Animal Ordinances in Lower Merion, PA (2026)
5 verified animal ordinances for Lower Merion, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Lower Merion Township lets residents keep chickens, other fowl and livestock, but any coop, shelter or corral needs a Building and Planning Department permit and must sit at least 100 feet from any dwelling or food establishment and 50 feet from the property line under § 90-52.C. Keeping just one or two small animals or fowl is exempt from the setback.
Chicken and Livestock Rules in Lower Merion
Some RestrictionsLower Merion Township Code § 90-52.C
No person may erect a building shelter or enclosure for animals or fowl without securing a permit from the Director of Building and Planning. No person shall keep and maintain within the limits of the Township any buildings, shelters or corrals for any animals or domestic fowl unless said buildings, shelters or corrals shall be so located on the property as to be at least 100 feet from any buil...
Dog Leash Laws
Lower Merion Township bars anyone owning, harboring or keeping a dog or cat from letting it run at large on public streets or another person's property, and from letting it defecate on public or private property without cleanup, under § 90-53.A. Guide dogs and police or fire animals are exempt, and any affected citizen may sue to enforce the rule.
Dog and Cat Leash Law in Lower Merion
Some RestrictionsLower Merion Township Code § 90-53.A
A. No person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any dog or cat shall: (1) Allow such dog or cat to run at large upon the public streets of this municipality or upon the property of others; or (2) Cause or allow a dog or cat to soil, defile or defecate upon any other person's private property without the permission of such other person or upon any public property. Where such person shall...
Exotic Pets
Lower Merion Township outright bans keeping poisonous reptiles of any kind anywhere in the Township, along with operating or maintaining a piggery, under § 90-52.E. The prohibition sits inside the Health Code's animal-keeping article and applies regardless of property size, zoning district or the setbacks that govern ordinary pets and livestock.
Exotic and Dangerous Animal Ban in Lower Merion
Heavy RestrictionsLower Merion Township Code § 90-52.E
E. Prohibitions. (1) No persons shall operate or maintain a piggery in the Township. (2) No person may keep a poisonous reptile of any kind in the Township.
Cat Rules
Lower Merion Township Code § 90-53 bars any dog or cat owner from letting the animal run at large on public streets or another person's property, and from letting it defecate on private land without permission or on public property unless the owner immediately cleans up the waste. Violators face fines of $50 to $1,000 per offense under § 90-54.
Lower Merion Cat At-Large and Waste Rules
Some RestrictionsLower Merion Township Code §§ 90-53, 90-54
§ 90-53. Control of dogs and cats. ... A. No person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any dog or cat shall: (1) Allow such dog or cat to run at large upon the public streets of this municipality or upon the property of others; or (2) Cause or allow a dog or cat to soil, defile or defecate upon any other person's private property without the permission of such other person or upon any p...
Bird Protection
Lower Merion Township bans harming birds and other wildlife inside its parks. Township Code § 109-6 makes it unlawful to annoy, injure or kill any animal or bird, disturb fish or waterfowl, or remove a bird's nest or egg anywhere in a Township park. Violators face a summary fine of up to $600 under § 109-21, enforced by the Lower Merion Police Department.
Bird Protection in Lower Merion Parks
Significant RestrictionsLower Merion Township Code §§ 109-6, 109-21
§ 109-6. Animals; trees. No person shall annoy, injure or kill any animal or bird in a park, or disturb any fish or waterfowl in streams, pools or ponds, or remove or carry away any bird's nest or egg. Nor shall any person injure or damage any tree, plant, shrub, fern, blossom, flower or turf. The picking of violets, buttercups, daisies or dandelions in parks, however, is permitted. § 109- ... ...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Lower Merion city rules.
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