Fort Collins, CO Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Rescue Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- U-E District rule
- Wildlife rescue center needs P&Z Board review
- Same requirement in
- R-U-L, R-F, R-L, L-M-N districts
- L-M-N extra limit
- Only within 1,000 ft of East Vine Drive
- Review type
- Planning and Zoning Board, not administrative
- Applies to
- Applications filed before May 17, 2024
Summary
Fort Collins doesn't issue a dedicated wildlife-rescue permit; it treats a wildlife rescue and education center as a zoning use requiring discretionary approval. In the Urban Estate (U-E) District, Section 4.2(B)(3)(b) of the Transitional Land Use Code lists 'wildlife rescue and education centers' among uses that need full Planning and Zoning Board review rather than administrative sign-off.
(3)The following uses are permitted in the U-E District, subject to Planning and Zoning Board review:(a)Residential Uses:1.Residential cluster developments.(b)Institutional/Civic/Public Uses:1.Public and private schools for elementary, intermediate and high school education.2.Places of worship or assembly.3.Golf courses.4.Wildlife rescue and education centers.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 155 | Transitional Land Use Code (for project before May 17, 2024): Supplement 61 | Traffic Code: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
Section 4.2(B)(3) of the Transitional Land Use Code places 'wildlife rescue and education centers' in the U-E District's Institutional/Civic/Public Uses category, subject to review by the Planning and Zoning Board, alongside public and private schools, places of worship, and golf courses; it is not among the uses allowed through basic development review or administrative review in that district. The same use-and-review-tier pairing appears in the Rural Lands (R-U-L), Residential Foothills (R-F), and Low Density Residential (R-L) Divisions of Article 4, and in the Low Density Mixed-Use Neighborhood (L-M-N) District it is further limited to sites within 1,000 feet of East Vine Drive. The Code sets no separate operating standards, such as animal-capacity, enclosure, or hour limits, specifically for wildlife rescue centers; any conditions come from what the Planning and Zoning Board attaches when it approves a particular application. This use-and-review requirement governs applications submitted before May 17, 2024, under the Transitional Land Use Code.
Violations & Fines
A wildlife rescue and education center that opens in the U-E District, or any of the other listed districts, without going through Planning and Zoning Board review is operating an unpermitted use; the Building and Zoning Director can deny the building permit or certificate of occupancy until the operator secures Board approval, and once approved, the operation must comply with whatever conditions the Board attaches to that specific decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a wildlife rescue center on residential-zoned land in Fort Collins?
Is a wildlife rescue center a permitted use everywhere in the city?
Does the code set specific standards for how a wildlife rescue center must operate?
Who decides whether my wildlife rescue center application gets approved?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Collins
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