Stamford, CT Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing provision
- Zoning Regs § 4, Farm Uses ¶6
- Farm-use horse exemption
- 30,000 sq ft lot area per horse
- Excluded from exemption
- Commercial kennels, veterinary hospitals
- One district that allows it
- DW-D, by Special Permit only
- Enforcement
- Zoning Enforcement Officer, City Charter §248
Summary
Stamford's zoning lets RA-1, RA-2 and RA-3 landowners keep horses as an accessory farm use, but the rule expressly excludes commercial kennels and veterinary hospitals from that exemption.
In the RA-3, RA-2 and RA-1 districts, the keeping of horses as an Accessory Use shall be permitted, provided there shall be at least 30,000 sq. ft. of Lot Area for each horse aged six months or older. The storage of manure or soil fertilizer shall be located not less than 150 feet from any Street or Lot Line and no animals shall be allowed to roam at large. The keeping of animals shall not include commercial kennels or veterinary hospitals or other facilities.
Full Breakdown
Stamford's Farm Uses provision lets any RA-3, RA-2 or RA-1 property keep horses without a Special Permit, so long as each horse over six months has at least 30,000 sq. ft. of lot area and manure storage sits 150 feet from any street or lot line. But the same paragraph draws a hard line: that accessory-use exemption does not extend to commercial kennels or veterinary hospitals. A property owner who wants to run a vet practice or boarding kennel needs a use expressly authorized for the district, in the Designed Waterfront Development District, for example, the regulations list 'Veterinary, Dog and Cat Hospital, Kennel' only as an additional use approvable by Special Permit, at the Zoning Board's sole discretion.
Violations & Fines
Operating a veterinary hospital or kennel without an authorized use invites Zoning Enforcement Officer action: an order to remedy, occupancy prevention, or abatement proceedings, with penalties set by the General Statutes and City Charter § 248.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a veterinary hospital on residential-agricultural land in Stamford?
Where does Stamford zoning actually allow a veterinary hospital or kennel?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stamford
Compare Stamford to another location·View the Connecticut animal ordinances overview
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