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

025, Animal Boarding, Pet Day Care, Veterinary Clinics, and Animal Hospitals, sets operational standards that apply wherever these uses are allowed under the City's zoning districts. 1 requires that all such operations be conducted entirely within a completely enclosed building, ruling out open-air kennels. 4 govern any pens, runs, buildings, or structures used to confine or shelter dogs: a 100-foot setback from the nearest existing dwelling on an adjacent property, a 50-foot setback from any shared property line, waived only if the adjoining property is itself a commercial kennel or veterinary hospital, and a 100-foot setback from any public street or highway.

Beyond siting, the Section imposes building-performance standards: animal-boarding areas must be sufficiently soundproofed that the Director finds no nuisance to surrounding properties, must receive a minimum of 10 air changes per hour, and any animal isolation area must run on 100 percent fresh air that is fully exhausted rather than recirculated. Public-access areas must be ventilated on a system separate from the boarding and treatment areas, all animal-holding areas must use easily cleanable construction materials, and every area where animals are present must be cleaned at least twice a day for odor control and sanitation.

Together these rules apply to any veterinary clinic, animal hospital, or boarding kennel proposed in Westminster, regardless of the zoning district in which it is otherwise a permitted or conditional use.