Animal Ordinances in Jonesboro, AR (2026)
6 verified animal ordinances for Jonesboro, Arkansas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Jonesboro caps most households at five domestic animals or fowl, chickens included, and keeps horses and cows at least 150 feet from any residence unless they're on more than two acres of pasture. Live swine are banned outright citywide under a separate section.
Jonesboro Limits on Backyard Fowl, Livestock
Some RestrictionsJonesboro, AR Code of Ordinances § 10-10
(b)Limitation on number of domestic animals and/or fowl. It shall be unlawful for any person to own or possess more than five domestic animals and/or fowl except cattle and horses, at any one time.(c)Restriction on keeping of horses and cows. It shall be unlawful for any owner to maintain horses and cows within the corporate limits of the city within 150 feet of any residence, except that this ...
Dog Leash Laws
Jonesboro prohibits letting a dog run at large anywhere in the city. An owner whose dog is picked up loose must pay an impoundment fee and prove current rabies vaccination before the dog is released, and a loose dog is treated as a misdemeanor.
Jonesboro Dog Running-at-Large Ban
Some RestrictionsJonesboro City Code § 10-50
Prohibited. No person owning, possessing or keeping a dog shall allow the same to run at large within the city. Certified police canines being utilized by law enforcement personnel in a valid law enforcement function or incident are exempted from the provisions of this section. ... Shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor. The fine shall be in addition to all charges imposed upon said party in c...
Breed Restrictions
Jonesboro doesn't ban dogs by breed; it declares a dog vicious or dangerous based on behavior. Under Code Section 10-44, animal control impounds a vicious dog, notifies the owner within 48 hours, and a first conviction for maintaining it carries a $100 to $500 fine plus boarding and vet costs before the animal is euthanized.
Jonesboro's Vicious and Dangerous Dog Rules
Significant RestrictionsJonesboro, AR Code of Ordinances § 10-44
Sec. 10-44. - Vicious dogs. (a)When, upon investigation, the animal control department determines that an animal is vicious, the department shall impound the animal and shall notify the owner or custodian of the impoundment and declaration of the animal as vicious within 48 hours. If the owner or custodian is unable to be located, written notice shall be posted at the last known address.(b)If t...
Exotic Pets
Jonesboro bans keeping or harboring a lion anywhere in the city under Code Section 10-11, and separately requires a police-chief permit before anyone exhibits or parades a wild animal within city limits under Section 10-2. Any dangerous or vicious animal running loose is unlawful outright.
Jonesboro Ban on Lions, Wild Animal Permits
Heavy RestrictionsJonesboro, AR Code of Ordinances §§ 10-2, 10-11
Sec. 10-11. - Keeping of lion prohibited. (a)...Lion means a large carnivorous mammal of the cat family. (b)It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or harbor a lion within the city. Sec. 10-2. - Dangerous animal at large prohibited; permit required to exhibit. It shall be unlawful to permit any dangerous animal or vicious animal of any kind to run at large within the city. Exhibitions or pa...
Pet Limits
Jonesboro caps a household at five dogs over three months old under Code Section 10-45. Finding more than five dogs on a property is treated as prima facie proof of a violation, and it is the owner, not the city, who has to prove some of the animals are puppies under the age cutoff.
Jonesboro's Five-Dog Household Limit
Some RestrictionsJonesboro, AR Code of Ordinances § 10-45
Sec. 10-45. - Number of dogs regulated. It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep or harbor more than five dogs over three months of age within the corporate limits of the city except that this provision shall not apply to proprietors of dog hospitals and veterinarians when such dogs are kept upon premises used by such dog hospital and veterinarians as their normal place of business. Kee...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Jonesboro does not require spay/neuter for pets generally, but once animal control designates a dog dangerous, the owner must surrender it within five working days for mandatory sterilization at the owner's own expense, plus microchipping and photo identification.
Jonesboro Dangerous Dog Sterilization Mandate
Significant RestrictionsJonesboro City Code § 10-48(b)(2)
Identification and sterilization. Within five working days of the declaration of an animal as dangerous, the owner or custodian shall surrender the animal to an animal control officer for proper identification and sterilization. Such identification shall include, at the owner's expense two clear color photographs of such animal clearly showing the color and approximate size of the animal and im...
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