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Animal Ordinances in Wayne County, IN (2026)

4 rules for unincorporated Wayne County, Indiana.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Wayne County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.

Chickens & Livestock

In unincorporated Wayne County, Indiana, Wayne County Code § 156.075(B) limits agricultural animals and poultry on A-1 Agricultural District tracts of three to under five acres with at least 275 feet of lot width to two agricultural animals, 20 poultry, or ten poultry plus one agricultural animal, and bars keeping any agricultural animals or poultry at all on parcels under three acres.

Wayne County IN Chicken and Livestock Limits

Some Restrictions

Wayne County Code § 156.075(B)

(B) (1) Agricultural Animals and Poultry*: On tracts of three acres to less than five acres, and a minimum of 275 feet of lot width, one of the following three options is permitted. A maximum of: (a) Two agricultural animals; (b) Twenty poultry; or (c) Ten poultry and one agricultural animal. (2) *All agricultural animals and poultry shall be appropr...

Dog Leash Laws

Wayne County Code § 90.03 forbids letting a dog run at large anywhere in unincorporated Wayne County, Indiana, defining at large as being off the owner's property and not on a leash under a competent person's control. The Sheriff's Office impounds loose dogs and fines owners $10 to $50 per offense.

Dogs at Large Ban, Wayne County IN

Some Restrictions

Wayne County Code §§ 90.01, 90.03, 90.99

AT LARGE. Any dog shall be deemed to be AT LARGE when it is off the property of its owner and not under control of a competent person while on a leash. ... § 90.03 ANIMALS AT LARGE. No person shall permit his or her dog to be at large within the county. ... Any person who violates § 90.03 of this chapter shall, upon conviction, be fined not less than $10, nor more than $50, for each offense.

Pet Groomer Rules

In unincorporated Wayne County, Indiana, a domestic pet grooming facility cannot open by right anywhere. It needs a special exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals, and the county code lists it in the A-1 Agricultural District alongside commercial dog breeders and unlimited kennels.

Wayne County Pet Grooming Facility Zoning

Significant Restrictions

Wayne County Code §§ 156.004, 156.076

DOMESTIC PET GROOMING FACILITY. Any lot or premises on which is located a facility to primarily groom domestic pets. The domestic pets brought to the facility to be groomed would typically be held at the facility for less than 24 hours. Should the typical holding time for a domestic pet at a grooming facility more often than not exceed a 24-hour period, the facility shall be considered a boardi...

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

In unincorporated Wayne County, Indiana, a veterinary clinic for large animals like horses and cattle is a permitted use by right in the A-1 Agricultural District, while a small-animal clinic for dogs and cats needs a special exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals, and only in that same A-1 district.

Wayne County Veterinary Clinic Zoning Rules

Some Restrictions

Wayne County Code §§ 156.075, 156.509

VETERINARY CLINICS (COMMON SMALL, DOMESTICATED ANIMALS). A building or part of a building in which facilities are provided for the prevention, care, cure and alleviation of disease and/or injury to common small, domesticated animals, and in conjunction with which there may be facilities provided for the sheltering of animals during the treatment period. Examples of common small, domesticated an...

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