Hemet, CA Animal Ordinances: Animal Hoarding (2026)

California does not have a standalone numeric "hoarding" statute, and neither does Hemet. Instead, animal hoarding is addressed through several overlapping authorities. First, Hemet's zoning code caps household animals - the City's published guidance under HMC Sec. 90-77 allows about 3 dogs and 4 cats over four months old, with larger numbers requiring kennel/cattery permits under the adopted Riverside County Ordinance 630 (Class I Kennel at 5+ dogs, Cattery at 10+ cats). Second, Sec. 90-77(e) requires that animals not create a public nuisance and that conditions protect the health and safety of both the public and the animals. Third, and most importantly for true hoarding cases, California Penal Code Sec. 597 makes it a crime to subject any animal to needless suffering, to fail to provide proper food, drink, or shelter, or to keep animals in conditions that compromise their health and safety through overcrowding. A conviction can carry misdemeanor or felony penalties and a court-ordered ban on owning or living with animals (a five-year ban for a misdemeanor and ten years for a felony). Enforcement is shared: Hemet Code Compliance handles nuisance and over-the-limit situations, while the Riverside County Department of Animal Services investigates cruelty and neglect, and serious cases are prosecuted criminally under the Penal Code. The legal focus in hoarding cases is whether the animals' welfare is compromised, not a fixed count.