DRMC chapter 8 limits Denver households to three dogs and three cats per dwelling unit unless a pet animal facility license is obtained. Litters under four months count toward the limit at separate threshold; exemptions exist for licensed kennels.
Denver Revised Municipal Code chapter 8 (Animals) caps the number of dogs at three and cats at three per dwelling unit, for a maximum of six total animals among those species without a special permit. Litter puppies or kittens under four months old generally do not count toward the limit until weaned. Households exceeding the limit need a pet animal facility license from Denver Animal Protection (DAP) tied to zoning approval; multi-unit buildings may be capped lower by lease. The limit applies to both renters and owners. Other species such as rabbits and small caged pets are governed by DRMC humane-care rules but not the three-and-three count. Hoarding cases trigger seizure under DRMC and C.R.S. cruelty laws.
Keeping more than three dogs or three cats without a Denver pet animal facility license violates DRMC chapter 8 with fines starting around $150 per excess animal, escalating to $999 with administrative seizure of unlicensed animals.
Denver, CO
DRMC chapter 8 requires every cat over six months in Denver to be licensed annually with Denver Animal Protection and current on rabies vaccination under Col...
Denver, CO
Denver does not have a standalone hoarding ordinance, but DRMC chapter 8 pet limits combined with Colorado C.R.S. 18-9-202 cruelty to animals reach hoarding ...
Denver, CO
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See how Denver's pet limits rules stack up against other locations.
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