Multnomah County, OR Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Kennel CU trigger
- 4+ dogs over 6 months old
- Vet clinic exemption
- Excluded from kennel CU category
- C-3 hospital use
- Excludes animal hospitals by name
- Governing sections
- MCC § 39.7100 and § 39.4735
- Scope
- Unincorporated county only, not Portland
Summary
Multnomah County's zoning code excludes veterinary clinics and animal hospitals from the dog-kennel conditional-use permit requirement and from the C-3 zone's by-right "hospital or sanitarium" use category, so vets fall outside both standard pathway definitions in unincorporated county code.
Dog kennels, boarding, breeding, keeping or training places or the keeping or raising of four or more dogs over six months of age may be permitted only upon the approval of the approval authority as a conditional use. Such approval shall not include animal hospitals or veterinary clinics as conditional uses.
Full Breakdown
Multnomah County Code § 39.7100 requires a conditional use permit for dog kennels, boarding, breeding or keeping four or more dogs over six months old, but the same section states 'such approval shall not include animal hospitals or veterinary clinics as conditional uses,' so a vet practice does not need this kennel permit. Separately, § 39.4735(A)(37) lists 'hospital or sanitarium' as a permitted use in the C-3 Retail Commercial zone but expressly carves out 'animal hospital' from that permitted-use category. Applies only in unincorporated county land, not Portland, which has its own zoning code.
Violations & Fines
Operating a kennel-style dog facility without the required § 39.7100 conditional use permit can draw code enforcement action from Multnomah County Land Use Planning; veterinary clinics are exempt from this specific permit trigger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a veterinary clinic need a kennel permit in Multnomah County?
Can a vet clinic open in the C-3 commercial zone?
Does this apply to veterinary clinics in Portland?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Multnomah County
Compare Multnomah County to another location·View the Oregon animal ordinances overview
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