Arvada, CO Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Section 14-126, Accumulation of animals, sets Arvada's per-household pet ceiling. No person or household may own or have custody of more than three dogs over four months old, four cats over four months old, or two pot-bellied pigs over four months old. The section also caps mixed households: no more than a combined total of four dogs and cats of any combination, and no more than a combined total of three dogs and pot-bellied pigs in any combination. Those numeric limits apply per household regardless of how many separate people live there or who is named as the animal's legal owner.

A second, broader cap in section 14-126(b) applies on top of the dog/cat/pig limits: no household may keep more than a combined total of 15 other animals of any age or combination, covering chickens, domestic fowl, miniature goats, turkeys, and other pet or domesticated animals. Puppies and kittens under four months old are excluded from the dog and cat counts, but the 15-animal ceiling for other species applies regardless of age. Exceeding either limit is treated as a violation of the chapter, and animal management officers who investigate a complaint may inspect the property under the entry authority set out in section 14-153 if they have probable cause a violation is occurring.