6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Butte County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Butte County Zoning § 24-158 allows animal keeping on parcels of at least one acre, generally at one animal unit per acre on parcels 1 to 20 acres, with up to fifteen hens per 5,000 square feet of fenced yard or pen and no roosters on any parcel less than five acres.
Butte County Zoning Code § 24-158 (Animal keeping)
Hens are limited to fifteen (15) maximum per five thousand (5,000) square feet of fenced yard area or pen. Roosters shall not be permitted on any parcel less than five (5) acres in size. No animal keeping shall be allowed on parcels less than one (1) acre in size.
Butte County Code Chapter 4 (Animals) prohibits dogs from being off the owner's property unless on a leash or under the effective control of the owner or custodian. The leash law applies throughout unincorporated Butte County.
Butte County does not impose any breed-specific ban or designation of dangerous or vicious dogs. California Food and Agricultural Code § 31683 expressly preempts breed-specific potentially-dangerous or vicious designations; only spay/neuter and breeding ordinances may be breed-specific under Health and Safety Code § 122331.
California Food and Agricultural Code § 31683 (Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 668, Sec. 1)
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent a city or county from adopting or enforcing its own program for the control of potentially dangerous or vicious dogs that may incorporate all, part, or none of this chapter, or that may punish a violation of this chapter as a misdemeanor or may impose a more restrictive program to control potentially dangerous or vicious dogs. Except as prov...
Beekeeping is broadly allowed in unincorporated Butte County given its agricultural character, subject to county zoning setbacks. Hives must be registered with the Butte County agricultural commissioner.
California restricts exotic pets through the Fish & Game Code and CDFW regulations — ferrets and hedgehogs are illegal statewide, and many wild/exotic species are prohibited. These restrictions apply in unincorporated Butte County.
Butte County does not set a numeric cap on the number of household pets, but once an owner keeps enough dogs to trigger the 'kennel' definition in zoning section 24-165, a Minor Use Permit or Administrative Permit and a minimum two-acre parcel are required, and a personal hardship kennel may not exceed ten dogs.
Butte County Zoning Code § 24-165 (Kennels)
Personal hardship kennels shall allow no more dogs than specified under the permit, not to exceed ten (10) dogs. All kennel structures and facilities shall be setback a minimum of one hundred fifty (150) feet from any property line.
1 cities in Butte County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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