Pocatello, ID Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Dog limit without permit
- 2 dogs
- Cat limit without permit
- 5 cats
- Neighbor consent required
- 75% within 100 feet
- Dog run setback
- 30 feet from residence
- License renewal
- Annual, non-transferable
Summary
In the City of Pocatello, a household may keep up to two dogs or five cats without any special permit. Adding a third dog or a sixth cat triggers a multiple animal housing license from the Animal Services Department, which requires 75 percent neighbor consent and a 30-foot setback for any outdoor dog run.
Any person desiring to have three (3) or more dogs or more than five (5) cats on his or her premises at any given time for purposes not covered by commercial animal establishment licensing must apply for a multiple animal housing license, in addition to obtaining individual dog licenses, on forms provided by the animal services department, providing names of occupants of the premises, address, number and type of dogs to be kept. ... The a ... nimal services director shall review the application and shall deny the license if any outdoor dog run area is closer than thirty feet (30') to the nearest residence or building and may deny the license if the required proof of consent has not been provided.
Full Breakdown
Pocatello City Code section 6.04.170 requires anyone who wants to keep three or more dogs, or more than five cats, on one property at a time for noncommercial reasons to obtain a multiple animal housing license from the Animal Services Department, in addition to the individual dog licenses each animal already needs. The application must list every occupant of the premises, the address, and the number and type of dogs to be kept, and it must come with the written consent of at least seventy-five percent of the adult owners and occupants within one hundred feet of the property line, unless the Animal Services Director waives that requirement.
The director must deny the license outright if any outdoor dog run sits closer than thirty feet to the nearest neighboring residence or building, and may deny it if consent is missing or if the enclosure will not prevent violations of Title 6. Once approved, the license covers the specific number of animals listed, and the owner must still get an individual license for each dog. Puppies and kittens born on site do not need their own license until they reach three months old and remain on the property past that age.
The license must be renewed every year in the same manner as the initial application, and it cannot be transferred to another person or another address. Animal Services officers or Pocatello police officers may inspect the property at reasonable hours to confirm compliance.
Violations & Fines
Keeping unlicensed multiple animals, letting fecal material accumulate, or otherwise violating the conditions of a multiple animal housing license is grounds for the Animal Services Director to revoke the license or deny its renewal, using the same appeal procedure that applies to commercial animal establishment licenses: a written request to the City Council within ten days. Underlying violations of Title 6 are misdemeanors under section 1.04.040, carrying up to a $1,000 fine or six months in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dogs can I keep in Pocatello without a permit?
How many cats trigger the multiple animal permit?
Do my neighbors have to approve my multiple-animal permit?
Can the city deny my permit even with neighbor consent?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pocatello
Compare Pocatello to another location·View the Idaho animal ordinances overview
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