Licenses and permits

City ordinance requires dogs older than 16 weeks to have a dog license and valid rabies vaccination. If you're a St. Louis Park resident, access to the city's off-leash dog parks is included with the license.

For non-residents, you can use the dog parks if you purchase an off-leash dog permit. The permit is good from January to December of the current year.

View more information on licenses and permits.

Lost animal

If you lost a pet, contact the police department's non-emergency line at 952.924.2618 as well as local animal shelters. State law requires all impound facilities to hold stray animals for at least five days to give an owner the opportunity to locate their pet. Be sure to contact all animal impound facilities and shelters in the area where your pet was lost.

Stray or unwelcome animal intruder

To report a stray animal, call the police department's non-emergency line at 952.924.2618. Please be ready with the animal's description and general location.

Occasionally, a squirrel, raccoon, skunk, bat or bird finds its way into a home. If you can't get the animal to leave through an open door or window, call a company that specializes in animal removal or pest control.

If you feel immediately threatened by the animal or are unsure what to do, call the police department's non-emergency line at 952.924.2618.

Dangerous dogs

An officer will determine that a dog is dangerous if they believe, based upon the officer's professional judgment, that the dog has:

• Without provocation, inflicted substantial bodily harm on a human being on public or private property.
• Killed a domestic animal without provocation while off the owner's property.
• Been determined to be a potentially dangerous dog, and after the owner has notice that the dog is potentially dangerous, the dog aggressively bites, attacks or endangers the safety of humans or domestic animals.

An officer will determine that a dog is potentially dangerous if they believe, based upon the officer's professional judgment, that a dog has:

• When unprovoked, inflicted bites on a human or domestic animal on public or private property.
• When unprovoked, chased or approached a person, including a person on a bicycle, upon the streets, sidewalks or any public or private property, other than the dog owner's property, in an apparent attitude of attack.
• A known propensity, tendency or disposition to attack unprovoked, causing injury or otherwise threatening the safety of humans or domestic animals.

To see the city's official regulations regarding dangerous and potentially dangerous dogs, view City Code Chapter 4: Animals, Sections 4-88 and 4-89.

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