Laws that sound a little loony, but people thought  there was a good reason for them at the time. Compiled by Glenda Moore of CatStuff Please do not copy or redistribute this article.

 

• French Lick Springs, Indiana, once passed a law requiring all black cats to wear bells on Friday the 13th.
• The local council in Lorinc, Hungary issued new regulations in 2001, saying cats can only be taken on to the street on leads.  Officials say the measure will protect the public from the "dangerous menace of free range cats."
• Madison, Wisconsin, will not allow joint custody of a family pet when a couple divorces - the animal is legally awarded to whoever happens to have possession of it at the time of the initial separation.
• Dogs in Foxpoint, Wisconsin, may not bark profusely, snarl, or make any menacing gestures. In Wanassa, New Jersey, a dog is breaking the law if it is heard to be "crying."
• Cats in International Falls, Minnesota, are not allowed to chase dogs up telephone poles.
• If your dog gets your neighbor's dog pregnant in Danbury, Connecticut, you are responsible and must pay for the abortion if the neighbor chooses to have it done.
• No dog may be tied to a shade tree in Birmingham, Alabama.
• An ordinance in Belvedere, California, states "No dog shall be in a public place without its master on a leash." Another misworded ordinance is this one from Arvada, Colorado: "If a stray pet is not claimed within 24 hours, the owner will be destroyed."
• Fights between cats and dogs are prohibited by statute in Barber, North Carolina.
• In Sterling, Colorado, it is unlawful to allow a pet cat to run loose without a taillight.
• In Ventura County, California, cats and dogs are not allowed to have sex without a permit.
• Cats living in Cresskill, New Jersey, must wear three bells to warn birds of their whereabouts.
• Dogs cannot nap in barbershops or beauty salons in Duluth, Minnesota. The law also makes it illegal to let a dog, horse, or any other animal sleep in a bakery.
• In California, animals are banned from mating publicly within 1,500 feet of a tavern, school, or place of worship.
• In Hartford, Connecticut, it is illegal to educate a dog.
• In Zion, Illinois, it is illegal for anyone to give lighted cigars to dogs, cats, and other domesticated animals kept as pets.
• Cats may not yowl after 9 pm in Columbus, Georgia; in Collingswood, New Jersey, no dog is allowed to bark or howl between the hours of 8 pm and 6 am. Dogs are not allowed on the streets of Provo, Utah, after 7 pm. And in Smithtown, New York, dogs can't bark for more than 15 minutes at a time (punishment for the third infraction is a $500 fine and a 15-day jail sentence).
• In Pateros, Washington, dogs are expressly forbidden from getting in the way of people walking on the streets.
• In Kentucky, dogs are not allowed to attack or bother cats, though they can legally fight with each other.
• If you're living in the city limits of Topeka, Kansas, you are breaking the law if you own more than five cats at a time. In Shorewood, Wisconsin, however, no more than two dogs or cats can be owned by the same family.
• In Eastlake, Ohio, you'll be fined $25 or 10 days in jail if you "molest a dog."
• You may not keep a pet cat and a pet bird on the same premises in Reed City, Michigan.
• Dogcatchers in Denver, Colorado, must post a warning notice before they can go out hunting for stray dogs. And in Virginia, state law prohibits a dogcatcher from bothering cats while he or she is looking for dogs.
• A policeman in Paulding, Ohio, may bite a dog to quiet him.
• People can be fined, arrested or jailed for making ugly faces at a dog in Oklahoma.
• Dogs must have a permit signed by the mayor in order to congregate in groups of three or more on private property. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, dogs are prohibited from going on private property unless the owner gives his consent first.
• In Chicago, it is illegal to take a French poodle to the opera.
• Dogs are strictly forbidden from riding in ambulances in Westport, Massachusetts.
• In Alaska, it is illegal to tie a dog to the roof of your car.
  
• Wallace, Idaho, decreed it is unlawful for anyone to sleep in a dog kennel.
• It is against the law for people living in Idaho to participate in dog fights.
• During the month of April in Massachusetts, all dogs must have their hind legs tied.
• In Denver, Colorado, a dog may not transfer on the tramways; on the other paw, all dogs must pay full fare. In 1936, Denver also passed a law that a dogcatcher must notify dogs of impounding by posting a notice for 3 consecutive days on a tree in the park.
• In Joliet, Illinois, if a female dog is caught running loose, the owner can be fined.
• A law in Chicago prohibits anyone from feeding whiskey to dogs.
• In Philadelphia, police and animal control officers are authorized to cite drivers if a dog or cat riding with them isn't buckled up. Violators can be fined $250 to $1,000 per offense.
  

• A Fountain Inn, South Carolina, law once required horses to wear pants at all times. But carriage horses in Charleston, South Carolina, were required to wear diapers.
• In Calgary, Canada, a by-law requires businesses within the city to provide rails for tying up horses.
• In Texas, it's illegal to put graffiti on someone else's cow.
• It is illegal to ride a mule down Lang, Kansas' Main Street in August, unless the animal is wearing a straw hat. Over in Berea, Kentucky and also in Willamantic, Connecticut, horses are not allowed out on the streets and highways at night unless the animal has a "bright" red taillight securely attached to its rump.
• Horses may not wear cowbells inside the city limits of Tahoe City, California. In Washington, though, every cow wandering the streets of Seattle must be wearing a cowbell.
• In Burns, Oregon, horses are allowed in the town's taverns, if an admission fee is paid before they enter.
• You can't blow your nose in public places in Leahy, Washington, because it might scare a horse and cause it to panic.
• Speaking of panicked horses:  If you are in Pennyslvania and a team of horses is approaching, you are required by law to pull to the side of the road and cover your car with a blanket or dust cover that has been painted or sewn to blend into the scenery.  But, if the horses react skittish to your efforts, you are then required to disassemble your car and hide the parts in the nearby underbrush.
  
• In Winona, MS, it is illegal to drive a car on Main Street because it frightens horses.
• In Wilbur, Washington, it is against the law for a person to "ride an ugly horse" - the fine is $300!
• Washington, DC, has a strict ordinance that prohibits the cutting of a horse's tail.
• In Vermont, the selling of horse urine requires a license.
• You will be arrested if you paint your horse in Vermont.
• You cannot ride your horse in the waters of Chesapeake Bay, Virginia.
• You can be sent to jail if you open your umbrella in the presence of a horse in New York City.
• Donkeys are not allowed to sleep in bathtubs in Brooklyn, New York.
• In Baltimore, Maryland, it is necessary to document any services performed by a jackass.
• In Ohio, it is against the law to set a fire under your mule if it balks.
• In Arkansas, if your 2-year-old mule runs wild and is unclaimed within 2 days, anyone may castrate the animal.
• In Marshalltown, Iowa, a horse will be breaking the law if it eats a fire hydrant.
• Horses in Fountain Inn, South Carolina, are required to wear pants when they appear in public.
• If you live in Omaha, Nebraska, you are still required to place a hitching post at the front of your house.
• In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, horses must be equipped with headlights and a horn.
• You may not keep farm animals in your Minneapolis, Minnesota apartment unless it doubles as a barn.
  

• In Clawson, Michigan, a law specifically makes it legal for a farmer to sleep with his pigs, cows, horses, goats, and chickens. But the animals may not be in the house after sunup or during the day.
• Florida has a law prohibiting the transporting of livestock on school buses.
• If you live in Franklin, Kentucky, you can't legally trade horses after dark. In Alabama, no mules can be traded after supper when the sun has already gone below the horizon. And in Idaho, you can't buy or sell chickens after sundown without the sheriff's permission.
• In 1930, the City Council of Ontario passed an ordinance forbidding roosters to crow within the city limits. In Kenilworth, Illinois, a rooster must step back 300 feet from any residence if he wishes to crow. Hens that wish to cackle must step 130 feet back from any residence. This is a more humane than the law in Lakeland, Florida, where all roosters must be kept in a box or a pen where they can't raise their head high enough to crow.
• If you live in California, you cannot keep your chickens, turkeys, goats, cows, and other farm animals in an apartment. In Cumberland, Maryland, you cannot keep your chickens with you in your hotel room.
• In Kingsville, Texas, there is a law against two pigs having sex on the city's airport property.
• It is illegal for hens to lay eggs before 8 am and after 4 pm in Norfolk, Virginia.
• Ducks quacking after 10 pm in Essex Falls, New Jersey are breaking the law.
• In Quitman, Georgia, it is against the law for a chicken to cross any road within the city limits. In McDonald, Ohio, farmers cannot march a goose down a city street. And fowl, particularly roosters, are prohibited from going into bakeries in Massachusetts.
• In Kansas, it is illegal for chicken thieves to work during daylight hours.
• In Vermont, you can be fined if your pig runs in a public park without the permission of a selectman.
• In Minnesota, it is illegal to cross state lines, regardless if you are walking or driving, with a duck on your head. And, if you're crossing into Wisconsin, the law also applies to chickens.
  
• You cannot march your goose down McDonald, Ohio's, main street.

 

• In Baltimore, Maryland, it's illegal to take a lion to the movies.
• In North Carolina, it is against the law to use elephants to plow cotton fields.
• In New York City, one is forbidden from shooting rabbits from the back end of a Third Avenue streetcar when it is moving. In Kansas, people cannot shoot rabbits while in a motorboat.
• In Florida, if an elephant is tied to a parking meter, the owner or attendant must deposit money in the meter.
  
• In Statesville, North Carolina, it is against the law to race rabbits in the streets.
• In Tuscumbia, Alabama, no more than eight rabbits can reside on the same block.
• A law in Detroit, Michigan, prohibits crocodiles from being tied to a fire hydrant.
• In Massachusetts, you will be ticketed if you drive with a gorilla in the backseat of your car.
  
• In Atlanta, it's against the law to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole or a street lamp.
• Riding a camel on a highway in Nevada is against the law. Over in Galveston, Texas, it is against the law for camels to wander the streets unattended.  In Arizona, it is illegal to shoot or hunt camels.
• In Newton, Kansas, it is against the law to drive buffalo through the streets.
  
• It's illegal to take a deer swimming in water above its knees in North Carolina.
• In Las Angeles, it is against the law to have a hippopotamus in one's possession.
• In Missouri, it is against the law to carry a bear down a highway unless it is caged.
• The town of Manville, NJ decreed that it is illegal to feed whiskey or offer cigarettes to animals at the local zoo.
• In Tennessee, you can't shoot any game other than whales from a moving automobile. Until recently, it was illegal to fish for whales off the coast of Oklahoma. Likewise in California, it is a misdemeanor to shoot at any kind of game from a moving vehicle, unless the target is a whale.
• Speaking of whales, in Ohio you cannot do any whale fishing in any of the state's lakes, streams, or rivers on Sundays. In Oklahoma, whale fishing is specifically banned any day of the week in the state's inland waters.
• It is illegal to set a mousetrap without a hunting license, if the mice live in Cleveland, Ohio or California.
• In Alaska, it is illegal to push a live moose out of a moving airplane.
• A law in Fairbanks, Alaska does not allow moose to have sex on city streets. It's also illegal to feed alcoholic beverages to a moose.
• While it is legal to shoot bears in Alaska, waking sleeping bears for the purpose of taking a photograph is prohibited.
• In Woodstock, NY, it is illegal to walk your bear on the street without a leash. In Missouri, state legislators passed a bill that prohibits "uncaged bears" from riding in an automobile.
• Throwing a snake at anyone in Toledo, Ohio, is illegal.
• You can't have a bat as a pet if you live in Stillwater, Missouri.
• It's illegal for frogs to croak after 11 PM in Memphis, Tennessee.
• In New York, frogs may be taken from their ponds from June 16 to September 30, but only between sunrise and sunset. And in Pennsylvania, no one is allowed to shoot bullfrogs on a Sunday. In Arizona, the bullfrog-hunting season is permanently closed.
• Lubbock, Texas, has a very strict leash law for wild animals kept as pets - it specifically mentions bears, tigers, elephants, leopards, wildcats, skunks, and monkeys. In River Forest, Illinois, however, you cannot keep tigers, lions, bears, wildcats, orangutans, panthers, chimpanzees, and snakes as household pets. Alderson, West Virginia, will allow you to keep a lion as a household pet - but it may not be allowed to run wild on the streets.
• Dogs in Madison, Wisconsin, are banned from "worrying" the squirrels that live in the park by the capitol building.
• In Minnesota it is "unlawful to tease or torment skunks or polecats." (In Alabama, you can be arrested for simply calling someone a skunk!)
• In Mobile, Alabama, it is illegal for pigeons to eat pebbles from composite roofs.
• If you live in Baltimore, Maryland, you cannot give your parrot away.
• Birds have the right of way on all highways in Utah.
• In Hilton Head, South Carolina, you cannot leave trash in your vehicle out of fear of attracting rats.
  
• You can't kill a squirrel with a gun in a courtroom in Canton, Mississippi.
• Key West, Florida, has an ordinance prohibiting turtle racing within the city limits.
• In Kentucky, "any person who displays, handles, or uses any kind of reptile in connection with any religious service or gathering shall be fined not less than fifty dollars nor more than one hundred dollars."
• It is illegal to walk your pet alligator down Main Street in Charleston, South Carolina. In Miami, it is against the law to "molest" an alligator.

• In Utah, Washington, DC, and Colorado, it is against the law to fish from horseback. In Pennsylvania, you cannot even take a horse along on a fishing trip, regardless of whether it's being ridden or not.
• No one may catch fish with his bare hands in Toltec, Colorado. And in Chicago, it is illegal to fish if you're in your pajamas.
• Santa Clara, California, outlawed the drugging of trout in inland lakes or rivers in order to catch the fish.
• It is illegal to lasso a catfish in Tennessee and the state of Washington.
• In Seattle, goldfish can ride the city buses in bowls only if they keep still.
• You cannot shoot fish with a bow and arrow in Louisville, Kentucky. And you cannot shoot fish with a gun in the state of Washington or in Hazelhurst, Mississippi. In Vermont's Lake Champlain, it is, however, legal to shoot pickerel or northern pike with a gun.
• It's against the law to get a fish drunk in Oklahoma.
• In Kansas, you cannot fish with your bare hands, while in the state of Washington, you can't catch a fish by throwing a rock at it.
• Goldfish cannot be used as bait.
• In Ohio, fishing with explosives is illegal.
• Muncie, Indiana, enacted a law where it is forbidden to carry fishing tackle into a cemetery.
• Any "overt physical action" intended to frighten fish is prohibited in New York State.

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Sources of information:

June 1996 issue of Spy
Schoppert Law Firm humor archive
Loony Laws ... that you never knew you were breaking, by Robert Wayne Pelton
Loony Laws and Silly Statutes, by Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts
Oddball Minnesota by Jerome Pohlen (Chicago Review Press)
Bizarre Driving Laws, Utah's DMV.org website