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Animal Ordinances in Pleasanton, CA (2026)

10 verified animal ordinances for Pleasanton, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Chickens & Livestock

Pleasanton regulates poultry through its zoning code and miscellaneous animal regulations rather than a simple hen-count rule. Livestock and poultry raising is a permitted use in the Agricultural (A) district; in residential zones, fowl keeping is limited and any enclosure for animals or fowl other than household pets must meet setback rules.

Pleasanton Chickens and Backyard Poultry

Some Restrictions

Dog Leash Laws

Pleasanton Municipal Code makes it unlawful for an owner to allow a dog to be 'at large.' Dogs in public or on others' property must be restrained by a substantial leash no longer than six feet (non-retractable) or 30 feet (retractable), and physically controlled by the owner.

Pleasanton Dog Leash Laws

Some Restrictions

Breed Restrictions

Pleasanton has no breed-specific ban. California Food and Agricultural Code Section 31683 prohibits any city or county dog-control program from being breed-specific, except for spay/neuter or breeding programs. Pleasanton instead regulates dangerous and vicious dogs based on individual behavior under Chapter 7.20.

Pleasanton Dog Breed Restrictions

Few Restrictions

Beekeeping

Pleasanton allows backyard beekeeping under a city beekeeping ordinance (Municipal Code Chapter 18.103) that requires a permit and limits hive numbers by zone: no more than two hives in R-1, RM, and the Downtown Specific Plan area, and up to 10 hives in the Agricultural (A) district.

Pleasanton Beekeeping Rules

Some Restrictions

Exotic Pets

Exotic and wild animals are controlled chiefly by California state law, which Pleasanton enforces locally. California Fish and Game Code Section 2118 and Title 14 CCR Section 671 make it illegal to possess many 'restricted' species - including ferrets, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, and most non-native wildlife - without a state permit that is not issued for pet keeping.

Pleasanton Exotic Pet Laws

Heavy Restrictions

Wildlife Feeding

Pleasanton does not appear to have a stand-alone ordinance specifically banning the feeding of wildlife, but feeding wild animals can violate California Fish and Wildlife rules (Title 14 CCR Section 251.1) and trigger the city's nuisance authority when it attracts coyotes, rodents, or other pests.

Pleasanton Wildlife Feeding Rules

Some Restrictions

Livestock

Livestock keeping in Pleasanton is controlled by the zoning code. Livestock and poultry raising for private, noncommercial use, along with private stables and kennels, is a permitted use in the Agricultural (A) district, where any animal enclosure (other than household pets) must sit at least 100 feet from neighboring residential, commercial, or other sensitive districts.

Pleasanton Livestock Regulations

Some Restrictions

Animal Hoarding

Animal hoarding is addressed mainly through California's animal-cruelty laws, which Pleasanton enforces locally. Penal Code Section 597 criminalizes neglect such as depriving animals of food, water, or shelter, and overcrowding that harms animals can be prosecuted as cruelty. Local nuisance and sanitation rules add another layer.

Pleasanton Animal Hoarding Rules

Heavy Restrictions

Pet Limits

Pleasanton requires every dog over four months old to be licensed and addresses problem animals through nuisance, noise, and dangerous-animal provisions rather than a single published cap on the number of pets. Excessive numbers that create sanitation or noise problems can be abated as a nuisance.

Pleasanton Pet Limit Rules

Some Restrictions

Cat Rules

Pleasanton's leash-at-large rules apply to dogs, not cats, so there is no cat leash requirement. Cats are still subject to the city's general nuisance, sanitation, and noise standards, and to California state protections against animal cruelty and abandonment.

Pleasanton Cat Rules

Few Restrictions

Looking for Alameda County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Pleasanton city rules.

Animal Ordinances in Alameda County