McCracken County, KY Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)

The McCracken County zoning code, Title XV Chapter 150, lists 'Veterinary facilities and kennels' as item (37) of the permitted uses in the Agricultural (AG) District under § 150.051(A) and again as item (20) of the permitted uses in the Rural Residential (RR) District under § 150.052(A); no conditional-use hearing before the Board of Zoning Adjustment is required in either district. Because a veterinary clinic is a nonresidential use, it must observe each district's minimum yard requirements set out in § 150.051(C)(1) and § 150.052(C)(1): a 75-foot front yard, a 25-foot side yard and a 25-foot rear yard, versus the much smaller 30-foot front and 8-foot side setback that applies to a residential dwelling in the same zone.

The definitions section, § 150.016, separately addresses any on-site boarding: a KENNEL, COMMERCIAL is any lot or premises where dogs or small animals are kept for commercial boarding, breeding, or sale purposes, while a KENNEL, PRIVATE covers hobby dog-keeping incidental to a residence and is permitted in all zones as an accessory use provided the animals do not become a nuisance. A veterinary practice that also boards or breeds animals commercially therefore operates under the commercial-kennel definition rather than the private-kennel exemption. As with any structure in the AG or RR District, a veterinary building still needs a building permit under § 150.070, an approved site plan under § 150.071, and a certificate of occupancy under § 150.072 before it can open, and the rule applies only outside Paducah's separate city limits.