La Habra, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Dog limit
- 4 dogs per household over 4 months old
- Unspayed female dog cap
- 1 without a breeding permit
- Breeding permit trigger
- More than one litter per year
- Exempt operations
- Licensed kennels, pet shops, animal hospitals, exhibitions
- Enforcing agency
- La Habra Police Department animal control officer
- Base penalty
- Infraction under Section 6.20.900
Summary
In the City of La Habra, no household can keep more than four dogs over four months old at one address, and only one can be an unspayed female without a breeding permit obtained under Section 6.20.050. Cats face an equivalent household cap under a separate section. Kennels, pet shops, animal hospitals and licensed exhibitions are exempt from these numeric limits.
§ 6.20.040. Number of dogs and female dogs permitted. A. No person shall keep or maintain more than four dogs that have attained the age of four months, at any street address within the city unless the person, family, or group of persons keeping or maintaining such dogs is operating a bona fide animal clinic or hospital or a duly licensed pet shop, dog kennel, circus, carnival, traveling show, menagerie, or dog exhibition at such street address. B. No person shall keep or maintain more than one unspayed female dog at any street address within the city unless the person, family, or group of persons keeping or maintaining such dogs is operating a bona fide animal hospital or a duly licensed pet shop, dog kennel, circus, carnival, traveling show, menagerie, or dog exhibition at such street address or has obtained a breeding permit (Section 6.20.050).
Full Breakdown
The City of La Habra caps household dog ownership under Municipal Code Section 6.20.040: no address may keep more than four dogs older than four months. A household is limited to one unspayed female dog unless it obtains a breeding permit from the animal control officer under Section 6.20.050, available to anyone whose dog has more than one litter per year, with a fee set by city council resolution. Both dog limits carry exemptions for a bona fide animal clinic, hospital, licensed pet shop, dog kennel, circus, carnival, traveling show, menagerie or dog exhibition operating at that address.
Cats are addressed separately in Chapter 6.22 under an equivalent household structure, so a home with both dogs and cats must satisfy each section on its own terms. Enforcement runs through the animal control officer, who under Section 6.08.030 functions as a sworn member of the La Habra Police Department and operates under the direction of the chief of police. A property that exceeds the dog cap without qualifying for one of the listed exemptions is subject to citation, and the animal control officer can require the excess animals be relocated, surrendered, or covered by whatever commercial or exhibition permit the property would need to lawfully exceed the limit.
Because the four-dog and one-unspayed-female thresholds apply per street address rather than per person, roommates and multi-generational households sharing one address are counted together, not separately, when an officer tallies dogs on the property.
Violations & Fines
Keeping more dogs than Section 6.20.040 allows is an infraction under Section 6.20.900, punishable by a fine set by city council resolution. A second or later violation of any Chapter 6.20 section, at the discretion of the animal control officer, chief of police, city attorney or district attorney, can be charged as a misdemeanor instead, carrying higher fines and possible jail exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dogs can I keep at my La Habra home?
Do cats count toward the four-animal dog limit?
What happens if animal control finds more than four dogs at my address?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in La Habra
California rules heatmap·Compare La Habra to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Pet Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle pet limits.