Animal Ordinances in Suffolk County, NY (2026)
10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Suffolk County, New York.
Verified from official government sources
Dog Leash Laws
Suffolk County caps outdoor dog tethering at one hour in any twelve-hour span and bans it overnight, with added rules on collars, tether length, and extreme weather.
Suffolk County Dog Tethering Time Limits
Some RestrictionsSuffolk County Code § 299-51(C)-(D)
No person shall tether, leash, fasten, secure, restrain, chain or tie a dog to any stationary object outdoors for more than one continuous hour in any continuous twelve-hour period between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. D. No person shall tether, leash, fasten, secure, restrain, chain or tie a dog to any stationary object outdoors between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. E. No...
Beekeeping
Before spraying or otherwise killing a honeybee colony or swarm, Suffolk County law requires the applicator to phone a beekeeper and seek help relocating the bees rather than exterminating them outright, unless the swarm is dangerous or already inside a structure.
Suffolk County Requires Beekeeper Contact Before Extermination
Some RestrictionsSuffolk County Code § 299-88
Any person, including certified and licensed pesticide applicators and commercial pesticide applicators and operators operating in Suffolk County, shall contact a beekeeper by phone prior to the extermination of honeybees to obtain assistance in trying to relocate nuisance honeybee colonies or hanging swarms of honeybees, in lieu of destroying such honeybees immediately. B. The purpose of th...
Exotic Pets
Suffolk County prohibits using wild or exotic animals, bears, big cats, primates, crocodilians, and more, in traveling performances, shows, petting zoos, or parties, even if the animal has been domesticated, under Chapter 302, Article IV of the County Code.
Suffolk County Bans Wild Animals in Traveling Shows
Heavy RestrictionsSuffolk County Code § 302-25
No animal traveling performance or show may use wild or exotic animals, even if they are domesticated.
Wildlife Feeding
Suffolk County makes it illegal to feed deer, coyotes, geese, and other wild animals countywide, plus bars leaving out food or garbage that attracts them.
Suffolk County Bans Feeding Wild Animals
Significant RestrictionsSuffolk County Code § 299-78
No person shall purposely or knowingly feed, bait, or in any manner provide access to food to any wild animal in Suffolk County, except as provided for in § 299-80 of this article. B. No person shall purposely or knowingly leave or store any refuse, garbage, food product, pet food, forage product or supplement, salt, seed or birdseed, fruit, or grain in a manner that would attract wild anima...
Cat Rules
Suffolk County mandates rabies vaccination and an ID tag for every resident cat, runs a no-cost feral cat trap-neuter-return program with the SPCA, but does not license cats: that stays with the ten towns.
Suffolk County Requires Rabies Shots for Cats
Some RestrictionsSuffolk County Code §§ 299-8(A), 299-11(B)(2)
Every dog and cat residing within Suffolk County shall be actively immunized against rabies in accordance with recommendations issued by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians' Compendium of Animal Rabies Control. ... The Commissioner is hereby authorized, empowered and directed to enter into a contract with the Suffolk County SPCA to spay/neuter and inoculate 20 feral ca...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Any dog or cat adopted, bartered, or given away by a Suffolk County animal shelter or rescue must be spayed or neutered before the transfer, unless a licensed veterinarian certifies the surgery would be unsafe for that animal.
Suffolk County Requires Shelter Animals Spayed First
Some RestrictionsSuffolk County Code § 302-7(W)
Any animal which is adopted, bartered or given away by an animal shelter or animal rescue shall be spayed or neutered prior to transfer to a new owner unless a New York State licensed veterinarian provides a written determination that performing such procedure would be unsafe. X. Any animal shelter or animal rescue shall provide any individual considering the adoption of an animal with all b...
Coyote Management
Suffolk County outlaws purposely feeding or baiting coyotes and other wild animals anywhere in the county, targeting the human-food dependency the Legislature says drives aggressive, nuisance coyote behavior near residents.
Suffolk County Bans Feeding Wild Coyotes
Significant RestrictionsSuffolk County Code §§ 299-77, 299-78
WILD ANIMAL: Any animal which is not normally domesticated in New York State, including but not limited to coyotes, deer, foxes, groundhogs, opossums, raccoons, skunks, and nuisance birds other than songbirds or hummingbirds... No person shall purposely or knowingly feed, bait, or in any manner provide access to food to any wild animal in Suffolk County, except as provided for in § 299-80 of th...
Pet Store Rules
Suffolk County pet stores may still sell dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters, but only if sourced from USDA-licensed Class A breeders or Class B brokers with clean recent inspection records; a store may only call a transfer an "adoption" if the animal came from a Suffolk County municipal shelter.
Suffolk County Pet Store Sourcing Rules
Some RestrictionsSuffolk County Code § 299-58(A)
No animal shall be offered for sale by a pet dealer or pet store unless the animal is at least eight weeks old, is in good health, has been weaned from its mother and was raised and is being maintained in a healthy and safe manner. No pet store shall transfer an animal to an individual or entity as an adoption unless the animal was sourced from a municipal shelter within Suffolk County. Animals...
Pet Groomer Rules
Suffolk County requires every pet grooming business and individual pet groomer to register biennially with the Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs and pay a fee before offering services anywhere in the county.
Suffolk County Pet Groomers Must Register
Significant RestrictionsSuffolk County Code § 299-68(A)
No pet grooming business shall operate within the County of Suffolk unless it has registered with the Department in accordance with the provisions of this section. The initial application fee for registration of a pet grooming business shall be $50. Registration shall be filed biennially for a fee of $100. B. Each registrant must provide the following information and appropriate supporting d...
Bird Protection
Suffolk County prohibits trapping, killing, catching, injuring, or pursuing wild birds in any county park unless the Parks Commissioner authorizes it, protecting bird life on the county's park system.
Suffolk County Bans Trapping or Killing Wild Birds in Parks
Significant RestrictionsSuffolk County Code § 643-4A(11)
No person in a County park shall: ... Trap, kill, catch, injure or pursue any wild birds or wild animals except as authorized by the Commissioner.
Animal Ordinances by City in Suffolk County
3 cities in Suffolk County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Suffolk County ordinances
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