Hackensack, NJ Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Distance from residential zones
- 200 feet minimum
- Overnight boarding
- Veterinary/animal hospitals only, as needed
- Outdoor run buffer
- 400 feet from residential/office property
- Outdoor run hours
- 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Capacity
- 5 house pets per employee
Summary
Hackensack allows animal hospitals and boarding facilities as a conditional use, but only if the site sits at least 200 feet from any Residential Zone District. Overnight boarding is limited to true veterinary treatment needs, outdoor runs must be at least 400 feet from residential or office property, and each facility can house up to five house pets per employee.
No such facility may be located within 200 feet of a Residential (R) Zone District. ... Overnight boarding shall only be permitted for veterinary/animal hospitals as needed for proper treatment. Otherwise, animal boarding services shall be limited only to daytime.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4592721; v20 updated 2026-01-06; through 01-06-2026).
Full Breakdown
2C(1) sets the conditional-use standards for animal boarding and animal hospitals with boarding in Hackensack. No such facility can locate within 200 feet of a Residential (R) Zone District. Overnight boarding is restricted to veterinary and animal hospitals, and only as needed for proper treatment; a boarding-only operation without a veterinary component can offer daytime boarding alone, and no animal in boarding can be kept outdoors at the main facility overnight. A facility can hold up to five house pets per employee at a time.
m. Enclosed portions of the facility must be soundproofed and operated to produce no objectionable odors at the property line, and open kennels, pens or runways cannot sit within a wetland, wetland buffer or flood hazard area. 2, meaning domesticated cats and dogs under § 52-17A, can be boarded, and different species must be kept in separate enclosures. 2B where it borders a residential district.
Violations & Fines
Operating an animal boarding or hospital use that fails the § 175-8.2C(1) siting, hours or capacity standards is a zoning violation under § 175-3.6, carrying a fine up to $1,250, up to 90 days in jail, or both for a first offense. Each day the noncompliant use continues counts as a separate violation, and the Zoning Officer can pursue a court order to restrain the use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a veterinary hospital board animals overnight in Hackensack?
How close to homes can an animal boarding facility be in Hackensack?
What animals can be boarded at a Hackensack facility?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hackensack
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