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

Tustin City Code § 9271h imposes two specific operating standards on any animal hospital or clinic anywhere the use is allowed: animals must be kept within an enclosed, air-conditioned, soundproof structure, and the hospital or clinic must be designed so that no odor is discernible past the parcel's property lines. The same section permits one on-site caretaker apartment, but only for use by hospital staff performing caretaker duties, not as a general residence. Zoning-wise, § 9232b lists 'Animal hospitals or clinics (small animals)' among the uses that may be conditionally permitted in the C1 Retail Commercial District, meaning an applicant needs a Conditional Use Permit approved under § 9291 before the Community Development Director will issue building permits; a veterinary office is not on the C1 by-right list the way pet grooming is.

Once operating, a veterinary clinic's parking is calculated under the Article 9 parking table at one space for each 250 square feet of gross floor area for the first 4,000 square feet of medical space, stepping up to six spaces per 1,000 square feet beyond that threshold, reflecting the exam-room-heavy layout of a clinic compared with lighter retail uses. The enclosed, soundproof and odor-control requirements apply regardless of the underlying zoning district, so a clinic approved in a commercial general or heavy commercial district is held to the same physical standards as one in C1.