Animal Ordinances in Lakeville, MN (2026)
10 verified animal ordinances for Lakeville, Minnesota, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Lakeville City Code 11-35-3 allows chickens on single-family residential lots only with an approved administrative permit. The coop must provide at least 2 square feet per chicken and may not exceed 32 square feet; an attached, fully enclosed run is required. Chickens must be confined in the coop from sunset to sunrise.
Lakeville Backyard Chickens
Some RestrictionsDog Leash Laws
Lakeville City Code 5-1-9 prohibits dogs running at large. In any city park, street, trail, or sidewalk a dog must be controlled by a leash not exceeding 25 feet. When a pedestrian comes within 100 feet, the dog must be immediately recalled and brought under close control.
Lakeville Dog Leash Laws
Some RestrictionsBreed Restrictions
Lakeville does not impose breed-specific bans. Dangerous dogs are handled under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 347 and the city's animal-control code: a dangerous dog must be registered, the property posted with a warning sign, and the dog kept in a proper enclosure or muzzled and restrained by a leash no longer than 6 feet under a responsible person's physical control.
Lakeville Dog Breed Restrictions and Dangerous Dogs
Some RestrictionsBeekeeping
Lakeville allows the keeping of honey bees as an accessory use under Zoning Code 11-35-3, but only with an approved interim use permit, which is reviewed by the Planning Commission and requires neighbor notification. Hives are not allowed in front yards.
Lakeville Beekeeping
Some RestrictionsExotic Pets
Lakeville City Code 5-1-19 prohibits keeping a range of wild and dangerous animals, including wild canines (wolves, foxes, coyotes, dingoes, jackals), wolf-dog hybrids, certain rodent-family animals such as skunks and raccoons, and poisonous, venomous, constricting, or otherwise inherently dangerous reptiles and amphibians.
Lakeville Exotic and Prohibited Animals
Heavy RestrictionsWildlife Feeding
Lakeville does not appear to have a specific ordinance banning the feeding of wildlife such as deer or coyotes. The city advises residents to learn to live with coyotes and imposes no restrictions on them, while keeping wild animals as pets is prohibited under City Code 5-1-19.
Lakeville Wildlife Feeding
Few RestrictionsLivestock
Lakeville Zoning Code 11-35-3 permits horses as an accessory use in agriculture/rural districts on lots of at least 2.5 acres, limited to one horse per acre or 10 animal units, whichever is less, unless a higher number is granted by interim use permit. Larger livestock is tied to agricultural zoning, not typical residential lots.
Lakeville Livestock and Horses
Some RestrictionsAnimal Hoarding
Lakeville limits dogs to three per household (City Code 11-35-3), which helps curb hoarding, but animal hoarding itself is addressed mainly through Minnesota's statewide cruelty and neglect law. Minnesota Statutes 343.21 prohibits depriving any animal of necessary food, water, or shelter and bars unnecessary or unjustifiable pain, suffering, or death.
Lakeville Animal Hoarding and Cruelty
Some RestrictionsPet Limits
Lakeville limits households to not more than three dogs over six months of age, except as a licensed kennel allowed in the applicable zoning district. The limit is set in the zoning code (11-35-3), and the city confirms residents may not own more than three dogs except as a licensed kennel.
Lakeville Pet Limits
Some RestrictionsCat Rules
The City of Lakeville states there are no ordinances regulating cats. There is no city cat license, leash, or numeric limit. Statewide animal-welfare law under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 343 still applies to the humane care of cats, and the city's general nuisance and prohibited-animal provisions remain in force.