Dublin, CA Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)

Dublin Municipal Code § 8.08.020 defines 'Animal Sales and Services' as establishments that sell animals or provide services related to animals, expressly naming 'animal hospital,' 'veterinarian,' and 'veterinary clinic or hospital' alongside kennels, grooming and animal sales. That single use type governs every veterinary practice in the city, so a stand-alone veterinary-specific chapter does not exist; the Land Use Matrix at § 8.12.050 is the controlling table.

Under that matrix, Animal Sales and Services carries a 'C/ZA' designation in the A (Agricultural) district, meaning it needs a Conditional Use Permit approved by the Zoning Administrator. In the C-1 (Retail Commercial), C-2 (General Commercial), M-1 (Light Industrial) and M-2 (Heavy Industrial) districts it carries a 'C/PC' designation, meaning the Planning Commission decides the Conditional Use Permit instead. The matrix marks the use '-' (not permitted) in the R-1, R-2, R-M, C-O (Commercial Office), C-N (Neighborhood Commercial) and M-P (Industrial Park) districts, so a veterinary hospital cannot locate in any residential zone or in an office, neighborhood-commercial or industrial-park district regardless of permit. The Land Use Matrix was most recently amended by Rev. Ord. 11-25 in December 2025.

Off-street parking is set separately in § 8.76.080's Parking Requirements by Use Type table, which lists the Animal Sales and Services subcategory 'Veterinary Clinic or Hospital' at one parking space per 150 square feet of floor area, a heavier ratio than the 1-per-300-square-foot standard the same table sets for grooming shops and kennels. A Conditional Use Permit application covers both the zoning approval and the parking calculation together before a permit issues.