Stanislaus County, CA Animal Ordinances: Animal Hoarding (2026)

No fetched Stanislaus County ordinance uses the word 'hoarding' directly, but several County provisions reach the underlying conduct. Keeping a large number of animals can require a kennel license under Chapter 7.24, which mandates a license before any person keeps, conducts, or operates a dog or cat kennel for commercial or noncommercial purposes (Section 7.24.010); operating at that scale without a license is a violation. Chapter 7.16 (Animal Control) prohibits animals from habitually making loud noises or otherwise acting so as to constitute a public nuisance, and treats sustained barking or other noise as evidence of a nuisance (Sections 7.16.010 and 7.16.020), which often accompanies overcrowded conditions. Under Chapter 7.28 (Dangerous Animals), the animal services executive director can investigate and act on animals that endanger health and safety. Stanislaus Animal Services Agency enforces these provisions and can impound animals kept in unlawful conditions. Statewide, California Penal Code Section 597 makes it a crime to maliciously maim, mutilate, torture, or cruelly neglect an animal, and failing to provide proper food, drink, or shelter is separately punishable, giving Animal Services and law enforcement tools to intervene in severe neglect or hoarding cases. Residents who suspect hoarding or neglect should report it to Stanislaus Animal Services at 209-558-PETS.