Santa Ana, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

' The only lawful route to more than three dogs is the commercial kennel path in Section 5-62, which bars kennels from residentially zoned areas entirely and instead requires an inspection permit, a nonrefundable $50 application fee paid to the finance department under Section 5-63, and compliance with setback rules, a 100-foot buffer from any preexisting one-story residential structure, rising to 200 feet for two-story structures, unless the applicant provides equivalent visual and sound barriers approved by the Director of Planning and Development Services. Section 5-1(e) defines 'commercial kennels' as any property where more than three dogs over four months old are kept 'for any purpose, including but not limited to boarding, training, or breeding,' so even a hobby breeder or foster household exceeding the three-dog cap falls under the same kennel framework as a boarding business.

A kennel inspection permit expires annually and can be revoked for state or city law violations, cruelty, or failure to keep the premises sanitary under Section 5-66, and a denied applicant may appeal to the city council under Chapter 3.