Palatine, IL Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Palatine Village Code § 6-1 defines a kennel as any establishment or premises where more than three dogs or three cats, or any combination of the two over four months of age, are boarded or kept for any purpose, with an exception for regularly established veterinary hospitals, pet shops, pounds or shelters. That threshold operates as the village's de facto household pet limit: once a residence keeps more than three dogs or cats combined, it is functioning as a kennel and, per the same definition, kennels are only allowed when they conform to the village zoning ordinance.

Practically, a resident keeping four or more dogs or cats needs to bring the property into compliance with the zoning code's kennel standards rather than continuing as an unpermitted residential use, since Appendix A governs where kennel uses may locate. The four-month age cutoff means litters of puppies or kittens under that age do not count toward the threshold, so a household temporarily over three animals because of a recent litter is not automatically a kennel until those animals reach four months. The definition applies uniformly across dogs and cats and any combination, so three dogs plus one cat, for example, would trigger the same kennel classification as four dogs alone.