Animal Ordinances in Tempe, AZ (2026)
8 verified animal ordinances for Tempe, Arizona, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Tempe's Zoning and Development Code Section 3-404(I) caps hens at six per single-family lot with roosters banned outside the AG district, and caps other small animals at five, while livestock keeping under Section 3-404(B) is calculated by lot size.
Tempe Backyard Chicken and Livestock Rules
Some RestrictionsTempe Zoning and Development Code Section 3-404(I)
I. Small Animals. Small animals, as defined herein, and pot-bellied pigs are permitted in all residential districts which have a single-family dwelling, subject to the following: 1. No more than five (5) small animals collectively are allowed on an individual lot; 2. No more than two (2) pot-bellied pigs are allowed on an individual lot and shall be counted in the total allotment for small anim...
Dog Leash Laws
Tempe City Code Sec. 6-30 bars dogs from running at large anywhere in the City, requiring a leash, chain, rope or cord no longer than six feet, with narrow exceptions for livestock-control, hunting, kennel-club or racing dogs.
Tempe Dog Leash and Restraint Law
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code Sec. 6-30
In a rabies quarantine area, no dogs shall be permitted at large. Each dog shall be confined within an enclosure on the owner's property, or secured so that the dog is confined entirely to the owner's property, or on a leash not to exceed six (6) feet in length and directly under the owner's control when not on the owner's property. ... Any person whose dog is at large is in violation of this c...
Pet Limits
Tempe enforces AZ §13-2910 animal cruelty for hoarding. Tempe City Code Ch. 8 limits number of dogs/cats in residential zones; MCACC investigates complaints alongside Tempe PD.
animals/animal-hoarding
Heavy RestrictionsAriz. Rev. Stat. § 13-2910 (Cruelty to Animals)
A person commits cruelty to animals if the person does any of the following: 1. Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly subjects any animal under the person's custody or control to cruel neglect or abandonment. 2. Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly fails to provide medical attention necessary to prevent protracted suffering to any animal under the person's custody or control. ...
Cat Rules
Tempe City Code Sec. 6-26 requires any cat that bites a person to be confined and quarantined for at least seven days in an authorized pound or, at the owner's expense, a veterinary hospital, and requires the bite to be reported to the county enforcement agent immediately.
Tempe Cat Bite and Quarantine Rules
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code Sec. 6-26
An unlicensed or unvaccinated dog or any cat that bites any person shall be confined and quarantined in an authorized pound or, upon request of and at the expense of the owner, at a veterinary hospital, for a period of not less than seven (7) days. ... Whenever an animal bites any person, the incident shall be reported to the county enforcement agent immediately by any person having direct know...
Pet Store Rules
Tempe City Code Sec. 6-54 bars pet shops and pet dealers from obtaining or selling a dog or cat from anyone unlicensed under the federal Animal Welfare Act or with recent violations, effectively steering retail sales toward pounds and nonprofit shelters.
Tempe Pet Store Sourcing Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsTempe City Code Sec. 6-54
A pet shop or pet dealer may not obtain a dog or cat for resale or sell or offer for sale any dog or cat obtained from a person who is required to be licensed by the pet dealer regulations of the United States Department of Agriculture under the Animal Welfare Act (7 USC 2131-2159) if any of the following applies: (1) The person is not currently licensed by the United States Department of Agric...
Pet Groomer Rules
Tempe treats every animal grooming shop as a cross-connection hazard on the municipal water system. Under the city's 2024 International Plumbing Code amendments, a grooming shop's water service connection must carry a Secondary Reduced Pressure Principle Backflow Prevention assembly, the same tier required for veterinary hospitals and morgues, before Public Works will sign off on a building permit for the space.
Tempe Pet Groomer Backflow Assembly Rule
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code, Ch. 8, Art. VI § 608.7.2 (2024 International Plumbing Code, Tempe Amendments)
608.7.2 Secondary backflow protection. The following activities or facilities shall have a Secondary Reduced Pressure Principle Backflow Prevention assembly installed as close as practicable to each point of service delivery: Hospitals, surgical clinics, medical buildings, laboratories, morgues, mortuaries, veterinary hospitals, animal grooming shops, industrial occupancies, packing plants, sla...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Tempe's Zoning and Development Code lets a medical, dental or small-animal veterinary clinic operate by right in every commercial, mixed-use and office/industrial district in the city. Animal kennels and boarding operations sit in the same tables but need a discretionary use permit almost everywhere clinics do not.
Tempe Veterinary Clinic Zoning Rules
Light RestrictionsTempe Zoning and Development Code §§ 3-202 (Table 3-202A), 3-302 (Table 3-302A), 4-603 (Table 4-603E)
Table 3-202A - Permitted Land Uses (R/O, CSS, CC, PCC, RCC): Animal Kennel N U U U U U / Clinic (medical, dental, veterinary (small animals)) P P P P P P. Key: P = Permitted; U = Use permit required; N = Not permitted. Table 3-302A Permitted Land Uses (LID, GID, HID): Animal Kennels, and Animal Hospitals N P P / Clinics: Medical, Dental and Veterinary P P P. Table 4-603E: Rati...
Bird Protection
Tempe cites keeping or feeding outdoor birds as a nuisance when frequent public defecation from the birds annoys or disturbs a neighborhood. City Code § 21-3(b)(21) requires a petition from at least three witnesses in separate households before the City can act, a higher bar than the two-witness threshold for barking animals.
Tempe Outdoor Bird Feeding Nuisance Rule
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code § 21-3(b)(21)
The keeping or feeding of outdoor birds that by frequent public defecation on private or public property, annoys or disturbs a neighborhood or any number of persons; provided, that an action for a violation of this subsection shall not be initiated, unless a petition is received signed by at least three (3) witnesses in separate households with independent knowledge of the nuisance. The petitio...
Looking for Maricopa County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Tempe city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Maricopa County →