Minneapolis file 2026-00871, before the Minneapolis City Council. Still to be decided as of 2026-08-19.
Latest action: Approved by Public Health, Safety & Equity
You can own a pet even with a prior felony conviction. If you were denied pet ownership solely because of a past felony, this rule change lets you adopt or keep pets, removing that blanket ban from the city code.
Helps people rebuild lives after completing criminal sentences. Removing pet ownership restrictions after a felony conviction supports reentry and housing stability by letting people keep family pets, which reduces barriers when returning home.
Public safety checks still apply on a case-by-case basis. The city can still deny pet ownership if an individual poses a real danger to animals or people—this rule just ends the automatic ban based on conviction alone, so each situation gets reviewed separately.
Passage of Ordinanceamending Title 4, Chapter 66 of the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances relating to Animal Care and Control: Dangerous and Potentially Dangerous Animals, removing conditions and restrictions on pet ownership solely due to a prior conviction for certain felonies.
Read the official record for 2026-00871
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