Riverside, CA Animal Ordinances: Animal Hoarding (2026)

Animal hoarding in the City of Riverside is enforced through a layered framework: (1) California Penal Code §597 (cruelty to animals — including neglect, overcrowding, and failure to provide proper food, drink, and shelter) is a wobbler punishable by up to one year in county jail and a $20,000 fine as a misdemeanor, or up to three years in state prison as a felony; (2) California Penal Code §597.1 authorizes seizure of any animal kept in conditions that endanger its life or health, with the owner billed for veterinary care and impound; (3) California Penal Code §597.9 imposes a five-year ban (misdemeanor conviction) or ten-year ban (felony conviction) on owning, possessing, or residing with any animal, with each violation of the ban itself punishable by a $1,000 fine. Inside the City of Riverside, the numerical cap that typically triggers a hoarding investigation comes from Riverside County Code Chapter 6.08, enforced by the Riverside County Department of Animal Services (RCDAS) under the City's animal-control contract: an animal rescuer or resident may keep a maximum of four (4) personal (not-for-adoption/sale) dogs and nine (9) personal cats; up to six (6) dogs are permitted on premises of one-half to one acre. Exceeding these limits requires a Class I Kennel License (5–10 dogs) or Class II Kennel License (11+ dogs) and a corresponding Cattery License for cats. The kennel-license process triggers a zoning review under Riverside Municipal Code Title 19, neighbor notice, and inspection of sanitation and housing conditions.