Columbia, SC Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Section 4-61 defines 'kennel' as the premises of anyone engaged in breeding, buying, selling or boarding dogs, or who simply keeps four or more dogs on the premises, regardless of whether any commercial activity is happening. Section 4-63(a) then makes it unlawful to own or operate a dog kennel, or to keep four or more dogs on a property within the city, without first obtaining a certificate of inspection from the Animal Control Division, for which the city charges a $100.00 annual inspection fee. That threshold functions as Columbia's de facto household dog limit: three dogs or fewer need no special permit, but a fourth dog triggers kennel certification and inspection whether or not the owner is running any kind of business.

Commercial kennels must meet standards set by the Humane Society of the United States, while noncommercial kennels, a household that simply crossed the four-dog threshold, face detailed physical requirements under Section 4-63(c): impervious, sealed floors sloped at least one-half inch per foot for drainage, a connection to the city's sanitary sewer approved by the city engineer, at least 50 square feet of enclosure per animal with an impervious floor, a fully enclosed nighttime area, water available at all times, daily cleaning by rinsing into the sewer, and screening from the side or rear lot line with shrubbery or a privacy fence. There is no equivalent numeric cap in Chapter 4 specifically for cats; the kennel threshold applies only to dogs.