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

Imperial County does not rely on a single 'hoarding' ordinance; instead, hoarding situations are handled under California's animal-cruelty statutes and the county's enforcement powers. Under Penal Code section 597, it is unlawful to deprive an animal of necessary sustenance, drink, shelter or protection, or to subject an animal to needless suffering - and while you may keep multiple animals, doing so in numbers that compromise their health and safety because of overcrowding can be charged as cruelty. Penal Code section 597 is a 'wobbler': a misdemeanor conviction can bring up to a year in jail and substantial fines, and a felony conviction can bring up to three years in state prison. Related provisions (Penal Code section 597.9 and surrounding sections) allow courts to bar a convicted offender from owning or possessing animals for several years - five years for a misdemeanor and ten years for a felony in many cases. Imperial County's Animal Care and Control Program, part of the Public Health Department, provides 24/7 rescue and control services and investigates cruelty cases across the county's more than 4,000 square miles of unincorporated towns, desert and farmland, working to remove animals from harmful conditions. The county zoning code's pet and animal limits (such as the five-cats-and-dogs limit in R-1) also indirectly constrain how many animals may be kept on residential parcels. If you suspect hoarding or neglect, contact Animal Care and Control at (442) 265-2655.