
Greenville has no breed-specific ban; instead the APS Supervisor can declare any animal "dangerous" or "vicious" under Sec. 12-2-15 after a bite or aggressive incident, triggering strict conditions: permanent identification, warning signage, sterilization, a secure pen, and an annual dangerous-animal permit from the Animal Protective Services Division, backed by a $250,000 liability insurance policy.
Greenville Dangerous & Vicious Animal Rules
Significant RestrictionsGreenville City Code § 12-2-15
(A) The Division shall enforce this section, and it shall be the duty of the APS Supervisor to make the determination if an animal is dangerous or vicious in accordance with this chapter and G.S. Chapter 67. (B) Restrictions of Ownership of Dangerous Animals. It shall be lawful for the owner of an animal deemed as a dangerous animal to own, keep, harbor, have charge of, shelter, or feed the...
Beekeeping
Greenville requires a free annual beekeeping permit from Animal Protective Services under Sec. 12-2-30 before keeping bees, caps hives at five per parcel, bans front-yard placement, and requires an annual Division inspection of equipment and hives before the permit issues.
Greenville Urban Beekeeping Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsGreenville City Code § 12-2-30
(B) Requirements. (1) No more than five hives shall be permitted on a single parcel within the land use planning jurisdiction of the city. (2) Every hive shall be placed at ground level or securely attached to an anchor or stand. If the hive is securely attached to an anchor or stand, the city may permit the anchor or stand to be permanently attached to a roof surface. (3) No hive shall...
Exotic Pets
Greenville requires anyone keeping a wild, exotic, dangerous, or nondomestic animal or reptile, including circuses and animal exhibitions, to first get a permit from the Animal Protective Services Division, pay a Manual of Fees charge, and follow extra state rules for large constricting snakes and venomous reptiles.
Greenville Exotic & Wild Animal Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsGreenville City Code § 12-2-17
(A) The Division is hereby vested with the authority to issue permits for the keeping or maintaining of any wild, exotic, dangerous, or nondomestic animal when, in the opinion of the APS Supervisor, the animal may be kept or maintained without endangering the safety of any person or property. (B) No person, business, or event (e.g., circus, exhibition, show, and the like) shall have or main...
Cat Rules
Greenville regulates feral cat colonies through its Trap-Neuter-Return program under Sec. 12-2-33, requiring Division-provided trainer certification, humane traps, veterinary spay/neuter and vaccination, ear-tipping, a 30-minute feeding window, and mandatory reporting of any cat bite within 24 hours to the Animal Protective Services Division.
Greenville Feral Cat TNR Program Rules
Some RestrictionsGreenville City Code § 12-2-33
(A) Organizations or individuals wishing to engage in Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) shall receive training provided by the Division of Animal Protective Services and ensure the following requirements are completed for each feral cat trapped: (1) Each cat must be trapped using humane trapping techniques. Personally owned traps may be used for TNR purposes. ... (3) Cats must be spayed or neutere...
Pet Groomer Rules
Greenville zoning caps pet grooming facility hours at 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and bars standalone groomers from also boarding, training or breeding animals. Pets cannot be kept outdoors for grooming or holding, and combined-use grooming must stay inside an enclosed space, per City Code Sec. 9-4-103(FF).
Pet Grooming Facility Rules in Greenville
Some RestrictionsGreenville City Code § 9-4-103(FF)
(FF) Pet grooming facility. (1) Pet grooming and holding will not extend before 7 a.m. or beyond 8 p.m. (2) Standalone pet grooming facilities are not to include training, exercise, socialization, keeping or boarding, breeding or sale or rental of pets. (3) In the event of a combined use within a single premise any and all pet grooming activities shall occur exclusively within an enclos...
Bird Protection
Greenville has declared its whole corporate limits a bird sanctuary under Sec. 12-2-43, making it unlawful to hunt, kill, or trap any protected bird there unless a hunter holds a specific North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission permit valid within city limits, with pest-classified birds excluded from protection.
Greenville Bird Sanctuary Ordinance
Heavy RestrictionsGreenville City Code § 12-2-43
(A) A bird sanctuary is created and established within the corporate limits of the city. (B) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt, kill, trap, or otherwise take any protected bird within the corporate limits of the city except pursuant to a permit issued by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission under G.S. 113-274(c)(la) or under any other license or permit of the Wildlife ...
Looking for Pitt County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Greenville city rules.
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