Highland, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Highland Municipal Code § 16.44.040(D) sets pet limits by lot size. Subsection D lists the uses permitted on each residential parcel in the city, and it says that remainders of area or of animals are rounded down when calculating the allowed number. The rounding rule applies to area and to animals alike.

Domestic pets come first. On lots smaller than 20,000 square feet, the keeping of dogs or cats cannot exceed four adult dogs or four adult cats or a combination totalling not more than four adult animals. On lots of 20,000 square feet or greater, two adult dogs or two adult cats, or a combination totalling not more than two adult animals, may be kept for each 10,000 square feet of net lot area, up to a maximum of eight adult dogs or eight adult cats or a combination totalling not more than eight adult animals.

The limits count adult animals. Separately, subsection F says offspring born to permitted or conditionally permitted animals kept on a site can stay until weaned without counting against the maximum, and it sets four months as the cutoff for cats and dogs.

Smaller pets sit outside the cap. The code allows the keeping of any number of domestic household pets and other small animals, not including cats and dogs, listing parakeets, cockatiels, tropical fish, hamsters, rats and mice.

HMC § 16.40.040 extends the standard to every parcel used for residential purposes, whether or not it sits in a residential district, and the residential district regulations still apply. An animal keeping use that was legally established and became nonconforming when the title was adopted continues as a legal nonconforming use if it meets the criteria in HMC § 16.08.150. The intent clause names dust, noise, odor, fumes, bright light, visual blight and insect infestation as the impacts the animal rules exist to prevent.