Livestock in unincorporated Sonoma County is governed by the Zoning Code's animal-density standards administered by Permit Sonoma, with allowances based on zoning district and parcel size. County Code Chapter 5 also protects livestock by addressing dogs that enter property where sheep or other livestock are kept.
Keeping livestock such as horses, cattle, goats, and sheep in unincorporated Sonoma County is regulated mainly through the Sonoma County Zoning Code (Chapter 26), administered by Permit Sonoma, which ties the number of animals to a parcel's zoning district and size. As the county illustrates for the Rural Residential (RR) district, a parcel may keep one horse or one cow, or five goats, per 20,000 square feet of parcel area. In the Agriculture and Residential (AR) and the agricultural districts, those same per-area limits apply to parcels of two acres or less, while larger parcels in those agricultural districts are not capped at a fixed number in the example given. Agricultural and rural-residential zones are generally where larger livestock operations belong, and exact standards, setbacks, and structures depend on the specific district. On the animal-control side, County Code Chapter 5 protects livestock: Article X, Section 5-119 addresses dogs that enter property where sheep or other livestock are kept, reflecting that a dog harassing or attacking livestock is treated seriously under county law. Owners should verify both their zoning allowances with Permit Sonoma and any animal-control obligations with Sonoma County Animal Services.
Exceeding zoning animal-density limits can trigger Permit Sonoma code enforcement; a dog entering or attacking property where livestock is kept can be subject to action under County Code Chapter 5, Section 5-119, including potential dangerous-animal proceedings.
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