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

" Subsection A sets the baseline improvement standard for every facility: it must be entirely enclosed, soundproofed, and air conditioned, a requirement aimed at containing noise and odor from an inherently animal-intensive use inside commercial and industrial zoning districts. Subsection C then layers additional, more demanding standards onto any animal hospital established after April 19, 2021 (Ordinance No. 7374). Newer facilities must be entirely enclosed and fully covered by a permanent roof structure, with open-air enclosures expressly prohibited, closing off the option of an outdoor exercise or holding yard that older hospitals in the city may have.

Those newer facilities also face a specific, measurable noise standard: sound from the facility cannot exceed a threshold of 5 decibels over ambient at any time, measured at the animal hospital's property line, a stricter and more objective test than the general soundproofing language applied to older sites. Newer facilities must additionally keep staff present on-site and reachable by telephone at all times any animals remain on the premises, addressing after-hours welfare and emergency-response concerns for boarded or hospitalized animals. Subsection B folds grooming and temporary boarding of up to 30 days into the same section as uses that may be incidental to the primary veterinary use.

Ordinance No. 7419 (adopted February 26, 2024) and Ordinance No. 7374 amended this section, so a veterinary practice evaluating an existing Pasadena building should confirm which version of the standard applied when the hospital use was established.