Pleasanton, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Threshold
- 4 or more dogs makes a premises a 'kennel'
- Governing sections
- PMC §§ 6.48.010, 6.48.020
- Permit issuer
- City health officer
- Annual license fee
- $20.00, due January 1
- Zoning echo
- § 18.08.275 counts dogs and cats together
Summary
Pleasanton does not cap household dogs directly, but keeping four or more dogs at one premises makes it a "kennel" under Section 6.48.010, and Section 6.48.020 makes it unlawful to maintain a kennel without a permit from the health officer plus a $20 annual license.
"Kennel" means a premises where four or more dogs are maintained, boarded, cared for, or kept, whether for purpose of sale or otherwise, except premises where a duly licensed veterinary has his or her principal facilities for treatment of pets and animals. ... It is unlawful for any person, firm, corporation or association to erect, establish or maintain any kennel or pet shop as defined in this chapter, without first obtaining a permit from the health officer.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4955754; v17 updated 2026-06-02).
Full Breakdown
010 as "a premises where four or more dogs are maintained, boarded, cared for, or kept, whether for purpose of sale or otherwise," excluding a licensed veterinarian's treatment facility. 00 license fee, due each January 1st and expiring December 31st. In practice, this makes four the threshold at which a Pleasanton household must obtain a kennel permit for its dogs; three or fewer need no such permit. 275 defines "kennel" for zoning purposes as any premises "where any combination of dogs or cats totaling four or more animals four months of age or older are kept," except when accessory to a permitted agricultural use, and the R-1 district additionally requires any building or enclosure housing animals or fowl, other than household pets, to sit at least 100 feet from residential, office, commercial, industrial-park or public zoning districts. 040.
Violations & Fines
Operating an unpermitted kennel, meaning keeping four or more dogs without a health officer permit, is punishable under the code's general penalty in Section 1.12.010 as a misdemeanor: a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both, since Chapter 6.48 is not on the infraction list in Section 1.12.020.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dogs can I keep at my Pleasanton home without a permit?
Does Pleasanton's kennel rule count cats too?
What happens if I keep an unpermitted kennel in Pleasanton?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pleasanton
California rules heatmap·Compare Pleasanton to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Pet Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle pet limits.