Kirkland, WA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

KZC 115.20 splits animals into household pets and small domestic animals, and the numeric caps sit in subsection (2)(c), Maximum Number of Adult Animals per Dwelling Unit. A Kirkland household may keep three adult dogs, three adult cats, or a combined total of four dogs and cats, plus up to four rabbits. Gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, cage birds, and nonvenomous reptiles and amphibians carry no maximum count, but subsection (2)(a) defines household pets as animals typically housed within the dwelling unit; if kept outdoors instead, they get regulated as small domestic animals, which trigger the separate lot-size and setback rules for fowl and larger animals under subsection (3).

Dogs, cats, and rabbits may be housed either inside or outside the home. Any outdoor structure or pen for a household pet must sit at least five feet from every property line under subsection (2)(e); there's no minimum lot size tied to keeping household pets. Offspring from a single female don't count toward the cap until they're able to survive independently under subsection (1)(a), so a litter of puppies or kittens won't put an owner over the limit while nursing. Owners must properly dispose of animal waste under subsection (1)(b), and the section is explicit that it doesn't override King County animal control regulations or state law on animal keeping, which apply in addition to the city code.