Animal Ordinances in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK (2026)
6 rules for unincorporated Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Backyard chickens, gardens and other animal husbandry are a permitted accessory use inside the borough's designated Single-Family Residential Land Use Districts, Canoe Lake Subdivision, Chugach View Estates and Wilderness East Subdivision, under § 17.75.060(B)(3). The use must stay clearly secondary to the home, animals must be kept inside the property line, and waste has to be removed promptly to prevent odor.
Mat-Su SFR District Backyard Chickens and Livestock Rule
Some RestrictionsMatanuska-Susitna Borough Code § 17.75.060(B)(3)(a)-(b)
Agriculture, such as gardens, greenhouses and animal husbandry including raising produce or animals for sale, subject to the following conditions: ... The agricultural use of the dwelling unit, detached appurtenances and the land is clearly incidental and subordinate to its single-family residential use. ... The agricultural use is conducted and maintained in a safe, neat, orderly, clean and hu...
Dog Leash Laws
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Code § 24.05.070(A) requires every animal, not just dogs, to be under continuous restraint: a leash, harness, chain, tether, fence, building, or competent voice control during an organized activity or licensed mushing. Animal Care and Regulation enforces it borough-wide, including inside Wasilla, Palmer and Houston, with fines starting at $100.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Animal Restraint Requirement
Some RestrictionsMatanuska-Susitna Borough Code § 24.05.070(A), (C), (E)
All animals shall be continuously under restraint. ... No person shall release, without permission of the owner, any animal from restraint, except to preserve the animal's life. ... No person shall have an animal within, on, or attached to a motor vehicle under conditions that may endanger the health, safety, or welfare of the animal. An animal carried in the bed of a truck or in any open vehic...
Breed Restrictions
Matanuska-Susitna Borough doesn't restrict any dog breed by name. Instead, § 24.26.010(A) classifies an animal as dangerous on a five-level scale based purely on what it actually does: biting, injuring, or aggressively threatening a person or another animal, with consequences ranging from confinement rules to mandatory euthanasia at Level 5.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Dangerous Animal Classification
Some RestrictionsMatanuska-Susitna Borough Code § 24.26.010(A)
Level 1 classification is established if an unrestrained animal: ... Has engaged in the following activities: ... Aggressive posturing; ... Aggressive lunging; or ... Aggressive barking; ... Level 3 classification is established if an animal, while under restraint: ... Inflicts an aggressive bite or causes any physical injury to any human; ... Level 5 classification is established if any of the...
Cat Rules
Cat licensing is optional under Matanuska-Susitna Borough Code § 24.10.010(A), but rabies vaccination is not: every cat over six months must carry a current rabies vaccination, and anyone keeping five or more cats needs a cattery license. Unlicensed, unmicrochipped cats' licenses expire every three years; microchipped cats never need to relicense.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Cat Licensing Rules
Some RestrictionsMatanuska-Susitna Borough Code § 24.10.010(A), (C)
Optional license. Within the borough, it is optional to license each dog or cat. A separate kennel or cattery license is required for each species type of five or more animals over the age of six months. ... Immunization required. Within the borough, all dogs and cats over the age of six months must be vaccinated with a state of Alaska approved rabies vaccine by a licensed veterinarian, or by a...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Matanuska-Susitna Borough doesn't mandate spay or neuter for every pet, but every dog or cat adopted from the animal care and regulation shelter must be sterilized within 30 days under § 24.15.050(C), or within seven months of birth for animals adopted younger than six months.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Shelter Spay-Neuter Duty
Some RestrictionsMatanuska-Susitna Borough Code § 24.15.050(A), (C)
No dog or cat over the age of six months shall be adopted from the shelter unless the prospective owner agrees to have the animal spayed or neutered. ... A dog or cat which is at least six months old and is not spayed or neutered when it is adopted shall be spayed or neutered within 30 calendar days of the date of adoption. Dogs and cats which are under six months of age at the time of adoption...
Microchipping
Microchipping is voluntary for owned dogs and cats under Matanuska-Susitna Borough Code § 24.10.050(C), and a borough-inserted microchip earns the animal lifetime licensing with no renewal. Every dog or cat released from the borough shelter, by contrast, is chipped automatically under § 24.15.070, at the owner's expense.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Pet Microchipping Rules
Light RestrictionsMatanuska-Susitna Borough Code § 24.10.050(C)
Microchip identification. The dog or cat owner may have the dog or cat inserted with a microchip identification approved and inserted by the borough with the borough identification number. The microchip identification should be inserted in a location specified by the chief animal care and regulation officer. Animals microchipped by the borough shall have lifetime licensing.
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