Apple Valley, MN Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)

Veterinary uses in Apple Valley are a business-district matter. In the GB general business district, § 155.126 lists "Animal hospital or clinic when contained within a building" among the permitted uses, so no conditional use permit is attached, but the whole operation has to stay inside the building. Runs and outdoor kennels are not part of that permission.

The same containment language appears in other districts. Section 155.141(I) permits an animal hospital or clinic when contained within a building in the Restricted General Business district, and § 155.156(H) does the same in the Retail Business district. The Business Park district is stricter in words: § 155.231(F) permits animal hospitals or clinics with no exterior storage or animal runs.

Parking is set in § 155.379(V): veterinary clinics need one space for each 400 square feet of gross floor area.

The zoning code keeps clinics distinct from kennels. In § 155.003 a kennel is any premise where three or more dogs over three months of age are present as owners' pets, pets accepted for boarding, breeding, training or sale, except when located in a pet shop or veterinary clinic. On the licensing side, § 91.05(J) says commercial animal establishments, pet shops and veterinary clinics do not require permits under the kennel and cattery section.

The list of permitted uses is closed by its own terms: no structure or land can be used except for the listed uses or uses deemed similar by the City Council, so a clinic proposed in a district whose list omits it needs a council determination or a different district.