Animal Ordinances in Westfield, IN (2026)
8 verified animal ordinances for Westfield, Indiana, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Westfield's animal code defines livestock to expressly include fowl, so chickens and other livestock kept in the city fall under the same care duties as pets. Owners must supply adequate food, water, shelter and sanitary conditions, and violators face a fine of up to $500.00 per occurrence. Any lot-size or setback limits on keeping them run through the separate Unified Development Ordinance.
Backyard Chickens and Livestock in Westfield
Some RestrictionsWestfield City Code §§ 10-2, 10-3
Livestock includes horses, cows, goats, pigs or any other four-legged animal, excluding dogs and cats, used for pleasure or profit. Fowl are expressly included within this definition. ... (a)Any owner of an animal, including livestock, kept in the city shall see that such animal has access to adequate food, water, and space as defined in this chapter, and that the following conditions; if appli...
Dog Leash Laws
Westfield bans letting any animal run at large and requires owners to keep pets restrained at all times under Section 10-11. Animals must be leashed, fenced, or securely tethered with a line at least 12 feet long, tethering is barred from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., and a violation is a Class C infraction carrying up to $500.00 per occurrence.
Leash and Restraint Rules in Westfield
Some RestrictionsWestfield City Code § 10-11
(a)It shall be unlawful for any owner or possessor of any animal to allow such animal to run at large, whether wearing a collar and tag or not, within the city. Any and all such animals found running at large, whether wearing a collar and tag or not, shall be immediately impounded by officers of the animal control unit or any police officer. ... (c)It shall be the duty of every owner or custodi...
Breed Restrictions
Westfield does not ban any dog breed by name. Instead, Section 10-9 lets a court declare any individual animal vicious based on a prior finding of dangerous, violent or vicious conduct, and once declared, owners face double fencing, a locked kennel, a ten-foot leash limit and warning-sign requirements, backed by a fine of up to $500.00 per occurrence.
Vicious Animal Declarations in Westfield
Significant RestrictionsWestfield City Code § 10-9
(a)Any animal who has been the subject of a prior judgement in which a court made a finding that the animal was dangerous, violent or vicious, will be considered an animal deemed vicious for purposes of this section.(b)It shall be unlawful for any person to cause, permit, accompany or be responsible for the presence of any dog, cat or other animal deemed vicious on the streets or public places ...
Cat Rules
Westfield allows feral cat colonies only if caregivers register them with Low Cost Spay Neuter Clinic, Inc. and follow trap-neuter-return rules under Section 10-8. Feeding an unregistered colony is unlawful, registered caretakers must sterilize, vaccinate and ear-tip every cat they can trap, and violations draw a fine of up to $500.00 per occurrence plus loss of caretaker status.
Feral Cat Colony Rules in Westfield
Significant RestrictionsWestfield City Code § 10-8
(a)The city may establish a fund, provide services, or an approved assistance program to offset the costs of trapping, neutering, and vaccinating captured feral cats that can be returned to an appropriate, controlled, protected and registered colony site. ... (b)Each feral cat colony will be registered by the caregivers with Low Cost Spay Neuter Clinic, Inc. which will maintain current and hist...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Westfield requires every dog and cat over six months old to be sterilized under Section 10-22, unless the owner holds a free breeder's permit, has a vet-documented medical exemption, or is an approved breeder with a Hamilton County special use permit. Breeders must register each litter, and failing to do so draws a fine between $100.00 and $2,500.00.
Mandatory Spay/Neuter Law in Westfield
Heavy RestrictionsWestfield City Code § 10-22
(a)Each dog and cat over the age of six months which is kept in the city shall be sterilized and rendered incapable of reproducing by a licensed veterinarian, with the following exceptions as long as the requirements noted herein are met:(1)A free breeder's permit has been secured according to the process noted in this section; ... (4)The owner is considered an approved breeder as defined in th...
Microchipping
Every dog and cat three months or older in Westfield must carry permanent identification, either an implanted microchip or a durable collar tag with the owner's name and phone number, under Section 10-24. Vets who implant chips must report owner and chip data monthly to Hamilton County, and going without ID draws a fine of up to $500.00 per occurrence.
Microchipping Requirement in Westfield
Heavy RestrictionsWestfield City Code § 10-24
(a)A person who owns a dog or cat in the city shall ensure that each dog or cat owned by that person bears a permanent means of identification at all times, such that the owner of a lost or stolen dog or cat can be ascertained quickly and easily.(b)The means of identification required by this section shall be in addition to any tags required to be worn by dogs or cats by state law or the provis...
Pet Store Rules
In the City of Westfield, Indiana, a pet shop is defined as a commercial animal establishment engaged in the retail sale of animals, and it may operate only at a permanent location under a special use or other zoning permit. Sec. 10-7 sets minimum care standards for every such establishment and flatly bans puppy mills citywide.
Pet Store and Puppy Mill Rules in Westfield
Some RestrictionsWestfield City Code §§ 10-2, 10-7
Pet shop means a commercial animal establishment engaging in the retail sale of animals. ... (6)The establishment will not sell animals that are un-weaned or diseased; ... (c)All commercial animal establishments, other than a circus temporarily located within the city for less than ten days per year, shall be located at a permanent building or facility and shall be permitted at that location by...
Pet Groomer Rules
Pet grooming shops in the City of Westfield are regulated as commercial animal establishments under Chapter 10, not through a stand-alone grooming ordinance. Section 10-7 lists a pet grooming shop among the covered establishments, requires a permanent building and a special use or other zoning permit, and imposes nuisance, sanitation and inspection standards backed by fines up to $500 per violation.
Pet Grooming Shops in Westfield, Indiana
Significant RestrictionsWestfield City Code § 10-7
(a)Standards for commercial animal establishments and animal care facilities include all of the following:(1)The establishment must be operated in such a manner as not to constitute a public nuisance; ... (7)The establishment shall permit the animal control officer to inspect at any and all times the premises where the animals are kept;(b)An animal care facility and/or commercial animal establi...
Looking for Hamilton County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Westfield city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Hamilton County →