Animal Ordinances in Putnam County, FL (2026)
9 rules for unincorporated Putnam County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Unincorporated Putnam County allows limited backyard chicken flocks in R-1, R-2 and RE districts on lots with a single-family home, capped at 20 hens per acre with no roosters, plus fuller livestock keeping on agricultural lots under Sec. 45-185.
Backyard Chickens and Livestock, Putnam County
Some RestrictionsPutnam County Code § 45-185
Sec. 45-185. - Livestock, residential. ... (b)Supplemental regulations.(1)The residential livestock shall be kept in a fenced enclosure maintained to restrict the animals from being closer than ten feet to a property line.(2)If a place of shelter is provided it must be 100 feet or more from a residence of different ownership.(3)The following minimum area requirements shall be maintained:a.One h...
Dog Leash Laws
In unincorporated Putnam County, dog owners must keep animals under control by leash, chain, secure fence or other confinement whenever off the owner's property; letting a dog run loose meets the county's legal definition of "animal at large." An animal control officer may excuse a dog from the leash requirement if it reliably obeys voice command. Violations bring civil citations from the county's animal control department.
Putnam County dog at-large and leash rule
Some RestrictionsPutnam County Code §§ 6-19, 6-29, 6-42
Animal at large means any animal, other than a cat, which is not under control, custody, charge or possession of the owner or their designated responsible person, by leash, chain, secure fence or other means of confinement or restraint on property not owned or leased by the owner. ... (a)Prohibition; exceptions. It is unlawful for any owner or keeper of an animal other than a cat to willfully o...
Breed Restrictions
Putnam County has no breed-specific dog ban. Instead, Section 6-19 defines a "dangerous dog" by conduct: biting or attacking a person, killing or repeatedly injuring another animal off the owner's property, or menacingly chasing someone. Once the department head declares a dog dangerous under Section 6-32, the owner must register it yearly, keep it muzzled off-property, and confine it in a secure, posted enclosure.
Putnam County dangerous dog declaration rules
Significant RestrictionsPutnam County Code §§ 6-19, 6-31, 6-32
Dangerous dog means any dog that, according to Putnam County records: (1)Has aggressively bitten, attacked, or endangered or has inflicted severe injury on a human being on public or private property; or ... (a)A dog that has been designated dangerous must be registered as such with the animal control office on a yearly basis.(b) ... (2)A proper enclosure to confine the dangerous dog and a post...
Wildlife Feeding
Feeding or petting wild animals is flatly unlawful in any Putnam County park, listed among the chapter's prohibited park activities in Sec. 29-3(a)(7). The same subsection also bans capturing, collecting or harming any animal life on park property, with a narrow carve-out for fish caught as an 'edible' or 'game' species, and no permit exception unless the director specifically authorizes the activity.
Feeding Wild Animals Banned in Putnam Parks
Heavy RestrictionsPutnam County Code § 29-3(a)(7)-(8)
(a)[Generally.] It shall be unlawful for any person to do any of the following in any park or designated area within a park unless specifically permitted to do so by a permit issued pursuant to this chapter, other than activities of a governmental agency within the scope of its authority and activities authorized by the director (parents or guardians are responsible for violations by minors): ....
Cat Rules
Cats in unincorporated Putnam County are exempt from the general at-large ban, except a diseased cat may not be allowed to roam, per Section 6-29(a). Section 6-35 still requires every cat over four months old to be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian, wear a county license tag, and be re-vaccinated every 12 months.
Putnam County cat licensing and rabies rule
Some RestrictionsPutnam County Code §§ 6-29, 6-35
It is unlawful for owners or keepers of a diseased cat to allow the animal to run at large. ... (a)Vaccination of dogs, cats and ferrets.(1)Every owner of a dog, cat or ferret over four months old shall, at the owner's expense, cause it to be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian.(2)Each animal shall be re-vaccinated every 12 months after the initial vaccination, unless the veter...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Unincorporated Putnam County does not require pet owners generally to spay or neuter their animals. The only mandatory spay/neuter rule in the code applies at the animal shelter: Section 6-21(c) blocks release of an impounded dog or cat until it has been vaccinated for rabies, spayed or neutered, and licensed, if that has not already been done.
Putnam County shelter-release spay/neuter rule
Light RestrictionsPutnam County Code § 6-21
(b)The board may charge reasonable fees for impounding animals under this article. The owners or keepers of impounded animals shall pay fees and execute a sworn statement of ownership or responsibility as a condition precedent to release of an impounded animal. ... (c)An impounded dog or cat shall not be released from the animal shelter until provisions have been made to properly inoculate the ...
Microchipping
Putnam County has no general microchipping requirement for pet dogs or cats. Microchipping only becomes mandatory for a dog that has been formally declared dangerous: Section 6-32(d) requires permanent identification, a tattoo on the inside thigh or a microchip, and subsection (k)(3) repeats that requirement as a condition of the dog's annual dangerous-dog registration certificate.
Putnam County dangerous dog microchip rule
Light RestrictionsPutnam County Code § 6-32
(d)The dangerous dog shall have a permanent identification such as a tattoo on the inside thigh or microchip. ... (k)Within 30 days after a dog has been classified as dangerous by the special magistrate or within 14 days after a dangerous dog classification is upheld by the county court on appeal, the owner of the dog must obtain a certificate of registration for the dog from the animal control...
Pet Groomer Rules
Running a pet-grooming or breeding operation on agriculture-zoned land in unincorporated Putnam County takes a special use permit. Section 45-72(e)(9) lists "raising, breeding and/or grooming of household pets or exotic animals other than livestock or Poultry" among the uses the AG district allows only after that discretionary permit, distinct from the ordinary "Services" category that covers grooming in commercial districts.
Putnam County Pet Grooming on Ag Land
Some RestrictionsPutnam County Code § 45-72(e)(9)
(e)Certain uses that require a special use permit to locate in an AG district.(1)Bed and breakfast(2)Child and adult day care(3)Group home having seven or more residents(4)Religious facility (equal to or greater than 10,000 square feet of gross floor area)(5)Religious facility (less than 10,000 square feet of gross floor area) on a county road that is not a "minor collector" or higher roadway f...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Unincorporated Putnam County splits veterinary facilities into two zoning tracks: small-animal clinics fall under the 'Services' use category and follow standard commercial district permitting, while any veterinary facility serving large or mixed animals is classed as 'Commercial: Agriculture-related,' which needs a special use permit to locate in the county's AG zoning district under Sec. 45-72(d).
Putnam County Veterinary Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsPutnam County Code §§ 45-46, 45-59, 45-72(d), 45-183
Sec. 45-46. - Services. ... (b)Examples: ... Veterinary facilities: Small animal ... Sec. 45-59. - Commercial: Agriculture-related. (a)This category includes commercial uses directly related to agricultural production.(b)Examples: ... Veterinary facilities: Large or small animal ... Sec. 45-72. - Agriculture. ... (d)Use categories that require a special use permit to locate in an AG district.(1...
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