Porterville, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

City Code section 5-3.1.A sets the residential pet cap directly: household pets such as dogs, cats, birds, or other small animals kept only for the company and pleasure they provide are permitted, but at no time may the combined number of animals kept exceed seven, and at no time may the number of cats, dogs, or chickens exceed three animals each. The section adds that it is unlawful to possess a combination of residential household pets exceeding seven total, closing off any argument that mixing species avoids the cap.

Household pets under this subsection expressly exclude horses, cows, goats, sheep, other equine, bovine, ovine or ruminant animals, pigs, ducks, geese, turkeys, game birds, or fowl that normally constitute an agricultural use, those are governed instead by the separate AC/RR agricultural-animal standards in subsection C. A related but distinct threshold applies to commercial operations: section 5-4.1 defines a kennel as any premises where four or more animals not owned by the kennel owner or operator are kept, boarded, trained, or maintained for commercial purposes beyond 24 hours, or where more than two animals are kept for compensated breeding, or more than two litters are produced in a calendar year, triggering permit and licensing requirements under Chapter 15 rather than the residential household cap.