Animal Ordinances in Josephine County, OR (2026)
6 rules for unincorporated Josephine County, Oregon.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
In the county's Rural Residential zones outside the Grants Pass and Cave Junction urban growth boundaries, § 19.61.050 lets homeowners keep chickens and other farm animals as an accessory farm use, but requires every coop, barn, stall or pig pen to sit at least 35 feet from any property line and bars any setup that creates a sanitation or health hazard.
Josephine County Backyard Chicken and Livestock Rules
Some RestrictionsJosephine County Code § 19.61.050
Farm uses in the rural residential zone shall meet the following provisions: A. Farm uses shall not interfere with the use of adjoining residential properties; B. All farm animals shall be confined to the property; C. Any stall, barn, pig pen, chicken coop or similar structure in which animals are housed, excluding fenced pastures, shall be located no closer than 35 feet from any property line,...
Dog Leash Laws
In Josephine County parks, dogs and other animals cannot run unrestrained; a leash longer than six feet is also a violation under § 12.05.120(A). Elsewhere in unincorporated Josephine County, a dog found unaccompanied on public property can be impounded as an at-large animal.
Josephine County Park Leash Length Limit
Some RestrictionsJosephine County Code § 12.05.120(A)
It is unlawful for any person to commit any of the following acts in any park: A. To allow an animal to run unrestrained or on a leash that is more than six feet long;
Pet Limits
In unincorporated Josephine County, owning more than six adult dogs without a fancier or rescue permit requires a kennel permit from Animal Control. No owner, permitted or not, may keep more than 50 dogs, the hard cap set by county code regardless of permit type.
Josephine County Kennel Permit at Six Dogs
Some RestrictionsJosephine County Code §§ 6.05.040(A), 6.05.140
A. Kennel Permits. Owners of more than six dogs over the age of six months, where a fancier permit or a rescue permit does not apply, must obtain a kennel permit. Kennel permit fees do not include licensing for any dogs, and each dog must be licensed separately. Dogs owned but not recorded under the kennel permit must have a regular dog license. ... Animal Control will determine how many adult ...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Josephine County does not mandate spay or neuter for pet owners generally. The requirement is narrow: anyone holding a county rescue permit for seven to ten adult dogs must have all of those dogs spayed or neutered under § 6.05.040(C).
Josephine County Rescue Permit Spay/Neuter Duty
Light RestrictionsJosephine County Code § 6.05.040(C)
C. Rescue Permit. Owners of more than six and less than 11 adult dogs may apply for a rescue permit. All dogs must be spayed or neutered. The cost of the rescue permit includes licensing for six dogs. Dogs owned but not recorded under the rescue permit must have a regular dog license.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
In the Rural Industrial zone outside the Grants Pass and Cave Junction urban growth boundaries, § 19.63.020(B)(15) of the Rural Land Development Code lists a veterinary clinic and hospital as a permitted industrial-service use, allowed with routine ministerial review rather than a conditional-use hearing, alongside auto repair shops, laboratories and equipment sales businesses.
Josephine County Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Light RestrictionsJosephine County Code § 19.63.020(B)(15)
§ 19.63.020. Permitted uses. ... The following uses, with accessory uses, shall be permitted using ministerial review procedures (Chapter 19.22 JCC), unless criteria-based site plan review is required (Chapter 19.42 JCC), in which case uses shall be permitted using quasi-judicial review procedures (Chapter 19.22 JCC). ... Uses shall also meet the applicable development standards listed in JCC §...
Bird Protection
In rural Josephine County, outside the Grants Pass and Cave Junction urban growth boundaries, documented osprey and great blue heron rookeries get a 300-foot structure setback under the Rural Land Development Code. JCC § 19.72.040(C) applies once the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has inventoried and furnished the county with a sensitive nesting, roosting or watering site.
Josephine County Rookery Nest Setback Rule
Significant RestrictionsJosephine County Code § 19.72.040(C)
Rookery or Nest Sites. There shall be a structure setback of 300 feet from rookery or nest sites when the habitat has been documented on an inventory as a sensitive bird nesting, roosting or watering resource for osprey or great blue heron by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and the inventory has been furnished to Josephine County. A variance may be authorized to this setback ...
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