Battle Creek, MI Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)

Section 1251.23 of the Battle Creek Codified Ordinances, inside the Planning and Zoning Code adopted by the City Commission, attaches two standards to the combined Kennels/Veterinarian use. The first is screening: all outdoor runs or breeding areas must be enclosed on all sides by an obscuring wall or fence not less than four feet in height. The second is a setback: all outdoor runs and breeding areas must be located at least fifty feet from any lot line, and they cannot be placed in the front yard. Both limits are written around outdoor runs and breeding areas, not around the clinic building itself.

The Zoning Code defines a kennel in Section 1230.06 as any lot or premises on which four or more dogs are kept for any commercial purposes, including daycare, boarding, breeding, and training. A dog daycare or training business with four or more dogs therefore meets the kennel definition whether or not a veterinarian is on staff.

The screening fence is still a fence under Section 1260.02. A permit is required before any permanent fence is built, the fee is set by the City Commission, and painting or repairs affecting no more than 25% of the fence within a one-year period need no permit when height, location and style stay the same. The height caps in that section run to six feet in a residential side or rear yard, eight feet in a commercial side or rear yard and ten feet in an industrial side or rear yard, each with listed exceptions.