10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Shelby County, Tennessee.
Verified from official government sources
Shelby County's animal Code Chapter 4 does not set backyard-chicken or poultry limits; it only bars livestock from running at large (Sec. 4-171). Where chickens and farm animals may be kept in the unincorporated county is governed by the joint Memphis and Shelby County zoning code, by district.
In unincorporated Shelby County, Code Sec. 4-131 makes it unlawful to willfully or negligently let a dog be at large on any public or private property. Sec. 4-2 defines 'animal at large' as any dog running loose without a leash or other restraint.
Shelby County Code Sec. 4-131(a)
It is unlawful for any owner or keeper of an animal other than a cat to willfully or negligently allow the animal to be at large on any public or private property.
Shelby County does not ban or restrict any dog breed. Its Code classifies a 'dangerous/vicious dog' by behavior, not breed (Sec. 4-2). Tennessee has no statewide breed preemption, but the county's rules turn on individual conduct, and owners face state duties under T.C.A. 44-8-413.
Shelby County's animal Code Chapter 4 covers only dogs, cats, and livestock and contains no beekeeping or hive provisions. Whether beehives are allowed on an unincorporated parcel is a zoning question under the joint Memphis and Shelby County zoning code, and beekeeping is otherwise regulated at the Tennessee state level.
Shelby County's animal Code defines 'animal' as dogs and cats and contains no exotic-pet permit scheme. Possession of exotic and wild animals in the unincorporated county is governed by Tennessee state law, which classifies dangerous wildlife and requires state permits from the Wildlife Resources Agency.
Shelby County's animal Code contains no ban on feeding wildlife; its scope is dogs, cats, and livestock. Feeding of wild animals is instead governed by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency rules, and food left out that attracts strays or vermin can trigger the county's nuisance rule.
Shelby County Code Sec. 4-171 makes it unlawful for owners of livestock to willfully allow them to run at large, mirroring Tennessee's Sec. 44-8-401. Owners are liable for damage caused, and where livestock may be kept in the unincorporated county depends on the parcel's zoning district.
Shelby County Code Sec. 4-171
It shall be unlawful for the owners of any livestock, as the same are commonly known and defined, to willfully allow the same to run at large.
Shelby County has no ordinance using the word 'hoarding,' but its humane-care article (Secs. 4-181 to 4-187) bars keeping animals in inhumane conditions and sets minimum food, water, shelter, and space standards. Tennessee's cruelty statutes add criminal penalties for neglect.
Shelby County Code Sec. 4-182
It shall be unlawful for any person to torture, maim or intentionally injure an animal or to keep an animal in inhumane conditions.
Shelby County's animal Code sets no numeric limit on how many dogs or cats a household may keep in the unincorporated county. Sec. 4-140 authorizes the board to regulate animal numbers, but a code note states no such rules were enacted.
Shelby County Code Sec. 4-140
The board may enact reasonable rules and regulations... including... the right to regulate the numbers and types of animals and the conditions under which they may be maintained in residentially zoned areas.
Shelby County exempts cats from the dog at-large ban (Sec. 4-131), so cats are not required to be leashed. But every cat three months or older must be vaccinated against rabies (Sec. 4-65) and licensed annually (Sec. 4-68), and diseased cats may not be allowed at large.
Shelby County Code Sec. 4-68(a)
Any person who owns or keeps in the county a dog or cat three months of age or older shall cause the animal to be licensed annually.
1 cities in Shelby County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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