Pomona, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Small groomer, under 4 animals
- Personal Services - General, by right
- 4+ animals boarded or trained
- Reclassified as Kennel, CUP required
- Kennel screening
- 6-ft nontransparent fence required
- Kennel odor rule
- Not detectable beyond lot lines
- Incidental grooming
- Must be conducted indoors
- County coordination
- Must also meet County kennel rules
Summary
A small pet-grooming shop is "Personal Services - General" in Pomona, permitted by right subject to standards wherever that use is allowed, so long as any on-site boarding stays under four animals. Once a groomer keeps, boards, or trains four or more cats or dogs, the Zoning and Development Code reclassifies the business as a Kennel, which needs a conditional use permit and must meet the Code's sanitation, screening and odor standards.
1. The premises must be kept in a clean and sanitary manner by the daily removal of waste and by the use of spray and disinfectants to prevent the accumulation of flies, the spread of disease or offensive odor. 2. Kennels must conform to all the regulations contained in the County Code related to kennels, including but not limited to Noise Abatement and Control, Animal Control and Permit Fees and Procedures. 3. Animal odors must not be detectable beyond the lot lines of the property wherein the kennel is located. 4. Dust and drainage from the kennel enclosure must not create a nuisance or a hazard to adjoining property or uses. 5. The kennel enclosure must be screened by a nontransparent fence of a minimum 6 feet in height. 6. Grooming services for the animals being boarded may be allowed as an incidental use provided the grooming services are conducted indoors.
Full Breakdown
Sec. a defines Personal Services - General to include "pet grooming, pet boarding (of fewer than four animals at a time)" alongside hair cutting, tailoring and similar trades; that use is "P*", permitted subject to Sec. 1's size standards, in the RX1 through CX5 and IX1 modules. Once boarding or training reaches the threshold in Sec. b, defined as "any use in which 4 or more cats or dogs, at least 4 months of age, are kept, boarded, or trained, excluding pet shop and veterinary care uses," the operation becomes a Kennel and is marked "C*" on the Allowed Use Table, meaning it needs a conditional use permit in CX1 through CX5 and IX1 through I3, and is not allowed in R1, RX1, P1, OS1 or OS2.
Sec. c sets the operating standards for that Kennel tier: the premises must be kept clean and sanitary through daily waste removal and disinfectant use to prevent flies, disease and odor; animal odors must not be detectable beyond the lot lines; dust and drainage from the enclosure cannot create a nuisance; and the kennel enclosure must be screened by a nontransparent fence at least 6 feet high. The same section addresses grooming directly: incidental grooming of boarded animals is allowed only if conducted indoors. Kennels must also conform to County Code provisions on noise abatement, animal control and permit fees and procedures.
Violations & Fines
Boarding, keeping or training four or more cats or dogs at a grooming shop without first obtaining the Sec. 540.H.1.c conditional use permit converts the business into an unpermitted Kennel, subject to code enforcement action and permit denial until a CUP is secured. Conducting grooming service outdoors at a boarding kennel violates the indoor-only condition in Sec. 540.H.1.c.6 and can draw a separate citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many animals can a Pomona pet groomer board without extra permits?
What fence does a Pomona boarding kennel need?
Can a kennel groom the animals it boards?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pomona
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