Granville County, NC Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Section 32-1306(h) of the Land Development Code defines 'kennels' as the boarding, breeding, training or selling of domestic dogs or cats, and it sets the numeric threshold directly: the definition 'shall include the keeping of more than four dogs or six cats over the age of four months, or the keeping of a total of more than five dogs and cats.' A household that stays at or below four dogs, six cats, or five combined dogs and cats is not operating a kennel under this section, but crossing any one of those thresholds classifies the property as a kennel regardless of whether money changes hands.

Table 03.110A, cross-referenced in section 32-142, then controls where that kennel use may locate: it requires a minor special use permit, marked 'MinS' and processed by the board of adjustment under section 32-1083, in the AR-80 and AR-40 agricultural districts; it is prohibited outright, marked 'N', in the R-25 and MHPD districts; and it is permitted by right, marked 'Y', in the Highway Business, Neighborhood Business, Prime Industrial and General Industrial districts. The table sets a parking standard of one space per 333 square feet plus one per three stalls and a loading standard of one bay per 40 stalls, with additional standards cross-referenced at section 32-209.

A pet owner in an R-25 residential subdivision who exceeds the four-dog, six-cat or five-combined threshold has no path to a kennel permit in that district at all.