Animal Ordinances in Pawtucket, RI (2026)
9 verified animal ordinances for Pawtucket, Rhode Island, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Pawtucket's zoning ordinance bans raising or breeding any animals citywide, and City Code § 116-8.1 separately bars keeping sheep, hogs, goats, cattle, horses, geese, ducks, rabbits or other fowl, including backyard chickens, in any dwelling, cellar or garage. Only an established zoo or a permitted stable is exempt.
Pawtucket Backyard Chicken and Livestock Ban
Heavy RestrictionsPawtucket City Code §§ 116-8, 116-8.1
The raising or breeding of any animals is prohibited in the City by the Pawtucket Zoning Ordinance. Any person who violates this section shall be subject to fines as enumerated in § 410-101. ... No owner or keeper or occupant of any dwelling shall keep or permit to be kept any sheep, hogs, goats, cattle, horses, geese, ducks, rabbits or other fowl in any dwelling house, cellar or garage, or sha...
Dog Leash Laws
Pawtucket requires every dog owner to keep the dog under restraint at all times and bars letting it run at large off the owner's property under City Code § 116-11. A dog picked up loose and uncollared is impounded for at least 10 days, and a third at-large offense forces the owner to install a four-foot fence.
Pawtucket Dogs-at-Large and Leash Law
Some RestrictionsPawtucket City Code §§ 116-9, 116-11
AT LARGE: Any dog off the property of its owner and not under restraint as hereinafter defined. ... UNDER RESTRAINT: A dog leashed or on or within a vehicle being driven or parked on the streets or within the property limits of its owner or keeper. ... The owner shall keep his or her dog under restraint at all times and shall not permit such dog to be at large, off the premises or property of t...
Breed Restrictions
Pawtucket bans owning, possessing or selling a pit bull citywide under City Code § 116-37.1, with a narrow grandfather license for dogs already registered when the ban passed. Rottweiler owners face a separate registration and $25,000 liability-insurance requirement under § 116-37, and unlicensed pit bulls face immediate impoundment.
Pawtucket Pit Bull Ban and Rottweiler Rule
Heavy RestrictionsPawtucket City Code § 116-37.1
It shall be unlawful for any person to own, possess, keep, exercise control over, maintain, harbor, transport, or sell within the City any pit bull dog. ... The owner or keeper of any pit bull which ... is subject to the prohibition of Subsection A above, and which is found in violation of any part of this section, shall be subject to a fine of not more than $500, and the dog shall be subject t...
Exotic Pets
Pawtucket bars keeping any wild animal within city limits except under conditions the Animal Control Officer fixes, per City Code § 116-15F. Circuses, zoos and educational institutions may keep wild animals for exhibition under Animal Control Officer regulations, but an escaped wild animal found at large can be destroyed by the Animal Control Officer or any police officer.
Pawtucket Wild Animal Keeping Ban
Significant RestrictionsPawtucket City Code § 116-15F
No wild animal may be kept within the City limits, except under such conditions as shall be fixed by the Animal Control Officer; provided, however, that wild animals may be kept for exhibition purposes by circuses, zoos and educational institutions, in accordance with such regulations as shall be established by the Animal Control Officer. Any wild animal which escapes and is found at large may ...
Wildlife Feeding
Feeding wildlife or strays that creates a food source is illegal citywide under Pawtucket City Code § 116-44, enforced by the Animal Control Officer with escalating penalties starting at a warning, then $25, then $50 for repeat violations, including in areas formally designated off-limits after nuisance complaints.
Pawtucket Wildlife and Stray Feeding Ban
Significant RestrictionsPawtucket City Code §§ 116-44 through 116-46
No person shall feed or place food or refuse in such a manner as to cause a food source for any stray animals, including cats, and any wildlife. ... Penalties shall be as follows: A. First offense: warning. B. Second offense: fine of $25. C. For any third or subsequent offense: fine of $50.
Pet Limits
Pawtucket caps ownership at three licensed dogs per residence under City Code § 116-27, unless the Director of Public Safety grants an exception. A dog kept beyond that limit can be impounded for up to 10 days, and licensed kennels are exempt entirely.
Pawtucket Household Dog Limit Rule
Some RestrictionsPawtucket City Code § 116-27
It shall be unlawful to keep more than three licensed dogs at the same residence, except as permitted by the Director of Public Safety. ... The Animal Control Officer is empowered to impound up to 10 days any dog exceeding the limits set forth above. Such animal(s) may be reclaimed at any time subject to a showing to the satisfaction of the Animal Control Officer that the animal(s) is in compli...
Cat Rules
Anyone selling or adopting out cats in Pawtucket must disclose the city's licensing rules under § 116-50, and abandoning a cat is a fined offense under § 116-51 carrying penalties from $50 to $500 per occurrence, enforced through the Animal Control Officer and the city shelter.
Pawtucket Cat Sale, Adoption and Abandonment Rules
Some RestrictionsPawtucket City Code §§ 116-50 and 116-51
Any person or licensed business who provides or offers to the public, whether or not for compensation, any pet or pet-related goods, where they are the primary products, or pet services, shall provide to its clients, at no charge, information relating to pet care and ownership, including information on City laws pertaining to animal control. ... Any person offering cats for sale or adoption sha...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Every cat over six months old in Pawtucket must be spayed or neutered unless the owner holds a $100 annual intact permit from the Animal Control Officer under § 116-47, with violators facing a $75 fine every 30 days the cat stays unaltered.
Pawtucket Mandatory Cat Spay or Neuter Law
Significant RestrictionsPawtucket City Code § 116-47
No person shall own or harbor, within the City of Pawtucket, any cat over the age of six months which has not been spayed or neutered, unless such person obtains an "intact" permit issued by the Animal Control Officer to an individual upon request. ... An annual fee for an intact permit shall be $100 per cat and shall be deposited in the City's spay/neuter accounts.
Bird Protection
Pawtucket requires a City Council license to run a pigeon loft, caps each loft at 75 birds, and allows only one loft per 5,000 square feet of land under City Code §§ 116-2 and 116-3. Lofts must stay clean, pigeons may fly free only twice a day, and housing pigeons inside a dwelling house is flatly banned.
Pawtucket Pigeon Loft Licensing Rules
Some RestrictionsPawtucket City Code §§ 116-2, 116-3
LOFT: A constructed building for the housing of pigeons exclusively. It shall house no more than 75 pigeons maximum. It shall be located no closer than reasonable distance as determined by the Director of Planning and Redevelopment or designee from the neighbor's line and only one loft is allowed on a land area measuring 5,000 square feet. ... It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corpor...