Douglas County, CO Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Special-review setback from lot lines
- 100 feet
- Districts allowing special review
- A-1, LRR, RR
- Equine/livestock clinic stall cap
- 12 stalls or bays
- Small-animal outdoor holding
- prohibited
- Approving authority
- Board of County Commissioners
- Civil penalty for violation
- $500-$1,000 + $100/day
Summary
A veterinary clinic or hospital on unincorporated Douglas County land outside the A-1, LRR, and RR zone districts needs Board approval as a Use by Special Review under Zoning Resolution Section 1-2107, and even then must sit at least 100 feet from every lot line, the same distance rule that governs kennels and other animal-boarding uses in those districts.
§ 1-2107. Allowed Uses by Special Review. [5/14/2003; 4/26/2016; 8/28/2018; 2/12/2019; 8/23/2022; 3/26/2024; 6/24/2025] The following uses are listed as uses by special review within the zone districts of this chapter, and are subject to additional requirements as noted herein: ... 52. Veterinary clinic or hospital: A-1, LRR, and RR zone districts, provided that such uses are located 100 feet from all lot lines.
Full Breakdown
Section 1-2107 lists veterinary clinic or hospital as item 52 among the uses the Board of County Commissioners may approve by special review, limited to the A-1 Agricultural One, LRR Large Lot Rural Residential, and RR Rural Residential zone districts, and only if the use sits at least 100 feet from all lot lines. That review runs through Part 21 of the Zoning Resolution, requiring a submittal, a plan exhibit under Section 1-2112, and public notice under Section 1-2113 before the Board acts; approval is good for a set term and subject to annual review under Section 1-2104.
Section 1-3602's definitions separate two use types the review covers differently. A plain "veterinary clinic or hospital" is a structure where animals are brought for treatment and may be held during recuperation, but overnight indoor boarding is allowed only as an accessory use and outdoor holding is barred outright. A "veterinary clinic or hospital, equine and livestock" is treated as its own use: it may keep horses and livestock overnight, including outdoor holding facilities, but is capped at no more than 12 stalls or bays.
Some business and commercial zone districts, including the B Business District, list a plain veterinary clinic or hospital as an outright principal use instead, provided animals stay confined inside the principal building, so the 100-foot special-review track applies specifically to the rural residential and agricultural districts.
Violations & Fines
Operating a veterinary clinic or exceeding the equine-and-livestock 12-stall cap without the required special-review approval is a zoning violation under Section 1-114: a $100 civil infraction per violation, a separate civil penalty of $500 to $1,000, and a continuing fine of up to $100 per day until corrected, after a written notice from the Director giving at least 10 days to cure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a veterinary clinic on rural residential land in Douglas County?
Can a Douglas County vet clinic board horses and livestock overnight?
Does every Douglas County zone district require special review for a vet clinic?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Douglas County
Compare Douglas County to another location·View the Colorado animal ordinances overview
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