Pasco County, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Large kennel threshold
- Ten or more dogs or cats combined at one property
- Permit
- Required from Animal Services, renewed annually
- Scope of permit
- One permit per premises, not transferable
- Inspection deadline
- 30 business days after a complete application
- Maximum civil fine
- $500.00 per count, plus $5.00 citation surcharge
- Appeal deadline
- Ten business days from denial, revocation, or suspension
- Minimum shelter temperature
- 50 degrees Fahrenheit
Summary
Pasco County draws its pet-count line at ten. Anyone who owns, harbors, or keeps ten or more dogs or cats at one property or structure is a "large kennel" and needs a permit from the Pasco County Animal Services Department, renewed every year, with a separate permit for each premises. Below ten, the kennel permit does not apply, but the Land Development Code separately sets the allowable number of animals on a parcel.
Large kennel means any person or entity who owns, harbors, or keeps ten or more dogs or cats, in aggregate, at a property or structure, for any purpose, including, but not limited to, housing, boarding, breeding, training, show or exhibition, hunting, sale, rescue, adoption or personal pet or use. Large kennel does not include any property or structure where a Florida state licensed veterinarian practices and has a premises permit, as required by F.S. ch. 474, or any property or structure used as a veterinary hospital, medical research laboratory, or any governmental agency, or to any boarding kennel operated in conjunction with any of the foregoing. [...] No person shall act as, perform duties of, or otherwise maintain a kennel, pet dealer or breeder, as defined in this chapter, without first obtaining a permit, or renewal permit as applicable, from the department. Per [...] mits issued under this section shall be renewed on an annual basis.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 94 Update 1 | Land Development Code: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
The trigger sits in the definitions section of Chapter 14, the Pasco County Animal Services Ordinance. A large kennel is any person or entity who owns, harbors, or keeps ten or more dogs or cats, counted in aggregate, at a property or structure. The count applies to every purpose: housing, boarding, breeding, training, show or exhibition, hunting, sale, rescue, adoption, or plain personal pets. Dogs and cats are added together, so six dogs and four cats reach ten. "Harbor" means to own, feed, shelter, keep, maintain, or control an animal, and it covers temporary as well as permanent harboring, so animals you are only holding for someone else still count.
The definition carves out a Florida licensed veterinarian who practices at a property with a premises permit under F.S. ch. 474, veterinary hospitals, medical research laboratories, governmental agencies, and any boarding kennel run in conjunction with those.
Section 14-105 makes the permit mandatory. No person can maintain a kennel, pet dealer operation, or breeding operation without first obtaining a permit or renewal from the department. A breeder is anyone whose dogs, cats, or rabbits reproduce more than 20 animals in any rolling 12-month period, and a pet dealer offers for sale more than 20 dogs, cats, or rabbits in that window. A person who fits several categories needs only one permit, but a separate permit is required for each premises, and a permit cannot be transferred to a new location or a new owner. The fee is set by resolution of the board of county commissioners.
After a complete application, the department has 30 business days to inspect against the care standards in section 14-107, then ten business days to grant or deny in writing. If it misses either deadline, the permit issues. Permits renew annually, and the premises stay open to inspection during normal business hours. Holding the permit does not waive any Land Development Code, zoning, or land use rule.
Section 14-107 sets the housing standards. Enclosures must let each animal sit, stand, lie down, turn completely around, and stretch. Fully wire flooring is prohibited. Indoor temperature cannot be above the outside temperature or below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, a regular day and night light cycle is required, and shelters must be cleaned frequently.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 14 violations are civil infractions, not crimes, with judgment up to $500.00 per count plus a $5.00 surcharge on each citation. Fine amounts come from the uniform fine schedule, which controls over the chapter text. Animal control officers and law enforcement can issue citations, and the county can also seek an injunction and bill you for veterinary, transport, and boarding costs, which are not capped at $500. A third or subsequent citation requires a court appearance. The permit can be denied, revoked, or suspended for refusing inspection, unpaid fines, cruelty or neglect adjudications, or more than one Chapter 14 offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dogs and cats can I keep in Pasco County without a kennel permit?
Do dogs and cats count together toward the ten?
Do foster animals count?
How do I appeal a denied, suspended, or revoked kennel permit?
How many chickens can I keep in Pasco County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pasco County to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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