If you reside in a residential zone within Connecticut, you are legally permitted to have up to 6 dogs over six months of age without a permit. For each dog, you're required to obtain a dog license. Keep in mind that these are just statewide zoning regulations in Connecticut, meaning your town or city may have its own laws that may further limit pet ownership. In the Town of Simsbury, for example, each household is limited to a combined total of six dogs, cats, and similar domestic pets. For example, you can have 6 cats and 0 dogs, 6 dogs and 0 cats, 3 dogs and 3 cats, or 4 dogs and 2 cats in the Town of Simsbury.
In the Town of East Hartford, you're limited to 5 dogs or 5 cats or any combination of both totaling no more than five. So, prior to acquiring up to 6 pets, you’ll want to check what your city or town's ordinances are regarding pet ownership. Housing authorities in CT also have the right to impose limits on pets. The housing authority of the city of Danbury, for example, limits each household to one dog under 30 pounds or one cat. With that in mind, take the following Connecticut municipalities' animal ordinances for example.
Bristol, CT
In the City of Bristol, Connecticut, you can have up to
three dogs without a permit. According to Bristol City Code Chapter 4,
Sec. 4-2, any premises where
four or more dogs, four months old or older, are owned or kept is deemed a kennel. In a residential area, such premises are required to be a minimum of two acres. The City of Bristol has a pooper scooper law, which requires all dog owners to promptly pick up feces deposited by their dog on public property, or on any private property not owned but the dog's owner. The number of cats you can own in Bristol is not restricted, but the city code requires all cats over six months of age to be sterilized.
Norwich, CT
In the R-80, R-40, R-20, and MF districts within the City of Norwich, Connecticut, no more than
four adult pets are permitted per household. You may own
four adult dogs and/or
four adult cats in those residential districts. In addition to the limits on dogs and cats, you can own grazing animals such as horses, cows, sheep, or goats if you have the required space. According to Norwich's
zoning code, no more than two grazing animals are permitted per 130,000 square feet of lot area.
Are There Any Dog or Cat Breeds Banned in Connecticut?
There is no state-wide legislation in Connecticut that bans specific dog or domestic cat breeds In fact, unlike many other states, Connecticut law bans its municipalities from enacting breed-specific legislation (BSL). Nevertheless, many Connecticut municipalities have dangerous or vicious dog laws, which may ban or restrict a dog of any breed that, without provocation, attacks a human or another domestic animal. Bengal cats and Savannah cats, regardless of generation, are illegal to own as pets in Connecticut.
