Animal Ordinances in Philadelphia, PA (2026)
14 verified animal ordinances for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dog Leash Laws
Philadelphia requires all dogs in public to be on a leash no longer than six feet, held by a person able to control the animal, under Phila. Code §10-104. Off-leash is permitted only inside designated dog parks. PA Dog Law also requires annual county licensing for dogs three months and older.
Philadelphia Dog Leash Law – Maximum 6 Feet
Some RestrictionsBreed Restrictions
Pennsylvania does not have a statewide ban on breed-specific legislation. Some PA municipalities have breed restrictions, though they face legal challenges.
Philadelphia Dog Breed Restrictions
Some RestrictionsExotic Pets
Exotic pet ownership in Philadelphia is primarily governed by Pennsylvania state law. The PA Game Commission requires an exotic wildlife possession permit under 58 Pa. Code Chapter 147, Subchapter N. Phila. Code Chapter 10-100 regulates animals locally, including prohibitions on animals running at large under §10-104.
Philadelphia Exotic & Wild Animal Regulations
Heavy RestrictionsWildlife Feeding
Pennsylvania state law (58 Pa. Code §137.33) prohibits intentionally feeding bear or elk. Philadelphia's parks regulations restrict feeding wildlife in city parks. The Health Code (Title 6) addresses conditions that attract rodents and other pests, which can result from wildlife feeding.
Philadelphia Wildlife Feeding Restrictions
Some RestrictionsAnimal Hoarding
Philadelphia Code Title 10 Chapter 10-104 caps household animals at twelve and bans neglectful conditions. ACCT Philly and PSPCA humane officers refer hoarding to police under 18 Pa.C.S. §5511, which criminalizes failing to provide food, water, shelter, or veterinary care.
Hoarding charged under Philly cruelty rules and PA §5511
Heavy RestrictionsPet Limits
Philadelphia Code §10-104 caps the total number of dogs and cats per dwelling at twelve. Households above the cap need a kennel license through Licenses and Inspections plus zoning compliance. Pennsylvania Dog Law adds kennel registration over twenty-six dogs annually.
Twelve-animal cap per Philadelphia dwelling without kennel permit
Some RestrictionsCat Rules
Philadelphia has no cat leash law, but Phila. Code §10-104 requires owners to control cats causing nuisance. Pennsylvania Title 28 Chapter 27 mandates rabies vaccination for every cat over three months. ACCT Philly runs trap-neuter-return for community cats.
Cats need rabies shots; no leash law but nuisance limits apply
Some RestrictionsMandatory Spay/Neuter
Philadelphia does not impose a citywide spay-neuter mandate on owned pets. ACCT Philly sterilizes every dog and cat before adoption, and Phila. Code §10-104 charges higher fees for unaltered animals when licensing dogs. Low-cost clinics serve income-qualified residents.
No general spay-neuter mandate; ACCT alters every adoption
Few RestrictionsMicrochipping
Philadelphia does not require microchips on all pets, but ACCT Philly and partner rescues microchip every dog and cat before adoption. Pennsylvania has no statewide chip mandate, though chipped pets recover faster from city shelters. Owners must keep registry contact info current.
Microchip standard at adoption; not mandatory citywide
Few RestrictionsCoyote Management
Coyotes are classified as furbearers under the Pennsylvania Game and Wildlife Code. The PA Game Commission, not Philadelphia, regulates take. City rules ban firearm discharge, so residents rely on hazing, secure trash, and licensed nuisance trappers. Feeding wildlife is prohibited.
Coyotes managed by PA Game Commission; city handles complaints
Some RestrictionsPet Store Rules
Philadelphia Code §9-625, passed 2018, bars pet stores from selling commercially bred dogs, cats, and rabbits. Stores may only offer animals from shelters or qualifying rescues. Pennsylvania Dog Law Act 225 separately licenses kennels and breeders statewide.
Pet stores can only sell rescue animals under 2018 ordinance
Heavy RestrictionsPet Groomer Rules
Pennsylvania does not license pet groomers. Philadelphia treats grooming salons as personal-services businesses needing a Commercial Activity License plus zoning approval under Phila. Code Title 14. Mobile groomers also need a vehicle business license; cruelty cases fall under 18 Pa.C.S. §5511.
No state grooming license; Philly business permit and zoning rule
Few RestrictionsVeterinary Clinic Zoning
Philadelphia Code Title 14 zones veterinary offices and animal hospitals as personal-services or medical uses, generally allowed by-right in CMX commercial-mixed-use districts and conditional in residential zones. Overnight boarding triggers stricter kennel review. State law licenses individual veterinarians.
Vet clinics conditional in commercial zones under Title 14
Some RestrictionsBird Protection
Nearly every wild bird in Philadelphia is protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Pennsylvania Game and Wildlife Code. Killing, trapping, or possessing protected birds, nests, or eggs requires a federal and state permit. Building owners face Lights Out Philly migration guidance.
Federal MBTA plus PA Game Code shield most wild birds
Heavy RestrictionsLooking for Philadelphia County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Philadelphia city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Philadelphia County →