Salt Lake City Pet Ordinances
Pets are common in rental properties. Both landlords and tenants should be up-to-date on city ordinances controlling pet ownership and management. The following list of pet ordinances for Salt Lake City is not exhaustive, but it does cover the main questions pet owners and landlords are likely to have.
Restraining Your Pet
Salt Lake City ordinances require that pets are kept on a leash at any time the pet is off its owner’s property. The only exception would be on officially designated off-leash city property.
Dogs and cats in heat must be kept in a secure enclosure, preventing their exposure to any free-roaming males. Controlled, intentional breeding is allowed.
Response to Animal Bite
Any person having knowledge of any individual or animal having been bitten by an animal of a species subject to rabies shall report the incident immediately to the office of animal services or to the Salt Lake Valley health department.
The owner of an animal that bites a person, and any person bitten by an animal, shall report the bite to the office of animal services or the Valley health department within twenty four (24) hours of the bite, regardless of whether or not the biting animal is of a species subject to rabies.
Any person treating an animal bitten, injured or mauled by another animal shall report the incident to the office of animal services. The report shall contain the name, phone number and address of the owner of the wounded, injured or bitten animal, the name, phone number and address of the owner and description of the animal which caused the injury, and the location of the incident.
Barking
Animal control agencies are charged by local animal control ordinances with controlling nuisance dogs. Ordinances usually include wording similar to one of the following, makes disturbing noises, included, but not limited to, continuous and repeated howling, barking, whining, or other noise which causes unreasonable annoyance, disturbance, or discomfort to neighbors, or others, barks, whines, howls, or makes other disturbing noises for an extended period of time, which by barking, howling or yelping disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood or person, or barks, whines, or howls or makes other disturbing noises in an excessive, continuous, or untimely fashion.
Successful prosecution of owners for owning or maintaining nuisance dogs can result in fines, jail time, requirements to get rid of the dog, requirements to obtain obedience training, requirements to muzzle the animal at certain times, training collars, indoor crate training, debarking, etc. It is also time consuming (time off work or being away from home) and expensive (attorney’s fees) to attend judicial proceedings to deal with such allegations, whether proven guilty or not.
Cleaning up after your pet
Salt Lake City pet ordinances require you to clean up after your pet. Anytime your dog, cat, or other pet defecates on property not your own, you must pick up after it.
Licensing Your Dog or Cat
All dogs and cats shall be licensed each year. Any person owning any dog or cat shall obtain a license for such animal within thirty (30) days after the animal reaches the age of four (4) months, or, in the case of a dog or cat over four (4) months of age, or in the case of a new city resident, within thirty (30) days of the acquisition of the animal or the commencement of residency.
REAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT’S PET RESTRICTIONS
Each property may have a unique restriction depending upon type, number, and size of the pet. However, as a rule we do restrict certain breads of dogs including Dobermans, Rottweilers, Chows, and Pitbulls because many property liability insurance policies will not cover injury caused by these breads. We also ask that pet owners maintain their own liability insurance in regards to their pets.
