Yes, you must have a business license. If you have more than 4 dogs you will also need a kennel permit and be in an appropriately zoned area.
The Planning Department reviews business licenses and zoning issues.
Owners must complete paperwork and sign an affidavit that the animal is a trained service animal. There is no fee, though the animal must follow all regulations.
For example, service dogs must be licensed and vaccinated for rabies.
A total of four dogs and four cats may be kept in the unincorporated County. All dogs and cats must be licensed.
If you wish to keep more animals, a special permit may be required. Please contact the zoning department at 874-6221 for information about what is allowed on your property.
No. If you find a lost dog, you should make a reasonable effort to locate the owner. If you cannot find the owner within 30 days, then you may legally keep the dog.
No person other than an individual transporting working dogs within agricultural or rural areas of the County shall transport or carry on any public highway or public roadway any animal, wild or domestic, in or by a motorized vehicle unless the animal is as follows:
Neighbor fences are not a requirement in unincorporated Sacramento County. However, dog owners are obligated to control their animals.
If the neighbor is not restraining the dogs, Animal Care and Regulation can be contacted to file a complaint by calling 916-368-PETS (7387).
If the property is a rental, contact information of the property owner can be obtained by calling the County Assessor’s Office at 916-875-0700.
For neighbor disputes and conflict resolution assistance, the non-profit, Sacramento Mediation Center can be contacted at 916-441-7979.
View the County Codes.
If you are reported to us, we will work with you to help bring you into compliance. If you do not comply, you will be issued a citation and will have to appear in court. You could be fined and charged court-related costs.
Dogs must be kept on a leash when off of their owner's private property, with some exceptions. Read section 8.08.056 in the code for more information.
You should contact the Sheriff's Department at 916-874-5115 to report a person who has injured your animal.
We accept checks for licenses only. However, if you are clearing a citation for licensing, please be prepared to pay cash, Debit, Visa or Mastercard as checks will not be accepted. Returned check fee is $44.
At this time we do not have the manpower to do this, however you can visit the shelter to check on the status.
We spay and neuter all dogs or cats being adopted, but are not currently equipped to offer these services to the general public. View our Spay/Neuter pages for more information.
Staff is trained to humanely and quickly euthanize an animal using an injection of a solution. This process is similar to how the procedure is performed in a veterinarian's office.
The process is always emotionally difficult for our staff and a part of our jobs we wish didn't exist.
On average, cats and dogs stay an average of 10 days at the shelter. The length an animal stays depends on many factors, including their health and how well they are socialized.
There are costs associated with taking calls, dispatching officers, picking up the animals, processing the paperwork, feeding and sheltering animals, and providing medical assessment and care when needed.
There are several reasons:
Animal overpopulation and irresponsible pet ownership is a problem and we are dedicated to being a part of the solution through increasing shelter adoptions, supporting spay and neuter programs and educating residents whenever possible.
The fronts of the cat kennels are glass or Plexiglas to protect against the transfer of upper respiratory infections.