Animal Ordinances in Chatham County, GA (2026)
8 rules for unincorporated Chatham County, Georgia.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Chatham County's animal code forbids livestock and domestic fowl from running at large. Keeping backyard chickens and small livestock in the unincorporated county is governed by the Chatham County-Savannah zoning ordinance, which a 2018 amendment opened to limited backyard flocks.
Keeping chickens and livestock in Chatham County
Some RestrictionsChatham County Code § 22-103(a)
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any livestock or domestic fowl to permit the same to run at large within Chatham County or to keep the same in any manner in any street or public place.
Dog Leash Laws
In unincorporated Chatham County, dogs must stay under manual control of a person. A dog off-leash on public roads, in parks, or on another's property is 'at large' and unlawful. Single-point tethering is banned; only a trolley system qualifies.
Chatham County dog leash and at-large rules
Some RestrictionsChatham County Code § 22-103(b)
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to permit the same to run at large. At large means any dog which is not under manual control of a person, and which is on any public roads of this state or on any property not belonging to the owner of the animal.
Breed Restrictions
Chatham County does not ban dogs by breed but does classify individual dangerous dogs under state law, O.C.G.A. Title 4, Ch. 8. Owners of a classified dog must pay a $150 registration fee, post warning signs, carry $25,000 insurance, and keep the dog muzzled and leashed outside a secure enclosure.
Classified/Dangerous Dog Rules in Chatham County
Significant RestrictionsChatham County Code §§22-301, 22-303
§22-301 Classified Dogs. Classified dogs are defined in Title 4 Chapter 8 of the Georgia Code. Any determination of a dog as a classified dog shall be done in accordance with O.C.G.A. 4-8-23... §22-303 Fee for Classified Dog. The registration fee for all classified dogs shall be $150.00. It shall be a requirement that one warning sign shall be included in this fee and additional signs as may be...
Exotic Pets
Chatham County defines 'exotic animal' broadly to include wildlife and large reptiles or mammals. Complaints about exotic pets, wild, or protected species are referred to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, not handled as ordinary domestic pets.
Exotic and wild animals in Chatham County
Some RestrictionsChatham County Code § 22-201(a)(3)
Exotic Animal - The word "exotic animal" shall mean any vertebrate animal ordinarily confined to a zoo, or one that would normally be found in the wild. This includes, but is not limited to, all carnivorous wildlife, monkeys, raccoons, squirrels, ocelots, hybrids of wild felines, wolves, hybrid wolves, and mammals and non-venomous reptiles weighing over 50 pounds.
Pet Limits
Chatham County has no standalone hoarding statute, but it curbs hoarding through hard numeric pet limits (8 cats, 6 dogs per acre) and its cruelty/neglect provisions, which bar failing to provide adequate food, water, space, shelter, and sanitary conditions.
Animal hoarding and neglect in Chatham County
Some RestrictionsChatham County Code § 22-212(a)
No person who is the owner or custodian of any single-family residence which is zoned for single family residences shall have greater than eight (8) cats, unless all animals are permanently confined to the actual living space of the family residence.
Cat Rules
Any cat allowed outside a Chatham County residence must be spayed or neutered under Code Sec. 22-104(a). A cat that becomes a nuisance to neighbors can be trapped by Animal Services and impounded as an at-large animal, with fines of $100 to $1,000 per violation.
Outdoor Cat & Nuisance Rules in Chatham County
Some RestrictionsChatham County Code § 22-104(a)
§22-104 Limitations on outdoor cats in residential areas. (a) Any cat that resides in a residence but is allowed outside of said structure must be spayed or neutered. (b) Any cat deemed a nuisance to adjacent property owners or Animal Services may be trapped and brought to Animal Services as an at large animal... §22-106 Citation and Penalties. (b) Any person violating any provisions of this ch...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Chatham County will not release a menacing dog or cat impounded as a stray, or any dog or cat impounded a second time, until it is spayed or neutered at the owner's expense under Code Sec. 22-204. Every animal adopted from the county shelter must also be fixed before release.
Mandatory Spay/Neuter on Impound in Chatham County
Significant RestrictionsChatham County Code § 22-204
§22-204 Spay and Neuter Requirements Upon Impound (a) Any menacing dog or cat impounded as a stray animal will not be released until the animal is spayed or neutered at the owner's expense unless the owner has bona fide registration letters as outlined herein. (b) Notwithstanding the above, any dog or cat who is impounded for a second time irrespective of registration, shall not be returned to ...
Microchipping
Chatham County requires Animal Services to microchip any impounded dog, at the owner's expense, before it can be returned under Code Sec. 22-203(b). Anyone who finds a stray dog or cat must have it scanned for a microchip and report it within 24 hours.
Dog & Cat Microchipping Rules in Chatham County
Some RestrictionsChatham County Code § 22-203(b)
§22-203 Impounding Dogs and Cats. (b) Any dog impounded for any reason shall not be returned to the owner until the dog has a microchip placed in the dog by Animal Services at the owner's expense... §22-205 Effect of Impounding on owners and non-owners. (a) For dogs and cats found within Chatham County by a non-owner, the finder shall actively pursue ownership of the animal by notifying Animal ...
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