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

020 defines "Veterinary Clinics and Animal Hospitals" as office and medical treatment facilities where animals receive medical care, limited to short-term boarding incidental to the hospital use, and allows indoor kennel facilities for the temporary overnight keeping of animals needing medical care. 10-1 lists this base use as "P" (permitted by right, subject only to a zoning clearance) in the Neighborhood Commercial, Community Commercial and Regional Commercial districts. 2. That subsection requires a conditional use permit for commercial and noncommercial dog kennels and catteries, and sets specific site standards: a minimum one-acre parcel, animal runs sized adequately for the animals held, non-porous run surfaces to discourage tick and pest breeding, concrete or other durable flooring sloped for drainage, weather protection for the runs, sufficient drains for daily washing, sewer service (existing septic-served kennels may remain and expand), and review of new kennels and expansions by the Riverside County environmental health department before building permits issue.

Animal runs, exercise areas and kenneled-animal keeping areas may not sit within a required setback, and the facility must otherwise meet the setback standards of its underlying zoning district.