Amador County, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Amador County does not impose a simple maximum number of household pets. Instead, the Animal Control Ordinance (Title 8) regulates multiple-dog keeping through kennel definitions. Section 8.04.140 defines a 'noncommercial kennel' as any facility or parcel with 'not less than five and not more than nine dogs' kept other than for pay (puppies under six months are not counted), and it expressly does not apply to parcels zoned AG (exclusive agriculture district). Section 8.04.130 defines a 'commercial kennel' as a facility with five or more dogs boarded/bred/kept for remuneration, or ten or more dogs regardless of pay (again excluding puppies under six months). Chapter 8.32 requires that anyone maintaining a noncommercial kennel (8.32.010) or a commercial kennel (8.32.020) obtain a county kennel license, which is issued after Animal Control inspects the premises to confirm adequate facilities, with periodic re-inspections; fees are set by the Board of Supervisors. Separately, the zoning code allows kennels in the R1-A district only with an approved use permit (Section 19.24.045(D)). For cats and other pets, the County Code sets no numerical household cap. So in practice, the operative 'pet limit' for dogs is the five-dog threshold that triggers kennel licensing outside AG-zoned land.