Livestock: Apex vs Cary

Can I keep a horse, cow, goat, or pig in Apex, NC?

Cattle, goats, sheep, and swine are prohibited inside the Apex corporate limits by Section 4-3 of the Town Code (Chapter 4 - Animals), effective June 1, 2007. Horses and ponies are exempt from the prohibition by the Code, but in practice the Apex Unified Development Ordinance accessory-structure and pasture requirements make horsekeeping infeasible on standard residential lots - rural acreage in or near the ETJ is normally required. Miniature pigs are allowed only if the pig is neutered AND no more than 20 inches in height at the shoulders when full grown, kept in the dwelling or a secure fenced area.

Why did Apex ban backyard livestock?

The Town Council adopted Section 4-3 of Chapter 4 with an effective date of June 1, 2007 in direct response to a March 2007 animal-cruelty case in which 77 sheep were seized from a residential property in Apex - 30 of which required euthanization due to health issues. The new ordinance categorically prohibited 'barnyard' livestock (cattle, goats, sheep, swine) and male chickens inside the corporate limits, while preserving narrow exemptions for horses/ponies, rabbits, hens and other non-male fowl, and small (<=20" at shoulder, neutered) miniature pigs.

What about livestock just outside Apex city limits?

The unincorporated portions of Wake County are governed by the Wake County Unified Development Ordinance, which is generally more permissive for agricultural use including livestock on appropriately zoned acreage. Within the Apex ETJ (extraterritorial jurisdiction), Apex's UDO governs zoning but Sec. 4-3's livestock prohibition applies once a parcel is inside the corporate limits. HOA covenants in many Apex and southwest Wake subdivisions further restrict livestock keeping independent of zoning.