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

Placer County does not use the word 'hoarding' in a dedicated ordinance, but it regulates the conditions that hoarding produces through several overlapping rules. Under County Code Section 6.08.010(K), it is unlawful for the owner of any animal to allow it to go without adequate food, water, shelter, or proper care. Animal Services may impound animals kept in violation of the chapter (Section 6.20.010) and may enter property to investigate (Section 6.04.110). The zoning code independently caps how many dogs, cats, and other animals a parcel may hold - for example, four dogs/cats in RS and RM zones - so keeping animals far beyond those limits is itself a violation. Serious neglect and hoarding-type cases are prosecuted under California Penal Code Section 597 (animal cruelty), which the County's animal control director is expressly charged with enforcing alongside the local code (Section 6.04.050); a kennel license can be revoked if the owner is convicted of a Penal Code Section 597 violation (Section 6.12.040). Penal Code Section 597 cruelty can be charged as a misdemeanor or felony, and a related provision (Penal Code Section 599aa) authorizes seizure of animals. The County's nuisance and impoundment procedures, plus the state cruelty statutes, together provide the tools to address animal hoarding.