Animal Ordinances in Aurora, CO: What Residents Actually Need to Know

If you live in Aurora or are thinking about moving there, animal ordinances are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Aurora has 13 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of animal ordinances, and some of them might surprise you.

Breed Restrictions

Aurora has no breed ban: pit bull-type dogs follow the same rules as any other dog under City Code Chapter 14.

Key details: Breed ban status: Repealed 2020 (Ord. 2020-70). Governing section: City Code § 14-75. Covered breeds named: Pit bull, Am. Staffordshire, Staffordshire Bull. Restriction basis: Individual conduct, not breed. Last amended: Dec. 16, 2024 (Ord. 2024-82).

No breed-based violation exists. A pit bull-type dog that bites, attacks, or shows aggression can be declared potentially dangerous or dangerous under § 14-7, triggering permit, muzzle, confinement, and registration requirements regardless of breed.

Aurora is more permissive than most cities when it comes to breed restrictions. That said, there are still limits.

Microchipping

Aurora, Colorado has no citywide microchip mandate for ordinary pets. Microchipping becomes mandatory only after a municipal court declares an animal dangerous: the owner then has 10 days to chip it and register the number.

Key details: Applies to: Court-declared dangerous animals only. Deadline: 10 calendar days of determination. Enforcing agency: Aurora Animal Services Division. Ordinary pets: No citywide microchip requirement. Citation: Aurora City Code § 14-7(h)(9).

Missing the 10-day microchip deadline, or failing to give the chip number to Aurora Animal Services, is its own offense under § 14-7(h)(13), triggering municipal-court penalties under § 1-13 and possible revocation of the dangerous-animal permit with surrender of the animal.

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

Aurora, Colorado's UDO bars veterinary clinics and hospitals from every residential zone district and requires conditional-use approval in most mixed-use/overlay districts, while allowing them by-right only in MU-OI, MU-C, MU-A, AD, I-1 and I-2.

Key details: Residential districts: Not permitted at all. OA-MS, OA-G, Core, Edge, MU-R: Conditional-use approval required. MU-OI, MU-C, MU-A, AD, I-1, I-2: Permitted by-right. Governing table: UDO Table 3.2-1, Art. 146-3. UDO current through: Ord. 2026-03 (Feb 23, 2026).

Opening or operating a veterinary clinic in a zone district left blank in Table 3.2-1, or without obtaining the required conditional-use approval where the table marks a "C," is a UDO violation and can trigger code enforcement action forcing relocation or closure.

Wildlife Rescue Permits

Aurora, Colorado exempts state-licensed wildlife rehabilitators from its ban on keeping wild animals, but issues no separate city rescue permit itself.

Key details: Qualifying credential: Colorado state wildlife rehabilitator license. Local permit issued: None: state license controls. Exception excludes: Venomous animals, listed large pythons. Enforcing agency: Aurora animal services division.

Possessing a prohibited wild/exotic species without qualifying under Sec. 14-8(c) is charged under Sec. 14-8(a); the animal is presumed prohibited until the owner proves otherwise to the Aurora Municipal Court.

Beekeeping

Aurora, Colorado allows backyard beehives but regulates hive type, setbacks, flyway barriers, and colony counts by lot size under City Code § 14-15.

Key details: Hive setback: 5 ft from property line. Flyway barrier trigger: within 25 ft of property line. Colony cap, 1/4 acre lot: 2 colonies. Colony cap, 1 acre+ lot: 8 colonies. No colony cap: hives 200+ ft from all lines.

Noncompliant hives, unpermitted swarms, or abandoned colonies are unlawful and may be summarily destroyed or removed by the city manager or designee under § 14-15(i); general chapter penalties run through City Code § 1-13.

Pet Groomer Rules

A commercial pet-grooming business in Aurora, Colorado is zoned as a "Kennel" use, limiting it to specific commercial and industrial districts and imposing enclosure, hours, and setback standards.

Key details: Governing use category: "Kennel" (includes grooming). Residential buffer: 300 ft from residential zoning. Night confinement: 10:00 p.m.–6:00 a.m. enclosed. Outdoor run setback (MU-C/MU-A/I-1): 150 ft from adjoining property. Zoning table cross-reference: UDO § 146-3.3.4.C.

Running a grooming/kennel use in a district where the table shows no entry, or violating the enclosure, night-confinement, or 300-foot residential setback rules, is a UDO violation punishable under City Code § 1-13 (UDO § 146-5.6.3).

Dog Leash Laws

Aurora requires dogs off their owner's property to be leashed with a cord, cable, or chain no longer than 10 feet, held by someone able to control the animal.

Key details: Off-property leash: Max 10 feet. On-property tether: Min 6 feet. Off-leash exception: City off-leash dog parks. Governing law: Aurora City Code § 14-5.

First conviction triggers penalties under § 1-13 and requires the owner to obtain a city license; a second conviction involving the same animal also requires spay/neuter and microchipping unless a vet certifies it would harm the animal.

Bird Protection

Aurora's animal cruelty chapter makes it unlawful to frighten, shoot, trap or otherwise harm any wild bird or waterfowl, or to disturb its nest, eggs or young, anywhere in the city.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 14-6(f). Covers: Wild birds, fowl, waterfowl, nests, eggs, young. Max fine: $2,650 per offense. Max jail: 364 days. Enforced by: Aurora animal protection officers, police.

Up to $2,650 fine and/or up to 364 days jail per Sec. 1-13 general penalty; each day of a continuing violation is a separate offense.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Aurora actively enforces its bird protection requirements.

Pet Store Rules

Aurora pet shops cannot sell dogs or cats at all: only offer them for adoption from a licensed shelter or rescue, per City Code § 26-152.

Key details: Rule: Retail dog/cat sale banned. Exception: Shelter/rescue-sourced animals only. Records: 1-year source records required. Not covered: On-site breeders (not "pet shops"). Adopted: Ordinance 2023-39, effective 8-28-2023.

Unlawful for a pet shop to sell/display/offer/deliver a dog or cat outside the rescue exception; also unlawful to sell a sick, injured, underage, or inhumanely bred/raised animal.

This is one of the stricter rules in Aurora's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Cat Rules

Aurora caps household cats at five per property and requires a city license for cats over six months old; unowned community cats can instead be legally managed under a permitted Shelter-Neuter-Return colony program rather than treated as strays.

Key details: Household cap: 5 cats per property, nursing litter excepted. License required: City license for cats over 6 months. Colony program: SNR permit from Aurora Animal Services. Impound hold waived: SNR-returned cats skip 5-day hold. Governs: City of Aurora, CO only, not Denver.

Keeping more than five cats without a PACFA exemption, or running a colony without an SNR permit from Aurora Animal Services, exposes an owner or caretaker to citation under Chapter 14's general penalty, section 1-13.

Mandatory Spay/Neuter

Aurora, Colorado requires every dog, cat, or rabbit over six months old to be spayed or neutered unless the owner qualifies for a medical, transitory, or intact-license exemption.

Key details: Covered animals: Dogs, cats, and rabbits over 6 months. Exemptions: Medical, temporary medical, transitory, intact license. Repeat violation: Court can mandate spay/neuter. Enforced by: Aurora animal protection officer.

First offense: penalty under § 1-13's general penalty schedule. Second conviction for the same animal: same penalty plus a court-ordered spay/neuter, absent a veterinarian's statement that surgery would harm the animal.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Aurora actively enforces its mandatory spay/neuter requirements.

Chickens & Livestock

Aurora, Colorado allows hens and ducks, never roosters, on residential lots under a paid permit from Housing and Community Services, with coop size, setback, and confinement rules set by City Code § 14-134.

Key details: Permit required: Yes, from Housing & Community Services. Roosters: Prohibited citywide. Max hens, lots under 20,000 sq ft: 6 hens. Coop setback: 15 feet from property lines. Coop size cap: 120 square feet.

Keeping roosters, exceeding the hen/duck caps, skipping the permit, or violating coop setback and confinement rules is a code violation; the permit can be revoked and the owner cited under City Code § 1-13.

Exotic Pets

Aurora, Colorado bans owning venomous animals, big cats, primates, bears, large reptiles and other wild species as pets, with narrow exceptions.

Key details: Governs: Aurora, Colorado city limits. Big cats/primates/bears: Prohibited, no exception. Venomous animals/large pythons: Banned, even for exhibitors. Burden of proof: On owner if status uncertain. Livestock (chickens, etc.): Separate rule, zoning-dependent.

Unlawful possession under § 14-8; presumed prohibited if status is uncertain until the owner proves otherwise in municipal court. Animal protection officers may seize at-large animals, and may euthanize immediately when a dangerous wild or exotic animal cannot be safely restrained.

This is one of the stricter rules in Aurora's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

The Bottom Line

Aurora is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 13 rules covered here, 4 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Aurora, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that Aurora can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.