Animal Ordinances in Moore County, NC (2026)
8 rules for unincorporated Moore County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Moore County bans tethering fowl, selling baby chicks or ducklings under eight weeks old as pets, and dyeing baby chickens or rabbits, while setting shelter and feed standards for equine kept in unincorporated Moore County. Enforcement runs through the county's animal cruelty and care ordinance rather than a separate livestock chapter.
Backyard Fowl and Livestock Rules in Moore County
Some RestrictionsMoore County Code § 4-3(h), (m)-(o)
Outdoor shelters shall have a minimum of three sides and a waterproof roof sufficient to allow two feet of clearance from the animal's head in an erect position. Space requirements are 150 square feet per horse. ... (m)It shall be unlawful for any person to tether any fowl. Fowl used in the training or demonstration of hunting dogs are exempt from this provision.(n)If any person, firm or corpor...
Dog Leash Laws
Moore County treats a dog or other animal that is repeatedly off its owner's property and not under restraint as a nuisance rather than writing a stand-alone leash law. Restraint means a leash, direct voice control, a vehicle, a secure enclosure, or staying within the owner's own property line, and owners must abate a nuisance within 48 hours of notice.
Dogs At Large in Unincorporated Moore County
Light RestrictionsMoore County Code §§ 4-1, 4-5(a)
At large means an animal that is off the property of its owner or keeper and not under physical restraint. ... Nuisance means an animal or group of animals which: ... (3)Is/are repeatedly at large, with the exception of feral cats; or ... Restraint means that the condition or behavior of an animal is: (1)Controlled by means of a leash or other like device; or ... It shall be unlawful for an own...
Breed Restrictions
Moore County has no breed-specific ban; instead it regulates any dog the animal operations director determines is vicious. A vicious dog must live in a six-foot-fenced, roofed, concrete-floored enclosure with a lockable gate, and the property must post a warning sign on all four sides.
Vicious Dog Confinement Rules in Moore County
Significant RestrictionsMoore County Code § 4-4(a)-(c)
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person to keep any vicious, fierce or dangerous domestic animal within the county unless it is confined within a secure building or enclosure, or is restrained by means of a leash or other like device and firmly under control at all times.(b)A dog is determined to be vicious at the discretion of the animal operations director or his/her designee as defined in sec...
Exotic Pets
Moore County bars possessing or harboring any nondomestic animal that is dangerous to people or property, or that could become dangerous, covering animals the code calls exotic such as lions, tigers, apes, monkeys, and poisonous reptiles or spiders. Bona fide circuses and petting zoos are exempt from the ban.
Exotic and Nondomestic Animal Ban in Moore County
Heavy RestrictionsMoore County Code §§ 4-1, 4-8(a)
Exotic animal means any living animal, which is strikingly or excitingly different or unusual and not ordinarily kept as a pet or domesticated animal. By way of example, exotic animals shall include, but are not limited to, lions, tigers, apes, monkeys, poisonous reptiles, and poisonous spiders. A hybrid of any animal listed in the example above, regardless of genetic percentages, shall be deem...
Pet Limits
Moore County caps how many cats can share one primary enclosure at 12, under the animal care standards in its cruelty-to-animals ordinance. The rule sets floor-space minimums per cat and requires at least one litter box for every three cats, rather than capping the total number of pets a household may own.
Cat Housing Limit in Unincorporated Moore County
Some RestrictionsMoore County Code § 4-3(g)
Primary enclosures for cats shall be structurally sound, maintained in good repair and in a manner to prevent injury to cats and to keep other animals out. Each feline older than six months housed in any primary enclosure shall be provided a minimum of four square feet of floor space which may include elevated resting surfaces. Each feline younger than six months shall be provided one and one-h...
Cat Rules
In unincorporated Moore County, feral cat colony caregivers must follow Moore County Code Section 4-11's trap-neuter-vaccinate-return standard: neuter every adult cat, vaccinate the colony against rabies, notch the left ear of vaccinated cats, and manage the colony's ongoing health. Moore County Animal Operations must notify a registered caregiver and allow a reasonable period to resolve any complaint before removing a colony cat.
Feral Cat Colony Rules in Moore County
Some RestrictionsMoore County Code § 4-11
(a)Caregivers of feral cat colonies shall implement proper management to include as follows:(1)Neuter adult cats; and(2)Vaccinate cats against rabies; and(3)Notch left ear of all vaccinated cats; and(4)Manage the health of the colony.(b)Animal operations will notify a feral cat caregiver prior to removal of any feral cat(s) and caregiver will be given a reasonable period of time to resolve any ...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Moore County Code Section 4-88 requires every group, organization or entity that offers animals for adoption within the county to sterilize each animal six months or older before adoption, or to make prepaid arrangements for the spay or neuter surgery before the animal goes to its new home. The rule targets shelters and rescues, not private owners.
Moore County Mandatory Spay/Neuter for Adoptions
Some RestrictionsMoore County Code § 4-88
Any group, organization or entity offering animals for adoption in Moore County must provide proof of sterilization for every animal, six months of age or over, and prior to adoption, or make prepaid arrangements for a spay/neuter surgery prior to the animal being placed into a home.
Coyote Management
Moore County bars possessing a coyote or coyote hybrid, or a wolf or wolf hybrid, as a pet in unincorporated Moore County unless the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has permitted it. The county code does not set up its own hazing, culling, or public-feeding program for coyotes.
Coyote Possession Ban in Moore County, NC
Significant RestrictionsMoore County Code § 4-8(b)
(b)No person shall possess a wolf or wolf hybrid or a coyote or coyote hybrid except as permitted by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
All Moore County ordinances
See every category we cover for Moore County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Moore County Ordinance Hub →