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More And More Brazilian Cities Prohibit The Keeping Of Chickens And Pigs In Urban Areas, Citing Sanitary And Public Health Risks.
For decades, it was common to see chickens pecking in backyards, pigs being raised in the backyards of houses, and even small gardens coexisting with domestic animals in urban areas. This tradition, inherited from rural communities and deeply rooted in Brazilian culture, is disappearing. More and more municipalities are passing laws that prohibit or restrict the keeping of production animals within urban limits, justifying the measures for sanitary, environmental, and collective well-being reasons.
The change, although little discussed, affects thousands of families who kept small livestock as a food supplement or source of informal income. In medium and large cities, the movement to remove these animals from backyards is growing and opens a debate about the limits between cultural tradition and public health.
Cities Tighten Rules And Expand Prohibitions On Keeping Chickens And Pigs
The legislation on the subject varies by municipality but follows a similar pattern: the keeping of chickens, pigs, goats, rabbits, and other medium-sized animals is allowed only in rural or agricultural expansion areas, being prohibited in urban residential zones.
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In São Paulo, the Municipal Sanitary Code (Law No. 13.725/2004) prohibits the keeping of pigs, goats, and birds in densely populated areas, classifying the practice as a risk to public health. The same occurs in Belo Horizonte, where the Code of Conduct (Law No. 8.616/2003) stipulates that “the keeping of production animals in urban areas is not permitted without express authorization from health and environmental agencies.”
In Rio de Janeiro, Complementary Law No. 111/2011 also prohibits the keeping of large animals within the urban grid, arguing that it prevents the proliferation of flies, rodents, and strong odors. Smaller municipalities, such as Campina Grande (PB), Cascavel (PR), and Anápolis (GO), have adopted similar rules.
These prohibitions are backed by federal sanitary surveillance regulations, such as Resolution No. 329/2019 from Anvisa, which states that animal husbandry activities must respect minimum distances from residences and food preparation areas.
Why Keeping Animals In Urban Areas Is Considered A Sanitary Risk
According to the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), the presence of production animals in urban areas can favor the spread of zoonotic diseases, such as salmonellosis, leptospirosis, and avian influenza. The lack of adequate infrastructure for waste management and proximity to residences increases the risk of contamination and pest proliferation.
Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) highlights that irregular management of birds and pigs in urban areas hinders the implementation of biosecurity measures and epidemic control, such as campaigns against avian influenza and classical swine fever.
“When animals are kept outside rural areas, there is no effective sanitary control, which compromises both public health and food safety,” explains veterinarian Eduardo Vasconcellos from the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV). “Although it may seem harmless to have a few chickens in the backyard, the microbiological risk is real.”
Tradition In Conflict With Urbanization
Despite the technical justifications, the prohibition generates resistance, especially among families that maintain traditions inherited from the countryside. For many Brazilians, keeping chickens or pigs represents food autonomy and cultural connection to the land.
“My parents raised pigs and chickens here 40 years ago. Now they say it is forbidden because it has become an urban area. But this is our home, our land,” laments Antônio Ferreira, a resident of the outskirts of Piracicaba (SP). Cases like his are repeated in several metropolitan regions, where urban expansion has engulfed former rural areas.
An anthropologist Carlos Perondi from the Federal University of Paraná explains that rapid urbanization and fragmentation of cities have changed how society perceives domestic life:
“The presence of production animals in the urban environment is now seen as a sign of disorder. The problem is that the sanitary discourse has completely replaced the cultural and historical value of these practices.”
Urban Agriculture And Livestock: Between Incentive And Restriction
Curiously, the country is also experiencing an opposite movement: the incentive to urban agriculture, approved by federal law in 2024. The Law No. 14.901, sanctioned by the federal government, officially recognizes urban and peri-urban agriculture and livestock as legal and socially relevant activities.
The measure allows the use of public or private land for cultivation and food production, provided that sanitary and environmental standards are observed. However, the law itself defines that the management of production animals can only occur in regulated areas, with authorization from the municipality — meaning that domestic livestock remains prohibited in most cities.
According to the law’s text, the objective is to “ensure food security without compromising public health and urban planning.”
The Future Of Domestic Breeding
Some experts advocate for more balanced regulation, with technical criteria and specific zoning for small holders. Hybrid models, such as community gardens with limited poultry keeping, already exist in cities like Curitiba and Recife, with health surveillance oversight.
But for now, the scenario is one of tightening. City hall increases oversight and imposes fines that can exceed R$ 5,000 for those who keep livestock without authorization.
What was once a symbol of autonomy and sustenance is gradually being replaced by policies of urbanization and collective health. And in Brazilian cities, the noise of chickens at dawn is becoming a distant memory, a recollection of the time when the backyard still was part of rural life.
Eu tenho mas cuido sempre limpo lavo as vasilhas onde as minhas ficam é limpinho mas se tiver q me desfazer delas não tem outra saída até porque 5 mil em multa é muito caro.
Deveriam proibir criação de cão e gatos esses sim trazem doenças e além de incomodar vizinhos, e os que passeiam com seus cães, fazendo de banheiros as frentes das casas, de outras pessoas.
Sei que haverá uma grande negativação.,
Não vi nada sobre cães e gatos e outros pets?
Será que são autoimunes?
Não são uma questão também de saúde pública?
PS. Antes que afirmem que eles são vacinados e tem cuidados veterinários, os citados na reportagem também podem e devem ser vacinados e terem acompanhamento veterinário.