10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Sarasota County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Sarasota County's Unified Development Code allows up to four chickens (no roosters) on many residential lots, with coop setbacks and enclosure rules. Larger livestock is limited to agricultural and rural zoning districts.
In unincorporated Sarasota County, dogs and cats may not run at large on public streets, sidewalks, other public property, or a neighbor's property unless leashed. Animal Services officers may impound loose animals.
SCC 14-41
No Person shall cause, permit, or allow a Dog or cat to stray or in any manner to run At Large in or upon any public street, sidewalk, or other public property or the property of another, unless the Dog or cat is leashed.
Sarasota County cannot ban or restrict dogs by breed. Florida Statute 767.14 preempts breed-, weight-, and size-specific dog regulation statewide; only behavior-based dangerous-dog rules are allowed.
FS 767.14
This act does not limit any local government or public housing authority from adopting an ordinance or a policy... to address the safety and welfare concerns caused by attacks on persons or domestic animals... provided that no such regulation is specific to breed, weight, or size.
Sarasota County cannot regulate managed honeybee colonies. Florida Statute 586.10 preempts beekeeping to the state Department of Agriculture, so registration and inspection are handled statewide, not by county ordinance.
FS 586.10
The authority to regulate, inspect, and permit managed honeybee colonies... is preempted to the state through the department and supersedes any related ordinance adopted by a county, municipality, or political subdivision thereof.
Exotic pets are regulated by the state, not Sarasota County. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission licenses captive wildlife; Class I and II animals and venomous reptiles require FWC permits and caging standards.
Feeding wildlife is governed by state FWC rules, not a Sarasota County ordinance. Florida bans intentionally feeding bears, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, pelicans, sandhill cranes, and alligators or crocodiles.
Larger livestock like horses and cattle is allowed only in agricultural and rural zoning districts under Sarasota County's Unified Development Code, subject to lot-size, use-table, and setback standards. Small residential lots cannot keep large animals.
Sarasota County has no set pet-number cap, but keeping too many animals to care for them becomes illegal under the county nuisance ordinance and Florida's animal-cruelty statutes (FS 828.12 and 828.13).
Sarasota County sets no fixed numeric limit on dogs or cats per household. Instead, the animal-control ordinance regulates through nuisance and sanitation standards, so excessive animals become a violation when they create offensive conditions.
Cats in unincorporated Sarasota County must be vaccinated for rabies at four months and older and may not run at large on public property or a neighbor's land. There is no numeric limit on cats per household.
SCC 14-37
All dogs, cats, and ferrets that are four months of age or older must be vaccinated for rabies, and dogs, cats, and ferrets shall be vaccinated annually for rabies.
3 cities in Sarasota County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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