People from all over the state come to the ARL to adopt dogs of all breeds. Along the way, we have collected a list of cities and any ordinances they may have that might impact or restrict dog ownership.
If your city is not listed, please check with city hall before adopting a dog or moving there with your dog. If you have feedback related to this list, contact arl@arl-iowa.org. For a full list of city and county ordinances, click here.
You Can Live Here With Your Dogs
These cities do not discriminate against dogs and their owners based on a dog's appearance/breed.
Ackley: City hall, (641) 847-3332
Ackworth
Adel: City hall, (515) 993-4525
Akron: City hall, (712) 568-2041
Albion: City hall, (641) 488-2244
Alden: City hall, (515) 859-3344
Algona: City hall, (515) 295-2411
Alta Vista: City hall, (641) 364-2175
Altoona
Ames: Animal control, (515) 239-5530
Anamosa: City hall, (319) 462-6055
Ankeny: Police, (515) 965-6440
Aplington: City hall, (319) 347-2425
Atlantic: Police, (712) 243-3512
Aurora: City hall, (319) 634-3363
Baxter: City hall, (641) 227-3120
Belmond: City hall, (641) 444-3386
Bettendorf: City hall, (563) 344-4000
Bondurant: City hall, (515) 967-2418
Boone: City hall, (515) 432-6112
Burlington
Camanche
Cambridge
Castalia
Carlisle: Police, (515) 989-4121
Carroll: City hall, (712) 792-1000
Carter Lake: City hall, (712) 347-6320
Cedar Falls: City hall, (319) 273-8600
Cedar Rapids: Animal control, (319) 286-5993
Chariton
Charles City: Police, (641) 228-3366
Clarinda: City hall, (712) 542-2136
Clarke County: Sheriff, (641) 342-2377
Clear Lake: City hall, (641) 357-5267
Clinton: City hall, (563) 243-1455
Clive: City hall, (515) 223-6220
Colfax: City hall, (515) 674-4096
Collins: City hall, (641) 385-2205
Colo: City hall, (641) 377-2238
Coralville: City hall, (319) 248-1800
Corning
Cresco: Police, (563) 547-2424
Cumming: City hall, (515) 981-9214
Dallas County: Sheriff, (515) 993-4771
Davenport: City hall, (563) 326-7711
Decorah: City hall, (563) 382-3651
Diagonal
Dickinson County: (712) 336-2793
Donnellson: City hall, (319) 835-5714
Dubuque: City clerk, (563) 589-4100
Eagle Grove: City hall, (515) 448-4343
Eldridge: City hall, (563) 285-4841
Elkader
Elkhart: City hall, (515) 367-4735
Everly: City hall, (712) 834-2691
Farmington: City hall, (319) 878-3711
Fayette: City hall, (563) 425-4316
Fort Dodge: City hall, (515) 576-4551
Fort Madison: City hall, (319) 372-7700
Garden City
Glidden: City clerk, (712) 659-3010
Grimes: City Code
Grinnell: City hall, (641) 236-2600
Guthrie Center: City hall, (641) 332-2190
Hamilton County
Hartford: City hall, (515) 989-0267
Hiawatha: City hall, (319) 393-1515
Humboldt: City hall, (515) 332-3435
Independence: City hall, (319) 334-2780
Indianola: Kiya Koda Humane Society, (515) 961-7080
Iowa City: City hall, (319) 356-5000
Iowa Falls: City hall, (641) 648-2527
Jasper County: Sheriff, (641) 792-5912
Jefferson: City hall, (515) 386-3111
Johnston: Police, (515) 278-2345
Kalona: City hall, (319) 656-2310
Keokuk: City hall, (319) 526-5421
Knoxville: City hall, (641) 828-0550
Lake City: City hall, (712) 464-3111
Lamoni: City hall, (641) 784-6311 Full code here
Lisbon
Madison County: Zoning administrator, (515) 462-2636
Madrid: Police, (515) 795-3113
Manchester: City hall, (563) 927-3636
Marengo: City hall, (319) 642-3232
Marion: City hall, (319) 743-6300
Marshalltown: City hall, (641) 754-5701
Mason City: City hall, (641) 421-3600
Maxwell: City hall, (515) 387-8655 (contacted 7/23/18)
Milford: (712) 338-2741
Mitchellville: City hall, (515) 967-2935
Monroe: City hall, 641-259-2319
Montezuma: City hall, (641) 623-5617
Mount Ayr
Mount Vernon: City hall, (319) 895-8742
Nevada: City hall, (515) 382-5466
Newton: City hall, (641) 792-2787
North Liberty: City hall, (319) 626-5700
Norwalk: City hall, (515) 981-0228
Ogden
Okoboji: City hall, (712) 332-2550
Orange City: City hall, (712) 707-4885
Oskaloosa: Steven Memorial Animal Shelter, (641) 673-3991
Palo: City council, (319) 851-2731
Perry
Panora: City hall, (641) 755-2164
Pella: City hall, (641) 628-4173
Perry
Polk City: City hall, (515) 984-6233
Polk County
Prairie City: City hall, (515) 994-2649
Randall
Red Oak: City hall, (712) 623-6510
Ringgold County
Ringsted
Runnells: City hall, (515) 966-2042
Russell
Sioux Center: City hall, (712) 722-0761
Spencer
Slater: City hall, (515) 685-2531
Solon
Stanton
State Center: City hall, (641) 483-2559
Storm Lake: City hall, (712) 732-8000
Story City: City council, (515) 733-2121
Strawberry Point
Tama: City hall, (641) 484-3822
Tripoli: City clerk, (319) 882-4801
Underwood: City hall, (712) 566-2373
Urbandale: City hall, (515) 331-6850
Van Meter: City hall, (515) 996-2644
Waterloo: City hall, (319) 232-6887
Washington
Waukee: City hall, (515) 987-4522
West Burlington: City hall, (319) 752-5451
West Des Moines: City hall, (515) 222-3600
West Liberty
Williamsburg: City hall, (319) 668-1133
Windsor Heights: Police, (515) 277-4453
Winnebago County
Woodburn
You Can Live Here With Your Dogs With Some Restrictions
These cities discriminate against some dogs based on appearance/breed alone by requiring certain things they do not require of other dogs. The ARL staff can help you navigate through these restrictions, as many of them are really simple to abide by (they just sound more difficult than they are). Full descriptions of a city's restrictions can be found online in their city codes.
Adair: City hall, (641) 742-3751 (contacted 1/18/11)
Afton: City hall, (641) 347-5224 (contacted 1/18/11)
Albia: City hall, (641) 932-2129 (contacted 10/9/12)
Auburn: City hall, (712) 688-2264 (contacted 1/21/11)
Avoca
Birmingham: City hall, (319) 498-4296 (contacted 11/20/12)
Cherokee: City hall, (712) 225-5749 (contacted 10/9/12)
Conrad: City hall, (641) 366-2300 (contacted 11/21/12)
Creston: City hall, (641) 782-2000
Dallas Center: City hall, (515) 992-3725 (contacted 1/19/11)
Des Moines: City hall, (515) 283-4500. Full code here
Ellsworth: City hall, (515) 836-4751 (contacted 11/29/12)
Evansdale: City hall, (319) 232-6683 (contacted 11/29/12)
Granger: City hall, (515) 999-2210 (contacted 1/21/11)
Grundy Center: City hall, (319) 825-6118
Greenfield: Full code here.
Osceola: City hall, (641) 342-2377 (contacted 8/10/10)
Pleasant Hill: Per city hall, dog must be licensed and on a leash or in a fenced yard. (contacted 11/19/15)
Spirit Lake
Wellman: City hall, (319) 646-2154
You Cannot Live Here With Your Dogs
These cities discriminate against some dogs based on appearance/breed alone by not allowing them to live here. If you do not live in these cities but plan to visit with your dog, make sure you get permission in advance of your travels. Full descriptions of a city's restrictions can be found online in their city codes.
Agency: City hall, (641) 937-5215 (contacted 1/18/11)
Ainsworth: City hall, (319) 657-3761 (contacted 1/18/11)
Albert City: City hall, (712) 843-5613 (contacted 1/20/11)
Alburnett: City hall, (319) 842-2692 (contacted 1/18/11). Full code here
Allison: City hall, (319) 267-2245 (contacted 11/15/12). Full code here
Armstrong
Atkins: City hall, (319) 446-7870 (contacted 5/4/10)
Audubon County
Aurelia
Avoca: City hall, (712) 343-2424 (contacted 1/20/11)
Bedford: City hall, (712) 523-2210 (contacted 1/20/11)
Belle Plaine: City hall, (319) 444-2200 (contacted 11/15/12). Full code here
Bellevue: City hall, (563) 872-4456 (contacted 11/15/12)
Benton County
Blairstown
Brooklyn
Buffalo Center
Carter Lake
Cascade: City hall, (563) 852-3114 (contacted 11/15/12)
Centerville: City hall, (641) 437-4339 (contacted 1/19/11)
Columbus Junction: City hall, (319) 728-7971 (contacted 11/20/12)
Council Bluffs: Council Bluffs Animal Shelter, (712) 328-4656 (contacted 10/9/12). Full code here
Durant
Earlham: City hall, (515) 758-2281 (contacted 8/18/11)
Ely: City hall, (319) 848-4103
Estherville: City hall, (712) 362-7771. Full code here
Fairfield: City hall, (641) 472-6193 (contacted 11/29/12)
Forest City
Fremont
Garrison
Gilman: (contacted 7/2/11)
Glenwood
Grundy Center: City hall, (319) 825-6118 (contacted 11/29/12)
Hopkinton
Huxley: City hall, (515) 597-2562 (contacted 6/18/10)
Keystone
Lake Mills
Lenox
Logan
Luzerne
Manly: City hall, (641) 454-3090 (contacted 1/8/13)
Maquoketa: City clerk, (563) 652-2135 (contacted 1/19/11)
Miles
Minburn: City clerk, (515) 677-2245 (contacted 8/6/12)
Monticello: City hall, (319) 465-6435 (contacted 11/29/12). Full code here
Mount Auburn
Mount Pleasant
Muscatine: City hall: (563) 264-1550 (contacted 10/12/12). Full code here
Odebolt: City Hall, (712) 668-2231 (contacted 1/21/11)
Newell
Newhall
Norway
Ottumwa: City clerk, (641) 683-0621 (contacted 8/6/12). Full code here
Oxford Junction
Pocahontas
Pomeroy: City hall, (712) 468-2411 (contacted 1/21/11)
Rockwell City: City hall, (712) 297-7041 (contacted 1/21/11)
Sac City: City hall, (712) 662-7593 (contacted 10/12/12). Full code here
Shellsburg
Sheridan
Sioux City: City hall, (712) 224-7387 (contacted 10/12/12). Full code here
Springville: City hall, (319) 854-6428
Thompson: Sheriff, (641) 585-2828
Urbana
Van Horne
Vinton
Walford
Watkins
West Union
Wilton
Winterset: City hall, (515) 462-1422 (contacted 9/7/10). Full code here
Zearing: City hall, (641) 487-7477 (contacted 1/21/11)
Zwingle: City clerk, (563) 652-2135 (contacted 1/19/11)