Animal Ordinances in Howard County, IN (2026)
6 rules for unincorporated Howard County, Indiana.
Verified from official government sources
Dog Leash Laws
Unincorporated Howard County requires dogs to be leashed or under an owner's complete control at all times off the owner's property. Section 90.01 defines AT LARGE as unrestrained by a leash or not under immediate control, and Section 90.03(B) makes it unlawful for an owner to let an animal run at large.
Howard County Dog At-Large Leash Rule
Some RestrictionsHoward County Code §§ 90.01, 90.03(B)
AT LARGE. Elsewhere than on the owner’s premises, and: (1) Not restrained by a leash; or (2) Not under the immediate and complete control of a person capable of controlling such animal. ... (B) It shall be unlawful for any owner to allow, suffer, or permit an animal to be at large within the unincorporated area of the county, except that it shall be permissible during hunting season presc...
Breed Restrictions
Howard County treats 'dangerous dog' as a formal classification made by the Department of Animal Services, not a banned breed list. Once a dog is declared potentially dangerous, the owner must secure it, post warning signs, carry $50,000 in liability insurance, and keep it muzzled and leashed off the property. Owning a fully classified dangerous dog is outright prohibited in the unincorporated county.
Howard County Dangerous Dog Rules
Heavy RestrictionsHoward County Code §§ 90.01, 90.03(F)
DANGEROUS DOG. Any dog that according to the records of the Department of Animal Services: (1) Has aggressively bitten, attacked, or endangered or has inflicted severe injury or death on a human being on public or private property; or (2) Has been used primarily or in part for the purpose of dog fighting or is a dog trained for dog fighting; (3) Has been listed as a potentially dangerous ...
Exotic Pets
Howard County bans keeping wild animals as pets in the unincorporated area. Section 90.01 defines WILD ANIMALS broadly as any non-domesticated animal except small non-poisonous aquatic or amphibious animals and small caged birds, and Section 90.03(E) makes it unlawful to own, keep, or harbor one within the county.
Howard County Wild Animal Ownership Ban
Heavy RestrictionsHoward County Code §§ 90.01, 90.03(E)
WILD ANIMALS. ... Any non-domesticated animal, with the exception of small non-poisonous aquatic or amphibious animals and small caged birds. ... (E) It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep, or harbor a dangerous dog or wild animal within the county; provided this section shall not apply to animals under the control of a law enforcement or military agency.
Pet Limits
Unincorporated Howard County caps how many dogs and cats a household can keep without a kennel license. Section 90.01 makes it a public nuisance to harbor more than four dogs or cats over four months old unless the property is classified as a kennel, and Section 90.03(D) bars owners from letting that nuisance happen.
Howard County Four-Pet Limit Rule
Some RestrictionsHoward County Code §§ 90.01, 90.03(D)
PUBLIC NUISANCE. ... Any animal or animals that: ... (6) It shall also be a public nuisance to harbor more than four dogs or cats over the age of four months, unless classified as a kennel. ... (D) It shall be unlawful for the owner of any animal to permit said animal to be a public nuisance within the unincorporated area of the county.
Cat Rules
Howard County treats stray or at-large cats the same as dogs under its apprehension rules. Section 90.05 authorizes the county to capture and impound any cat at large, any cat deemed a public nuisance, or any cat not wearing a required rabies vaccination tag in the unincorporated area.
Howard County Cat At-Large Impoundment Rule
Some RestrictionsHoward County Code § 90.05(A)-(C)
It is the duty of persons and agencies, so authorized by the county to apprehend and impound: (A) Any dog or cat at large, or any dog or cat deemed a public nuisance. (B) Any dog not wearing a proper registration tag. (C) (1) Any dog or cat not wearing a proper rabies vaccination tag; or (2) Any animal which has bitten or is suspected of having bitten a person or which appears to have...
Microchipping
Every dog or cat kept in unincorporated Howard County must carry permanent identification at all times under Section 90.02. Owners can satisfy the rule with a registered microchip or a durable collar tag bearing the owner's name, address, and phone number, and veterinarians who implant chips must report the data monthly.
Howard County Pet Microchip Requirement
Some RestrictionsHoward County Code § 90.02
(A) A person who owns a dog or cat in the unincorporated area of the county shall ensure that it bears a permanent means of identification at all times. (B) The means of identification shall be in addition to any tags required to be worn by dogs or cats by state law and shall be either by means of: (1) A microchip implanted in the dog or cat which bears a registered identification number ...
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