Elk Grove, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

EGMC § 8.02.050 sets a combined household cap, not a per-species cap: no more than four dogs, four cats, four pot-bellied pigs, four pygmy goats, or any mix of those categories totaling more than four is allowed on one lot, in one dwelling, or aboard one boat or other living accommodation, unless another Municipal Code provision creates an exception. The four-month age threshold matters because it lines up with the licensing requirement in EGMC § 8.03.010, which requires a license for every dog or cat over four months old; puppies and kittens under that age don't count toward either the pet limit or the licensing mandate.

Because the limit is combined rather than per-species, a household with three dogs and two cats is already over the cap even though neither species alone exceeds four. The rule applies citywide regardless of zoning district, layered on top of, not instead of, any additional restriction a property's zoning classification, HOA covenant, or kennel permit requirement might impose. Code Enforcement and Animal Control both have authority to act on a pet-limit complaint, and a property found over the limit can be required to reduce the number of animals kept, in addition to any citation issued under the City's general penalty chapter.