Pets

Pet Ordinances

Complete rules for keeping pets in Golden Valley are found in City Code Chapter 6.

Cats

  • Cat owners are required to have their cat(s) vaccinated for rabies and to affix the rabies tag to the cat's collar.
  • City Code prohibits Golden Valley residents from keeping more than three cats.

Dogs

  • The City of Golden Valley does not require licenses for dogs.
  • Dog owners are required to have their dog(s) vaccinated for rabies and to affix the rabies tag to the dog's collar.
  • Dogs must be leashed at all times while on public land.
  • Leashes must not exceed 20 feet in length and must be shortened to 6 feet when another person or animal is within 20 feet.
  • Dogs may not be kept on private land without being adequately supervised and effectively restrained from going beyond such private land by voice control, leash, tether, fence, or electronic pet fence.
  • City Code prohibits Golden Valley residents from keeping more than three dogs.

Humane Treatment of Dogs and Cats

Every person shall provide any dog or cat of which such person has control, sufficient and proper food, water, shelter, and veterinarian care. No person shall poison, overwork or mistreat or in any way further any act of cruelty to any dog or cat whether belonging to such person or another. No person shall abandon any dog or cat of which such person has control.

Pet Waste

Owners shall not allow their pets (dogs or cats) to foul any lawn, garden, or other property and are required to carry supplies for excrement removal when walking their pets. Any mess made by a pet must be cleaned up (including in public parks).

Pet waste contains bacteria, such as E. Coli, that can cause illness in people, pets, and wildlife. When it’s not picked up, rain can wash it into streams, rivers, and lakes. Similar to yard waste, pet waste also contains nutrients that cause destructive algae blooms in lakes and streams and can make waterways unsafe for recreation.

Section 6-3 of the Golden Valley City Code prohibits anyone from allowing an animal to defecate on public or private property without immediately removing it and discarding it in a sanitary manner. Property owners should clean up pet waste each spring and periodically thereafter.

Pet Noise

It is unlawful for anyone to keep a dog or cat that barks, howls, or meows excessively or continuously. This includes any noise by any dog or cat that can be:

  • heard by any person from a location outside of the building where the animal is kept and
  • occurs repeatedly over at least a five-minute period of time, with less than 30 seconds between each animal noise