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

Sierra County does not impose a simple maximum number of household pets. Instead, the Animal Control Ordinance regulates multiple-dog keeping through a kennel threshold. Section 8.08.020 defines 'kennel' as any enclosure, premises, building, structure, lot or area in or on which 'five or more dogs of at least four months of age are kept, harbored or maintained, for commercial or noncommercial purposes.' Section 8.08.320 then requires that no person own a kennel without first obtaining a kennel license from the Chief of Animal Control 'if the zoning is proper,' and applications are routed to the Building, Public Health, and Planning departments to confirm conformity with county law before approval. License tags are issued in tiers by size: two tags for kennels with five to ten dogs, four tags for eleven to fifteen dogs, and six tags for sixteen or more dogs (Section 8.08.320(B)). A kennel license can be denied or revoked for unsanitary conditions, failure to provide proper care, a public nuisance, or a Penal Code Section 597 cruelty conviction. Kenneled dogs remain subject to all other animal regulations except the individual dog-license requirement (Section 8.08.310). The County Code does not set a numerical limit on cats for household keeping. In practice, the operative 'pet limit' for dogs is the five-dog threshold that triggers kennel licensing, and the zoning code separately lists kennels as a conditional use in the A1 agricultural district (Section 15.12.160(C)).