San Mateo County, CA Animal Ordinances: Animal Hoarding (2026)

Animal hoarding in unincorporated San Mateo County is addressed through a combination of the County Ordinance Code's numeric permit tiers, its animal-care standard, and California criminal cruelty law, rather than a dedicated hoarding section. Title 6 constrains the accumulation of animals: an animal fanciers permit is required to keep up to a total of ten dogs and/or cats (Section 6.16.010), and a kennel or cattery permit is required to keep more than ten, so a household with many animals must hold the appropriate permit. The County Code also sets a welfare floor: Section 6.04.070(d) prohibits leaving any animal without proper and adequate food, water, shelter, care, and attention, and an animal fanciers permit may be revoked if the permittee has acted inhumanely or has failed to provide any animal with proper food, water, exercise, shelter, or veterinary care (Section 6.16.070). PHS/SPCA, the County's contracted animal control agency, investigates neglect and may pursue criminal charges when owners fail to provide proper and adequate food, water, shelter, and medical care; PHS/SPCA notes it does not otherwise enforce quantity limits unless cruelty is suspected. The principal criminal tool in hoarding cases is California Penal Code Section 597, which makes it a crime to deprive an animal of necessary food, water, shelter, or care, or to subject it to needless suffering, with penalties that can rise to felony level for serious cases. Suspected hoarding or neglect in the unincorporated County should be reported to PHS/SPCA.