Santa Cruz County, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Santa Cruz County sets per-parcel pet limits by zoning district, as summarized by the County Animal Shelter's local-animal-laws page (drawing on County Zoning Code Chapter 13.10). In single-family residential zones, up to two dogs and two cats are permitted. In multiple-residential zones, the limit is up to one dog and two cats. In rural-residential and agricultural-residential zones, up to four dogs or cats are permitted, but no more than four animals total. A facility keeping five or more dogs or cats is treated as a kennel: kennels are not permitted in single-family or multiple-residential zones, and in agricultural-residential zoning a kennel of five or more dogs or cats requires a level 5 (discretionary) permit. County Code Chapter 6.16 governs kennels and defines a 'kennel' for purposes of that chapter, excluding non-commercial places where pet animals are only occasionally boarded, groomed, or trained. There is no separate license category in Title 6 that raises the basic dog/cat counts; exceeding the zone limit pushes the use into kennel territory, which requires a permit only in the agricultural zone and is otherwise not allowed. Because counts are tied to zoning, owners with multiple pets should confirm the parcel's zone with County Planning. These limits apply in the unincorporated county; incorporated cities have their own pet-limit ordinances.