Rancho Cucamonga, CA Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)

32, Allowed Use Descriptions, of the Development Code sets the standard that separates a veterinary clinic from a grooming shop or commercial kennel. Under Sec. 020(E)(29), a "veterinary facility" must be "primarily enclosed, containing only enough cage arrangements as necessary to provide services for domestic and exotic animals requiring acute medical or surgical care," with accessory outdoor space limited to providing long-term medical care, not general outdoor animal keeping. Grooming and boarding are permitted only if accessory to the veterinary use itself; a clinic cannot operate a freestanding boarding or grooming business under the veterinary classification.

That activity instead falls under "Animal sales and grooming" (Sec. 020(E)(4)) or "Kennel, commercial" (Sec. 020(E)(15)), each a separate use with its own zone-by-zone permit requirements. The classification determines where a clinic can locate and what permit level applies; mischaracterizing a boarding-heavy operation as "veterinary" to gain access to a zone is a use-classification violation. The planning director, building official, and code enforcement officers enforce use classifications under Sec. 020, and Sec. 00 for a first, second, and third offense in a year, with each day of continued violation a separate offense under Sec. 010(C). The city can also revoke or modify the operating entitlement under Sec. 050 if the approved use characteristics are exceeded.