Lakewood's Animal Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles animal ordinances a little differently. In Lakewood, California, there are 7 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Exotic Pets

Lakewood restricts ownership of exotic and wild animals. Many species require special permits or are prohibited entirely for public safety.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Lakewood actively enforces its exotic pets requirements.

Breed Restrictions

California law forbids Lakewood from writing breed-specific ordinances. Instead, Food and Agricultural Code Sections 31601 through 31683 let the city's contracted animal control department, Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control, declare any dog potentially dangerous or vicious after unprovoked bites or attacks, then impose registration, strict confinement, possible destruction, and fines up to $1,000, no matter the breed.

Key details: Potentially dangerous threshold: 2 unprovoked incidents in 36 months. Vicious dog fine: up to $1,000 per violation. Potentially dangerous fine: up to $500 per violation. Ownership ban after vicious finding: up to 3 years. Enforcing agency: LA County Animal Care and Control (contract).

Violating a potentially dangerous dog order, unlicensed, unconfined, or unvaccinated, carries a fine up to $500 under Section 31662; a vicious dog violation carries up to $1,000. Failing to report a potentially dangerous dog's death, sale, or relocation within two working days under Section 31643 is a separate violation. Fines fund enforcement under Section 31663. A vicious dog can be destroyed after a hearing, and its owner barred from owning any dog for up to three years.

Compared to other cities, Lakewood takes a harder line on breed restrictions. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Bird Protection

Lakewood makes it a public nuisance to put out food that attracts wild birds or pigeons on residential property. Section 4328 bans feeding unless the birds are owned and fed inside a building or an enclosed cage, pen or loft; hummingbird feeders are specifically carved out unless they themselves become a nuisance.

Key details: Governing section: § 4328, Bird Feeding Nuisance. Trigger: documented on 2+ days in 30 days. Exempt feeding: owner's birds, fed enclosed. Exempt device: hummingbird feeders (non-nuisance). Remedy: civil nuisance abatement, Gov. Code § 38771.

A documented violation is treated as a public nuisance per se, subject to civil abatement under Government Code Section 38771 in addition to the Code's general misdemeanor penalty in Section 1200, which carries a fine up to the state misdemeanor maximum or up to six months in jail, with a peace officer able to instead cite it as an infraction under Section 1205; each day the nuisance continues is a separate offense.

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

Chickens & Livestock

Lakewood Municipal Code Part 9 sets a hard distance rule for keeping fowl, rabbits or other animals: 35 feet from any dwelling or restaurant, 100 feet from a school or hospital. On R-1 and R-A lots, up to five rabbits or five female fowl are exempt from licensing and permits, but roosters are never allowed there.

Key details: Dwelling setback: 35 feet (§ 4191). School/hospital setback: 100 feet (§ 4191). No-permit cap, R-1/R-A: 5 rabbits or 5 female fowl. Roosters on R-1/R-A: never permitted. Permit body: Planning and Environment Commission.

Keeping fowl or livestock inside the 35-foot or 100-foot setback, exceeding the five-rabbit/five-female-fowl cap on R-1 or R-A property, keeping a rooster on residentially zoned land, or maintaining an unsanitary coop under Section 4192 is a misdemeanor under the Code's general penalty, Section 1200, punishable by a fine up to the state misdemeanor maximum or up to six months in jail, with each day of violation a separate offense; a peace officer may instead cite it as an infraction under Section 1205.

Beekeeping

Lakewood allows backyard apiaries in single-family zones with up to four hives per lot, one hive per 1,500 square feet, and a 50-foot setback from streets, parks and schools. A site plan approval and county registration are required before hives go in.

Key details: Hive limit: 4 hives per lot. Density: 1 hive per 1,500 sq ft of lot area. Street/park/school setback: 50 feet. Property-line setback: 4 feet minimum. Citywide annual cap: 10 registrations per year.

Operating an apiary without the required Community Development Director site plan approval, exceeding four hives, or placing hives inside the 50-foot street/park/school setback or the four-foot property-line buffer is a Municipal Code violation under § 1200, chargeable as a misdemeanor (up to six months in county jail and the state maximum misdemeanor fine) or, at the City's election under § 1205, as an infraction with escalating fines for repeat violations within a year.

Pet Limits

Lakewood's R-1 zoning code caps household pets at two dogs and two cats over four months old per single-family lot. The limit is written into the zoning code's list of permitted accessory uses, not a separate animal-control chapter.

Key details: Dog limit: 2 dogs over 4 months old. Cat limit: 2 cats over 4 months old. Zone: R-1 Single-Family Residential. Livestock exception: 2 horses/cows per acre, 1-acre minimum lot. Governing code: Lakewood Municipal Code § 9320(A)(4).

Keeping more than two dogs or two cats on an R-1 lot is a zoning code violation under Lakewood Municipal Code § 1200, punishable as a misdemeanor with a fine up to the state maximum for a misdemeanor conviction or up to six months in county jail, or both. The City may instead cite it as an infraction under § 1205, with escalating fines for repeat violations within a year. Each day the excess animals remain on the property counts as a separate offense.

Pet Groomer Rules

Pet grooming and training businesses are a permitted C-1 Neighborhood Commercial use in Lakewood under Section 9340, but they carry two hard numeric limits: no outdoor activity between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., and animal or operational noise capped at 65 dBA at the nearest adjoining property line.

Key details: Governing section: Lakewood Municipal Code § 9340.B.32. Permitted zone: C-1, Neighborhood Commercial. Outdoor activity curfew: 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.. Noise ceiling: 65 dBA at adjoining property line. Daycare/boarding: Not allowed in C-1; requires C-3 zone.

A pet grooming business that runs outdoor activity after 7 p.m. or before 7 a.m., or that exceeds the 65 dBA noise ceiling at an adjoining property line, is out of compliance with a permitted-use condition under Section 9340 and is enforceable through the Municipal Code's general penalty scheme: Section 1200 makes the violation a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine up to the state misdemeanor maximum, with each day a separate offense, or the City may cite it as an infraction under Section 1205 instead.

The Bottom Line

Lakewood is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 7 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Lakewood, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

This guide is based on Lakewood's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.