Colorado Springs, CO Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Core rule
- veterinary activity must be inside an enclosed building
- Outdoor exception
- Large Animal use in the A district only
- Extra requirement
- conditional use permit for outdoor care
- Parking ratio
- 1 space per 400 sq ft of GFA
- Two use types
- Small Animal vs. Large Animal Veterinary Services
Summary
Colorado Springs zoning splits veterinary care into Small Animal and Large Animal Veterinary Services, and City Code § 7.3.303A.1.b requires all veterinary activity to happen inside a completely enclosed building. Outdoor treatment is allowed only for large-animal practices in the A (Agricultural) zone district, and only with an approved conditional use permit.
1. Animal Shelters, Kennels, Pet Services, and Veterinary Services: ... b. Veterinary Services. All veterinary activities must be conducted within a completely enclosed building. Outdoor veterinary activities may be allowed within the A zone district with a conditional use permitting the same. // VETERINARY SERVICES: An establishment for the medical treatment and care of animals by a licensed professional where overnight boarding of animals is allowed if directly related to a veterinary procedure... SMALL ANIMAL: For dogs, cats, and other small animals, where the veterinary services must be in completely enclosed buildings; and LARGE ANIMAL: For livestock and other large animals, where veterinary services may be conducted outside in the A zone district with an approved conditional use.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 26-23, passed June 9, 2026).
Full Breakdown
The UDC's use-specific standards for Agriculture and Animal-Related Services state plainly that veterinary activities must be conducted within a completely enclosed building, and only carves out an exception for outdoor veterinary activity in the A zone district when the operator has secured a conditional use permit for it. The definitions section reinforces the split: a Small Animal veterinary use (dogs, cats, and similar pets) must operate entirely inside an enclosed building, while a Large Animal veterinary use (livestock and similar animals) may be conducted outside in the A district under an approved conditional use.
Both categories may include overnight boarding, but only if it is directly related to a veterinary procedure. The zone table backs this up, permitting Small Animal Veterinary Services by-right in a broader range of commercial and mixed-use districts than Large Animal Veterinary Services, which is limited mainly to industrial and agricultural districts and conditional in others. Parking is fixed at one space per 400 square feet of gross floor area for both categories, the same ratio the UDC assigns to each.
Violations & Fines
Operating outdoor veterinary treatment outside the A zone district, or without an approved conditional use permit inside it, is not a permitted activity under the UDC and is treated as an unlawful use subject to code enforcement action, including a correction order from the Manager. A clinic built without the required enclosed structure also risks losing its zoning compliance for the use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a vet clinic in Colorado Springs treat animals outdoors?
What's the zoning difference between small-animal and large-animal vet care?
How much parking does a veterinary clinic need in Colorado Springs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Colorado Springs
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