Valencia County, NM Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Veterinary hospitals with outdoor facilities
- permitted use, no conditional hearing
- District
- C-2 Community Commercial
- Review required
- site design review, §§ 154.035-154.040
- C-1 District
- does not list a veterinary use
- Related provision
- on-site caretaker dwelling, § 154.121(B)(13)
Summary
Code § 154.121(B)(8) allows veterinary hospitals with outdoor kennels and runs as a permitted use, not merely a conditional one, in Valencia County's Community Commercial (C-2) District, subject only to the standard site design review under §§ 154.035 through 154.040 rather than a conditional-use hearing.
(B) Permitted uses. ... In the C-2 District, the following uses shall be permitted subject to the standards and limitations set forth in division (F) and pursuant to §§ 154.035 through 154.040 for site design review: ... (8) Veterinary hospitals with outdoor facilities;
Full Breakdown
121(B)(8) places veterinary hospitals with outdoor facilities on the list of uses permitted outright in the Community Commercial (C-2) District, alongside shopping centers, hotels, taverns, farm equipment sales, greenhouses and gas stations. 121(B) applies to every permitted use in the district. 120(B) and (C) do not include a veterinary use at all, so a full-service animal hospital with outdoor facilities has to locate in C-2 rather than C-1. 121(B)(13).
Violations & Fines
Operating a veterinary hospital with outdoor facilities in a district that does not permit it, such as C-1, or without completing the required site design review, is a Code violation under § 154.999, a petty misdemeanor for each day it continues, fined up to $300 with up to 90 days in jail, or both, on top of any citation or civil action the county brings to bring the use into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a veterinary hospital with outdoor kennels in Valencia County?
Is a veterinary clinic allowed in the smaller C-1 commercial district?
What review does a veterinary hospital still have to go through?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Valencia County
Compare Valencia County to another location·View the New Mexico animal ordinances overview
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