Pets in PA (Lancaster, Chester, Williamsport: homeowners association, headhunter, lawyer)

[lastra]

Hi,
I have two questions. Being that me and my husband are animal lovers,
how many dogs can you legally own in Pennsylvania ( for example, in some places you can have 5 dogs max or so ). We maybe wouldn't keep all 5 for example at the time, but it is important for us to have pet - friendly environment. And the second question is is the economy good in Chester county? And how are the prices of the houses there? Thank you very much.

Tijana

[Wanna Leave Penciltucky]

It depends on if there is a restrictive convenant in place or a homeowners association document limiting the amount you can have. Here we can have 2 cats and or 2 dogs. But we have given waivers for 3 dogs or a breeding dog that will have puppies for a while before they go to forever homes.
No one really complains unless you let them all out barking at 2 am.

The prices of the homes are much better than in Phila, Delaware and Bucks Counties. You get more bang for your buck in Chester County especially Southern Chester County.
The economy is the same as anywhere else good and bad depends on what you do for a living.

[lastra]

For example, what about engineering? Mechanical engineering...

[Wanna Leave Penciltucky]

With Wilmington, Philly, Lancaster and Baltimore all around us I do not see why you could not find a job. Find a headhunter and get your resume polished. My hubby used the Bakos group to polish his resume, they guaranteed it would be gold and it was. He got the first job he applied for with the new resume. If you want to look at what they provide go to

[lastra]

Thanks. Can you tell me how to send you a PM?

[maisy]

When I was still living at home in Bucks County, a neighbor complained about our 4 dogs. They were quite good dogs, not excessively barky, this guy was just a jerk who complained about EVERYTHING. Anyway, someone came to the house to investigate the complaint, luckily just hours after I de-crapped the yard, and said himself the complaint was frivolous. Apparently you can have no more than 2 dogs in that part of Bucks, but it is an unenforced law. I knew someone nearby who had 7 dogs. As long as the dogs are cared for and clean, and the noise doesnt bother any normal neighbors, there isnt a problem.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by lastra

Hi,
I have two questions. Being that me and my husband are animal lovers,
how many dogs can you legally own in Pennsylvania ( for example, in some places you can have 5 dogs max or so ). We maybe wouldn't keep all 5 for example at the time, but it is important for us to have pet - friendly environment.

Regardless of whatever local laws exist throughout Pennsylvania, there is a Pennsylvania court ruling that overturned a dog limit law.

If you find youself in a predicament, you will have the law on your side if you fight it in court.

Here's reference to the overturning of the law:

Originally Posted by http://www.canismajor.com/dog/minnlaw1.html

This is the second court decision striking down pet limit laws. The first took place in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and removed an ordinance that limited residents to five pets. In resolving that case, the judge quoted from Kadash vs City of Williamsport, 1975: “What is not an infringement upon public safety and is not a nuisance cannot be made one by legislative fiat and then prohibited. Even legitimate legislative goals cannot be pursued by means which stifle fundamental personal liberty when the goals can otherwise be more reasonably achieved.”

Of course, you'll have to do some digging to find the actual court rulings, but a lawyer would have no problem finding them for reference if the time ever came you needed to fight a local dog limit law in Pennsylvania.

[muldrake]

Originally Posted by maisy

When I was still living at home in Bucks County, a neighbor complained about our 4 dogs. They were quite good dogs, not excessively barky, this guy was just a jerk who complained about EVERYTHING. Anyway, someone came to the house to investigate the complaint, luckily just hours after I de-crapped the yard, and said himself the complaint was frivolous. Apparently you can have no more than 2 dogs in that part of Bucks, but it is an unenforced law. I knew someone nearby who had 7 dogs. As long as the dogs are cared for and clean, and the noise doesnt bother any normal neighbors, there isnt a problem.

I live in Montgomery County and my neighbor has 2 kids under the age of 5 and another on the way. Her two brats taunt my dogs and tease them, they also throw things at my dogs. I have to go out with them on potty runs now because I'm afraid they will get hurt.

The father also imitates a dog barking to taunt my dog. Because I told the kids not to tease or throw things at my dogs, they called the police. They told the police that my dogs are out at all hours of the night, keeping them from sleeping.

They threatened me with a citation if the neighbor complains again. I told them I wanted to file my own complaint about them trying to harm my dogs and having to pay vet bills because my one dog was so frightened she wouldn't go out in the yard unless I went out there with her.

There is no ordinance about 'barking dogs' here, but there is one about 'excessive noise for extended periods of time. My dogs are not outside dogs. They're never out late at night or out for long periods of time. Thanks to the ignoramuses, they are never out there unsupervised.

I'm tired of being a tax-paying. law-abiding citizen who has to be threatened because I'm a dog owner and people are irresponsible about teaching their kids how to treat animals.

[tree_79]

Do you know if there are any laws against owning a goat as a pet in a residential neighborhood

[toobusytoday]

BTW, this thread was started two years ago.

Check with your local township regarding what they allow, do not go by what someone on a bulletin board thinks might be true. Farm animals are usually limited to outside the boroughs and some neighborhoods.