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

Sec. 2307 places animal hospitals and clinics in the Neighborhood Commercial (C-1), General Commercial (C-2), Service Commercial (C-3), and Professional Office (O) Districts, conditioned on obtaining a use permit through the Article 33 process. Four conditions apply once the use permit is sought. Subsection (a) requires all animals to be kept within an enclosed, soundproof structure. Subsection (b) requires the plans and specifications to carry the certification of an acoustical engineer verifying the structure will keep sound from the building from crossing the parcel's property lines.

Subsection (c) requires the hospital or clinic to be designed so that no odor is discernible beyond the property lines. Subsection (d) prohibits boarding animals at the facility except for short-term treatment of accident, surgical, or disease cases that are incidental to the hospital or clinic use itself; a standalone boarding kennel is not authorized under this section. The Zoning Code separately defines the use in Sec. 272: a small animal hospital or veterinary clinic is a place where small animals such as dogs, cats, and birds receive medical or surgical treatment, and any kennel use at the facility must remain incidental to short-term boarding tied to that medical use.

Because the use permit runs through Article 33, the Pacifica Planning Commission reviews the acoustical engineer's certification and site plan at a public hearing before the clinic can open, and can condition approval on hours of operation or additional noise mitigation.