Animal Ordinances in Connecticut (2026)

Connecticut General Statutes § 47-43 requires landowners to build and keep sufficient fences that contain their…

Danbury's Zoning Regulations bar keeping livestock or poultry anywhere in the city except on a lot operating as a farm…

Bridgeport requires a written permit from the board of health before keeping chickens, hens, roosters, ducks, geese, or…

Hartford's Chapter 6 animal code lets residents keep poultry, pigeons and swine, but not without limits. Chickens and…

Waterbury bans keeping horses, ponies, cattle, sheep, goats, swine or poultry, including backyard chickens, on any…

Bethel's zoning regulations let residents keep chickens and other poultry, but the number allowed depends on lot zone…

New Haven allows up to six hens as an accessory use in the RS-1, RS-2, RM-1, and RM-2 districts, with enclosure size…

Norwalk allows backyard chickens and other fowl or livestock on residential property, but caps flocks at 12 chickens…

Ridgefield limits hooved livestock, cattle, goats, sheep, horses and similar animals, to a half acre of usable lot area…

Stamford's Zoning Regulations permit keeping livestock incidental to a residential use in any district, and allow…

Connecticut state law prohibits dogs from roaming at large on highways or other public places and imposes strict…

Bridgeport bans dogs at large at any time, anywhere in the city. Off the owner's premises a dog must be leashed, and…

Danbury requires any dog off its owner's property to be on a secure leash held by a capable handler, or confined in a…

Hartford dogs may not leave their owner's property unless fitted with and wearing a proper leash or chain; letting one…

New Haven requires owners to keep animals under control with a leash and bars letting pets run at large on city streets…

Ridgefield does not print a town-wide leash law in its General Code; its at-large rule is written for park property…

Dogs must be on a securely held leash on Stamford streets, sidewalks, and public places; off-leash use is allowed only…

Waterbury forbids owners and keepers from letting a dog run at large on city streets, public ways, or on anyone else's…

Connecticut state law expressly preempts municipalities from enacting breed-specific dog regulations, prohibiting any…

Norwalk does not ban any dog breed by name; instead its Vicious Dog ordinance lets the Board of Police Commissioners…

Danbury does not ban breeds; Sec. 4-24 defines a vicious dog by unprovoked attacks or fighting use and requires owners…

Hartford does not ban dog breeds outright; instead it declares individual dogs dangerous after an unprovoked attack or…

Stamford has no breed-specific ban: any dog can be declared 'dangerous/vicious' under Code of Ordinances § 111-6.C…

Waterbury does not ban dogs by breed. Instead, § 92.29 imposes strict enclosure, muzzling, signage, and insurance…

Connecticut law requires anyone owning one or more bee hives to register with the State Entomologist upon acquiring…

Hartford allows backyard beekeeping but caps residential lots at 4 colonies (up to 10 with more land) and requires…

New Haven bans possessing potentially dangerous wild animals like bears, alligators, monkeys, wolves, and coyotes…

Stamford's animal ordinance makes it unlawful to own or keep any poisonous or dangerous reptile or arachnid in the…

Waterbury outright bans keeping, maintaining, or displaying any poisonous reptile within city limits for any purpose…

Connecticut prohibits the intentional feeding of black bears and other potentially dangerous animals on any land not…

Stamford bans feeding feral or street pigeons in public where it causes or risks a public-health nuisance, though…

Connecticut criminalizes animal cruelty including hoarding under state law, with statewide felony provisions for severe…

Bethel's zoning regulations cap how many dogs, cats and rabbits a property can hold without government sign-off. Up to…

New Haven animal control can seize any cat that damages someone else's property or creates an unsanitary or offensive…

Stamford regulates cats under Code of Ordinances § 111-7: a roaming cat must be fixed, vaccinated and microchipped, a…

New Haven requires owners of dogs the animal control officer declares 'potentially dangerous' to spay or neuter the…

Norwalk does not require every pet to be fixed, but any dog the Board of Police Commissioners declares "vicious" under…

Stamford doesn't require every cat to be fixed, but a cat can only run free outside its owner's property if it's spayed…

Owners of dogs New Haven's animal control officer classifies as 'dangerous' must microchip the animal within 10 days of…

A Stamford cat can only roam free outside its owner's property if it's 'appropriately micro-chipped or otherwise…

Waterbury does not require microchipping every dog, but it ties a microchip to the two channels that let a dog…

Coyotes are common throughout Bridgeport's parks and shoreline neighborhoods. Connecticut DEEP manages the species and…

Stamford's zoning lets RA-1, RA-2 and RA-3 landowners keep horses as an accessory farm use, but the rule expressly…

Hartford allows veterinary clinics and animal hospitals as a Neighborhood Service use, but bars outdoor kennels and…

New Haven's zoning Use Table allows veterinary clinics, pet daycares, and pet groomers with fully enclosed facilities…

City code bars disturbing birds, nests, or eggs and prohibits feeding birds or other wildlife in Bridgeport's public…

New Haven bans hunting, harming, or trapping birds and other wildlife in city parks, and also bans taking eggs, nests…

Waterbury protects wildlife inside its parks by ordinance. City Code § 98.17 makes it unlawful to disturb or injure any…