10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Erie County, New York.
Verified from official government sources
Erie County has no countywide chicken or livestock ordinance. Whether backyard hens, roosters, goats, or other livestock are allowed is decided by each town, city, or village zoning code, so rules differ across Buffalo, Amherst, Hamburg, Clarence, and other Erie County municipalities.
Erie County does not run a countywide leash law. Dog licensing, leashing, running-at-large, and dangerous-dog control are administered by each town, city, and village under New York Agriculture and Markets Law Article 7, while the county's role is limited to rabies and animal-bite investigation.
No Erie County municipality may ban dogs by breed. New York Agriculture and Markets Law Section 107(5) bars any local dangerous-dog program from regulating dogs in a manner specific as to breed, so pit bulls and other breeds cannot be prohibited anywhere in the county.
Erie County sets no countywide beekeeping ordinance. Hive placement and colony limits are decided by each town, city, or village zoning code, while New York State registration of apiaries is handled by the Department of Agriculture and Markets, not the county.
Erie County has no separate exotic-pet ordinance because New York State law controls. Environmental Conservation Law Section 11-0512 bans keeping wild animals as pets and requires a state permit for wolves, big cats, venomous reptiles, and other dangerous wildlife.
The Erie County Department of Health treats improper bird and wildlife feeding as a rodent attractant and public-health nuisance and investigates complaints about it, alongside poorly stored garbage and uncollected dog waste.
Erie County imposes no countywide livestock ordinance. Keeping cattle, horses, goats, pigs, or other farm animals is controlled by each town, city, or village zoning code, so allowed animals, lot sizes, and setbacks vary across the county.
Animal hoarding in Erie County is investigated by the SPCA Serving Erie County and prosecuted as cruelty by the Erie County District Attorney's Animal Cruelty Unit under New York's Agriculture and Markets Law, working with city and town animal control officers.
Erie County sets no numeric limit on household pets. Any cap on the number of dogs or cats comes from a town, city, or village ordinance, while state law requires each dog four months or older to be licensed locally.
Erie County does not license cats, but New York law requires every cat to be rabies-vaccinated, and the county Health Department runs free rabies clinics for cats. Stray, cruelty, and abandonment complaints go to the SPCA Serving Erie County.
2 cities in Erie County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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