Allentown, PA Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)

Allentown's 2026 zoning ordinance (Ord. No. 16166, effective January 1, 2026) does not license pet groomers separately from other animal service businesses. B folds grooming into the citywide "animal service" use category, which the code defines as establishments that provide services for the care of customary household pets, including boarding, training, grooming, breeding, and veterinary services, while excluding dog walking and other services not performed at a fixed location. Because grooming, boarding, and veterinary care share one definition, a groomer's zoning status turns on how much outdoor activity the business generates.

B(2) sorts every animal service business into three subcategories: Indoor (entirely inside a fully enclosed building), Outdoor, limited (indoor kennels plus outdoor exercise space for no more than 12 pets at a time, with no overnight boarding), and Outdoor, general (outdoor kennels or exercise areas serving more than 12 pets, or any overnight care, boarding, or breeding). A storefront groomer with no outdoor run typically fits the Indoor subcategory, while a groomer that also runs a small outdoor exercise yard falls into Outdoor, limited unless it boards more than 12 animals overnight.

Where each subcategory is allowed, whether by right, by special exception, or not at all, is set zone-by-zone in Table 660-4 of the zoning ordinance; an applicant must confirm the zoning district of the property before applying for a zoning permit through the Bureau of Planning and Zoning. Livestock and draft-animal keeping is expressly carved out of the animal service category and is regulated separately.