Many cities limit dogs to two or three per household.By
In rural areas, how many dogs you keep on your property is pretty much your own business, as long as the dogs arent a nuisance to the neighbors. But many cities restrict the number of dogs per household, often to just two or three.
The typical rules apply to adult dogs and dont count puppies that are less than a certain age, usually eight weeks to four months or so.
Examples include the city of Roeland Park, Kansas, which limits ownership to no more than two dogs of six months of age or older, or more than one litter of pups, without a permit; and the city of Oakland, California, which prohibits keeping more than three adult dogs (more than four months old) on any one premises.
The goal of cities that limit the number of dogs in one household is to cut down on the problems that dogs can cause in urban areas. Unless owners are vigilant, dogs can create nuisances with their droppings and barking, or cause property damage, or in the worst case, exhibit aggressive behavior.
As one court upholding such an ordinance put it, “too many dogs in too small a space may produce noise, odor and other conditions adverse to the best interests of the community as a whole.” (Zagaris v. City of Whitehall, 594 N.E.2d 129 (Ohio App. 1991).)
Dog Owners’ Lawsuits Regarding Such Ordinances Usually Fail
Court challenges to ordinances limiting the number of dogs one can keep almost always fail. This is due to longstanding legal precedent recognizing the power of state and local governments to regulate residents health, safety, and general welfare.
There are a few exceptions, however. The Georgia Supreme Court found a county ordinance unconstitutional because it didnt include the criteria that a dog owner had to satisfy in order to get a permit for keeping more than four dogs. (Foster v. State, No. S00A2054 (Sup. Ct. Ga., March 19, 2001).)
Violating the law by keeping too many dogs without a permit will probably earn you a fine.
Even a jail sentence is possible. A judge in Holland, Michigan—which has a two-dog-per-household maximum—sentenced a man to 90 days in jail for refusing to give up any of his three dogs. The dog owner spent a few days in jail before agreeing to part with one of his animals. (An effort to change the law in Holland, to allow three dogs per household, failed in late 2011.)
There are variations on the straightforward limit. You might, for example, have to get a special kennel license if you keep more than three or four dogs. That means extra fees, rules and, often, inspections by city officials.
Wondering how these rules are enforced? Animal control officials certainly dont go door to door taking a dog census. They rely, for the most part, on complaints or chance observation. So as a practical matter, someone who has more dogs than is allowed under the law is likely to get into trouble only if the dogs cause problems and a neighbor complains.
The moral: First, find out your citys rules. Going to its website and searching for “dogs” will usually turn up the information you need, or if not, you could call an actual person.
Then, no matter how many dogs you have, dont let them become a neighborhood nuisance. If there are problems, work them out before the neighbors decide to go to the authorities.
Even if a city doesnt have a set limit on the number of animals, neighbors bothered by too many animals might sue in small claims court. If a court decides that the animals are a nuisance—that is, that they interfere with neighbors enjoyment of their property—the owner can be ordered to compensate the neighbors or even to get rid of some animals.
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Restrictions on How Many Dogs You Can Own In Major New York Cities
The maximum number of dogs that someone can keep on-premises varies from city to city within New York State.
Just to be clear, most of these laws regulate how many dogs can someone can keep at a dwelling or premises, but they do not restrict how many dogs an individual can own. Technically, someone could own THOUSANDS of dogs, but they couldn’t keep them in on a single property in most cities in New York.
The largest city in the entire United States, New York, is surprisingly an amiable city for dogs and dog owners. Despite the city’s extremely high population density, there are no laws that state a maximum number of dogs a person can own.
No laws regulate how many dogs someone can own or keep in a dwelling in New York City. However, there are some pretty strict laws regarding the sanitation of where animals live, which can influence how many animals are realistically able to be kept on a property.
To see all the laws regarding animals in New York City, check out Article 161: Animals.
While Buffalo, New York, is generally welcoming to dog owners, there are a few regulations regarding how many dogs someone can have in different types of residences and properties.
Single-family homes, double-family homes, and commercial properties are allowed to have three dogs over the age of four months old. Properties classified as multiple dwellings and having three or more units are permitted to house one dog per unit.
Pet shops, kennels, veterinary hospitals, and other establishments with valid licenses usually do not have to abide by these rules.
If you want to see the law’s exact wording regarding the number of dogs allowed in certain dwellings, check out § 78-19.1.
Much like the previous city that we talked about, Rochester, New York, has some laws regarding how many dogs you’re allowed to have in different residences and dwellings.
For properties with three or fewer units, you’re allowed to own and keep up to four dogs that are older than four months. Properties that have four units or more are allowed to have one dog per household that is four months or older.
These rules apply to residences and properties that do not have a valid license that identifies them as an official veterinary hospital, kennel, pet shop, or other establishments of this sort.
To read through the full laws regarding the number of dogs allowed in certain types of residences, look at § 31-11.