El Monte Municipal Code Title 6 (Animals) restricts livestock in urban residential zones. Animal control is contracted to the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care & Control. Title 17 zoning generally limits agricultural uses including the keeping of horses, cattle, swine, and goats to specific zones with minimum lot sizes.
El Monte is a built-out suburban city of roughly 9.6 square miles, and Title 17 of the Zoning Code does not designate agricultural zones in most residential areas. Keeping of livestock animals (cattle, horses, swine, sheep, goats, mules) is prohibited in single-family residential zones except where lots exceed minimum acreage and obtain a conditional use permit. Stables and pens must be set back from neighboring dwellings (typically 40 feet minimum). Chapter 6.04 of the El Monte Municipal Code defers most enforcement to LA County Animal Care, which can be reached at (562) 940-6898. Swine are generally prohibited city-wide as nuisance animals.
Unauthorized livestock keeping is both a zoning violation (EMMC Title 17) and a nuisance under EMMC Chapter 6.04. Administrative citations start at $100 and escalate to $500 per day until the animals are removed. The county may impound livestock and bill the owner for boarding and veterinary costs.
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See how El Monte's livestock rules stack up against other locations.
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