Fountain, CO Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Combined pet cap
- 6 dogs and cats per premises
- Dog sub-limit
- Max 4 dogs within the 6
- Multi-unit cap
- 2 dogs and cats per apartment unit
- Exception
- Properly zoned, licensed kennels
- Governing section
- Fountain Municipal Code § 6.04.050(F)
- Enforcement
- Code enforcement officer / health dept
Summary
Fountain caps household pets at a combined total of six dogs and cats over four months old, with no more than four of them dogs, under Section 6.04.050(F) of the animal code. Apartments and other multi-dwelling units sharing a common wall are held to just two dogs and cats combined per unit.
The maximum number of dogs or cats over the age of four months that may be owned, possessed or kept on the premises shall not exceed a combined total of six, of which only four may be dogs, except in properly zoned and licensed kennels. In the case of multiple dwelling units, or in any unit sharing a common wall, such as an apartment building, the maximum number of dogs and cats over the age of four months that may be owned, possessed, or kept in each unit shall not exceed a combined total of two.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
050 of Title 6, Regulation of Animals, sets the numeric ceiling for pets kept in the city. Subsection F caps the combined total of dogs and cats over four months old at six per premises, with no more than four of the six being dogs; a household could keep six cats, or two dogs and four cats, but never more than four dogs. The only exception is a property that is properly zoned and licensed as a kennel under Title 17. Anyone living in a multiple dwelling unit, including any unit that shares a common wall such as an apartment, duplex or townhome, is held to a tighter cap: no more than a combined total of two dogs and cats per unit, regardless of age mix.
The same section requires the premises to be fenced or the animals tied so they stay contained, requires fecal waste to be removed to prevent it becoming a nuisance, and keeps the property open to inspection at reasonable hours by the city, the humane society of the Pikes Peak Region, or the county health department. 020 so long as the number of animals is not increased and the animals do not become a nuisance or public health danger; that grandfathering does not excuse a genuine new violation.
Anyone who wants to keep more animals than the cap allows can apply for a nonuse variance under Title 17's zoning variance procedure, the same process used for exceeding the separate limit on rabbits and barnyard fowl. The cap was raised by Ordinance No. 1410 in 2008 and last amended by Ordinance No. 1534 in 2011.
Violations & Fines
Keeping animals over the cap is enforceable by the code enforcement officer or health department, who can pursue nuisance abatement proceedings under the city's general Code process. A criminal conviction for violating this chapter is punished under the general animal-code penalty in Section 6.04.200, tied to Section 1.12.010's municipal penalty schedule, and the city can require the excess animals to be removed or relocated to a licensed kennel.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dogs and cats can I legally keep at a house in Fountain, Colorado?
Does Fountain's pet limit apply to apartments the same way as houses?
Can I get an exception to Fountain's dog and cat limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fountain
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Pet Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in El Paso County handle pet limits.