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

Erie's Zoning Ordinance treats pet grooming as an unrestricted permitted use in the C-1 Local Commercial, C-4 Traditional Neighborhood Commercial, M-1 Light Manufacturing, and M-2 Heavy Manufacturing Districts, where it appears on the Section 204 use table as plain 'Pet grooming' with no cross-referenced standard attached. 29 requires animal care uses in a C-2 District to be totally enclosed in a sealed, air-conditioned structure and set back at least 100 feet from the nearest dwelling, a noise and odor buffer the other commercial districts do not impose.

The use does not appear at all on the C-3 Central Commercial District table, so a groomer cannot locate there by right. Before opening in any qualifying district, the operator still needs a zoning certificate from the Zoning Officer under Section 402, filed with a plot plan showing the location, dimensions, and use of the structure, along with the filing fee; the certificate becomes void if the use is not started within one year of issuance. Because 'animal care' is not defined narrowly in the Ordinance, a groomer offering boarding or extended-stay care in a C-2 location should confirm with the Zoning Officer that the specific services offered still fit within the enclosed-structure and 100-foot standard rather than tipping into a different, more restricted animal-care classification.