Pomona's Animal Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles animal ordinances a little differently. In Pomona, California, there are 12 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.

Breed Restrictions

Pomona does not have breed-specific legislation. CA Food & Agricultural Code Section 31683 generally preempts local breed bans. Dangerous dog laws focus on individual animal behavior, not breed.

Key details: Breed Bans: None in Pomona. State Law: CA F&AG Code Section 31683. Focus: Individual behavior, not breed. Dangerous Dogs: Per CA state dangerous dog statutes.

Mandatory Spay/Neuter

Pomona requires any cat over six months old that is allowed outdoors to be spayed or neutered, under City Code Sec. 6-49(2). The rule sits in the same section that caps most households at four cats and applies to owners, harborers and custodians of cats city-wide.

Key details: Trigger age: Cat over 6 months old. Applies to: Cats allowed outdoors. Related cap: 4 cats/household, same section. Enforcement agency: Shelter manager / Inland Valley Humane Society.

Allowing an unaltered cat over six months old outdoors violates Sec. 6-49(2) and, like other chapter 6 violations, is a misdemeanor or infraction at the discretion of the city attorney or district attorney under Sec. 6-2, or may be handled through an administrative citation issued by the shelter manager under Sec. 6-10, with fines paid to the Inland Valley Humane Society.

Pet Store Rules

Pomona does not ban retail pet sales; instead City Code §§ 6-111 to 6-113 define and regulate pet shops directly, requiring humane care standards and a posted 24-hour contact notice. The shelter manager can inspect any pet shop's premises at any reasonable time under Sec. 6-112.

Key details: Retail sale ban: None; pet shops are licensed, not banned. Inspection authority: Shelter manager, any reasonable time. Posted notice: 24-hour contact list, glass-enclosed, sidewalk-legible. Unattended limit: Max 18 consecutive hours. Enforcement: Misdemeanor or infraction, Sec. 6-2.

Operating a pet shop without meeting the ten operating requirements in Sec. 6-113, including failing to post the required 24-hour contact notice or refusing the shelter manager's inspection authority under Sec. 6-112, is a chapter 6 violation. Under Sec. 6-2 it is a misdemeanor or infraction at the discretion of the city attorney or the Los Angeles County district attorney.

The rules around pet store rules in Pomona lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Cat Rules

Pomona requires every cat over four months old, or kept in the city more than 30 days, to be licensed within 30 days under City Code Sec. 6-42. Households keeping more than four cats over eight weeks old must also register with the shelter manager and pay a per-cat fee under Sec. 6-49(1).

Key details: License trigger: Cat over 4 months, or in city 30+ days. License deadline: Within 30 days of trigger. License term: 1 year, renewable up to 3 years. Excess-cat fee: $5/cat over 4, capped at $200. Fee exemption: Guide dogs and signal dogs.

Failing to license a cat within 30 days of it turning four months old, or within 30 days of bringing it into the city, violates Sec. 6-42 and, like other chapter 6 violations, is a misdemeanor or infraction at the discretion of the city attorney or district attorney under Sec. 6-2, or subject to an administrative citation from the shelter manager under Sec. 6-10.

Dog Leash Laws

Pomona requires every dog off its owner's property to be on a chain or leash no longer than six feet and under the control of a competent person, under City Code Sec. 6-46. The rule covers public streets, alleys and other public places as well as any private property other than the dog owner's own.

Key details: Maximum leash length: 6 feet. Handler requirement: Must be a "competent person". Coverage: Public places and others' private property. Vicious dogs: Must also be muzzled (Sec. 6-47).

Allowing a dog to run at large off a leash of six feet or less, or without a competent handler, violates Sec. 6-46 and, like other chapter 6 offenses, is a misdemeanor or infraction at the discretion of the city attorney or Los Angeles County district attorney under Sec. 6-2, or may draw an administrative citation from the shelter manager under Sec. 6-10. A vicious dog off-leash without a muzzle under Sec. 6-47 is a straight misdemeanor.

Pet Limits

Pomona caps household pets at three adult dogs or four adult cats, and no more than five animals total, under City Code Sec. 6-41. Puppies and kittens under eight weeks old do not count toward the cap, and the limit applies to any premises within the city.

Key details: Dog limit: 3 adult dogs per premises. Cat limit: 4 adult cats per premises. Combined limit: 5 animals total, any mix. Exemption: Puppies/kittens under 8 weeks not counted. Enforcement agency: Shelter manager / Inland Valley Humane Society.

Keeping more than three adult dogs, more than four adult cats, or more than five animals combined (excluding puppies/kittens under eight weeks) violates Sec. 6-41 and is enforceable as a misdemeanor or infraction at the city attorney's or district attorney's discretion under Sec. 6-2, or by administrative citation from the shelter manager under Sec. 6-10, with fines paid to the Inland Valley Humane Society.

Pet Groomer Rules

A small pet-grooming shop is "Personal Services - General" in Pomona, permitted by right subject to standards wherever that use is allowed, so long as any on-site boarding stays under four animals. Once a groomer keeps, boards, or trains four or more cats or dogs, the Zoning and Development Code reclassifies the business as a Kennel, which needs a conditional use permit and must meet the Code's sanitation, screening and odor standards.

Key details: Small groomer, under 4 animals: Personal Services - General, by right. 4+ animals boarded or trained: Reclassified as Kennel, CUP required. Kennel screening: 6-ft nontransparent fence required. Kennel odor rule: Not detectable beyond lot lines. Incidental grooming: Must be conducted indoors.

Boarding, keeping or training four or more cats or dogs at a grooming shop without first obtaining the Sec. 540.H.1.c conditional use permit converts the business into an unpermitted Kennel, subject to code enforcement action and permit denial until a CUP is secured. Conducting grooming service outdoors at a boarding kennel violates the indoor-only condition in Sec. 540.H.1.c.6 and can draw a separate citation.

Chickens & Livestock

Pomona's Zoning and Development Code sets numeric limits for backyard chickens, rabbits, pigs, goats, and sheep under its Domestic Animal, Small standards, plus separate rules for larger livestock. Small animals need at least 6,000 square feet of lot area, sized coops or pens, and capped headcounts, while large animals require a third-acre lot and 650-square-foot enclosures per animal.

Key details: Minimum lot (small animals): 6,000 square feet. Poultry limit: 15 birds maximum per lot. Pig/goat/sheep limit: 6 animals maximum per lot. Minimum lot (large animals): 14,520 sq ft (1/3 acre). Large animal enclosure: 650 sq ft per animal.

Keeping poultry, rabbits, pigs, goats, sheep, or larger livestock in excess of these lot-size, enclosure, or headcount limits, or inside a required front setback, violates Sec. 540.H.1.d/e and is enforceable by the City's Code Enforcement Division as a zoning violation. Unsanitary coops or pens that generate offensive odors reaching neighboring properties can also be cited, and repeat or unabated violations can lead to further municipal nuisance-abatement action against the property owner.

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

Pomona classifies a veterinary clinic as "Veterinary Care," a General Commercial use the Zoning and Development Code permits by right, subject to standards, in the CX1 through CX5 commercial modules and the IX1, I1, I2 and I3 industrial modules. It is not permitted in R1, RX1, P1, OS1 or OS2. The classification covers only boarding that is incidental to medical or surgical treatment; larger-scale boarding falls under the separate Kennel use instead.

Key details: Use classification: General Commercial: Veterinary Care. Permitted zones: CX1-CX5, IX1, I1, I2, I3. Not permitted: R1, RX1, P1, OS1, OS2. New-construction size cap: 1,000-10,000 SF by module. Existing structures: No gross floor area cap.

Operating Veterinary Care in a module where the use table shows a dash, such as R1, RX1, P1, OS1 or OS2, without an approved similar-use determination is a zoning violation subject to a stop-work order or code enforcement citation. Exceeding the Sec. 540.D.1 gross floor area cap on new construction blocks issuance of a certificate of occupancy until the site plan is revised to fit the module's limit.

Beekeeping

Pomona allows backyard beekeeping under the Zoning and Development Code's Urban Agricultural Uses standards. Residents may keep up to 2 hives per lot, each set back at least 5 feet from every property line, oriented away from neighbors, and equipped with a dedicated water source. Hives outside setback yards, defensive colonies, or abandoned hives become code violations enforced as a public nuisance.

Key details: Hive limit: 2 hives per lot maximum. Setback: 5 feet from all property lines. Frame type: Movable frames and combs required. Water source: Required on-site at all times. Location: Prohibited within required front setback.

A hive that violates these standards, whether by exceeding 2 hives per lot, sitting inside a setback yard, lacking a water source, or triggering neighbor complaints about defensive bees, is declared a public nuisance under Sec. 540.H.1.b.9. Code Enforcement can order abatement, and an abandoned or nonconforming hive must be removed or corrected; continued nuisance conditions expose the property owner to further municipal code enforcement.

Wildlife Feeding

Pomona does not have a specific wildlife feeding ordinance. Nuisance conditions from wildlife attractants may be enforced under general nuisance provisions of the municipal code. Inland Valley Humane Society handles wildlife complaints.

Key details: Local Ordinance: No specific wildlife feeding ban. Nuisance Code: General nuisance provisions apply. Wildlife Services: Inland Valley Humane Society. Contact: 909-623-9777.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Pomona gives residents more flexibility on wildlife feeding.

Exotic Pets

Exotic pet ownership in Pomona is governed by California Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations (Title 14, Section 671) and Pomona City Code Chapter 6. Most exotic animals including ferrets, hedgehogs, monkeys, and large reptiles are prohibited statewide.

Key details: State Regulation: CA Title 14, §671. Local Code: Ch. 6 (Animals). Prohibited: Ferrets, hedgehogs, monkeys, large snakes. Permit Required: CA DFW restricted species permit. Max Fine: Up to $10,000 (state).

Keeping a restricted species without a permit is a misdemeanor under state law, carrying fines up to $10,000 and/or six months in jail. The animal may be confiscated by authorities.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Pomona gives residents more room on animal ordinances. 2 of the 12 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

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