Kootenai County, ID Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)

The county's animal control chapter defines a "commercial kennel" as any facility conducting one or more listed activities, including breeding for sale of more than two litters a year, offering paid boarding, training or grooming, or "any pet shop regularly selling dogs" (Code 5.1.103). Falling into that definition triggers a mandatory county kennel license under 5.1.201(A)(4): a license is required for the parcel "regardless of the number of dogs kept, harbored or possessed on the property," so the trigger is the retail activity itself, not a headcount.

To get licensed, the operator applies to the board of county commissioners with the location and breeds kept; Kootenai County Community Development must first give written approval that the site meets zoning and building standards, and any indoor housing facility must be permitted as a Type M building with a current occupancy permit before the kennel license issues (5.1.201(B)(2)). A deputy sheriff or animal control officer must also inspect the premises and confirm adequate shelter and restraint before the board can act on the application (5.1.201(B)(3)).

Once licensed, the shop is a "commercial kennel" for performance-standard purposes under 5.1.202: indoor facilities need three-foot solid partitions between pens, sloped, water-impermeable flooring, sound-deadening construction, and outdoor runs sized to Table 1-201's per-dog square footage. Licenses run one year, are non-transferable, and carry a fee set by board resolution (5.1.201(C)). Applying for a license also constitutes consent to unannounced inspection by the sheriff's office, building inspector, or planning official (5.1.203).