Animal Ordinances in Douglas County, CO (2026)
8 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Douglas County, Colorado.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Douglas County zones livestock by "animal units." A horse, cow, mule, or llama counts as 1 unit; miniature horses, swine, sheep, goats, or alpacas count 4-to-1. On ER and RR parcels the density limit is one animal unit per half-acre.
Keeping Horses and Livestock in Douglas County
Some RestrictionsDouglas County Zoning Resolution §2405
Hoofed animals includes horses, cattle, mules, llamas, sheep, goats, or swine. The following animal units shall apply: Horse/mule/cow/llama 1 = 1 animal unit; Miniature horse/swine/sheep/goat/alpaca: 4 = 1 animal unit. Young animals less than 6 months of age shall not count toward the allowable unit limit.
Dog Leash Laws
In unincorporated Douglas County a dog must be kept under "control": restrained by a leash or tether no more than 30 feet long or confined in an escape-proof enclosure. Letting a dog run at large is a Class 2 petty offense.
Douglas County Dog Leash and Running-at-Large Rules
Some RestrictionsDouglas County Resolution R-998-100 §1.00(5)
"Control" means the restraint of a dog by means of a leash or similar tether no more than thirty (30) feet in length or by means of confinement within a fully enclosed area adequate to ensure that the dog will not escape.
Breed Restrictions
No. Colorado state law bars any county or town from regulating dangerous dogs by breed, so Douglas County has no pit-bull or breed ban. The county instead regulates individual "vicious" dogs by behavior: biting or attacking without provocation.
Does Douglas County Ban Any Dog Breeds?
Some RestrictionsC.R.S. §18-9-204.5(5)(b)
Nothing in this section shall be construed to abrogate a county's authority under part 1 of article 15 of title 30, C.R.S., to adopt dog control and licensing resolutions and to impose the penalties set forth in section 30-15-102, C.R.S.; except that any such resolution shall not regulate dangerous dogs in a manner that is specific to breed.
Exotic Pets
In unincorporated Douglas County, nondomestic or exotic animals are permitted only as a "use by special review" approved by the Board of County Commissioners, and only in the A-1 (Agriculture-One) and LRR (Large Rural Residential) zoning districts.
Exotic and Nondomestic Animals in Douglas County
Some RestrictionsDouglas County Zoning Resolution §2410
Nondomestic or exotic animals are permitted only as a use by special review upon approval by the Board, in the A-1 and LRR zoning districts. A nondomestic animal is generally considered to be an animal not normally adapted to live and breed in a tame condition.
Wildlife Feeding
Douglas County has no separate wildlife-feeding ordinance, but Colorado state law makes it unlawful to place food in the open to lure a wild bear. Given the county's foothills (Roxborough, Castle Pines), residents should secure trash and avoid feeding deer, elk, or bears.
Feeding Wildlife and Bears in Douglas County
Some RestrictionsC.R.S. §33-6-131(1)
Unless otherwise permitted by commission rule, it is unlawful for any person to place food or edible waste in the open with the intent of luring a wild bear to such food or edible waste.
Pet Limits
Douglas County has no ordinance using the word "hoarding," but pet-number limits and sanitation rules act as a backstop. Keeping more than four dogs without a kennel, or letting waste accumulate in unsanitary conditions, is a Class 2 petty offense; serious neglect is state animal cruelty.
Animal Hoarding and Too Many Pets in Douglas County
Some RestrictionsDouglas County Resolution R-998-100 §1.05(3)
No person shall maintain or permit the maintenance of a doghouse, pen, yard, enclosure, shed, or compartment where dog urine or feces have been allowed to accumulate and where the doghouse, pen, yard, enclosure, shed, or compartment is not in a clean and sanitary condition and free of offensive odors, insects and rodents.
Cat Rules
Douglas County does not require cats to be leashed or licensed: the license/rabies-tag rule applies to dogs. Cats do count as "household pets" toward the 4- or 8-pet zoning limit, and the county's animal-care and anti-abandonment rules protect cats as "pet animals."
Cat Ownership Rules in Douglas County
Some RestrictionsDouglas County Resolution R-998-100 §1.05(6)
No person or owner shall abandon any pet animal which he owns or has in his custody. The term, "abandon", shall mean to leave a pet animal unattended without food, shelter or water for a period of time greater than twenty-four hours.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
A veterinary clinic or hospital on unincorporated Douglas County land outside the A-1, LRR, and RR zone districts needs Board approval as a Use by Special Review under Zoning Resolution Section 1-2107, and even then must sit at least 100 feet from every lot line, the same distance rule that governs kennels and other animal-boarding uses in those districts.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning Rules in Douglas County
Significant RestrictionsDouglas County Zoning Resolution § 1-2107(52)
§ 1-2107. Allowed Uses by Special Review. [5/14/2003; 4/26/2016; 8/28/2018; 2/12/2019; 8/23/2022; 3/26/2024; 6/24/2025] The following uses are listed as uses by special review within the zone districts of this chapter, and are subject to additional requirements as noted herein: ... 52. Veterinary clinic or hospital: A-1, LRR, and RR zone districts, provided that such uses are located 100 feet f...
Animal Ordinances by City in Douglas County
1 cities in Douglas County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Douglas County ordinances
See every category we cover for Douglas County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Douglas County Ordinance Hub →