City of Sacramento
Law and Legislation Committee Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2025-02006 1/13/2026
Amending Sacramento City Code Section 9.44.370 Relating to Number of Swine, Dogs, and Cats per Dwelling Unit
File ID: 2025-02006
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: 1) Review an ordinance amending Section 9.44.370 of the Sacramento City Code relating to the number of swine, dogs and cats permitted per dwelling unit; and 2) pass a Motion forwarding the ordinance to City Council for approval.
Contact: Phillip Zimmerman, Animal Care Services Manager, (916) 808-8333, [email protected]; Ryan Hinderman, Communications and Customer Services Manager, (916) 808-7911, [email protected]; Community Development Department Presenter: Phillip Zimmerman, Animal Care Services Manager, (916) 808-8333, [email protected], Community Development Department Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Ordinance Amendment: Sacramento City Code 9.44.370
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: The Sacramento City Code currently regulates the number of certain animals that may be kept at a dwelling unit. This ordinance updates Section 9.44.370 to clarify and revise the allowable number of swine, dogs, and cats per residence. The amendment establishes clear limits:
· A maximum of three permitted swine,
· A maximum of three dogs, unless all dogs are over four months old and spayed/neutered, in which case up to four dogs are allowed,
· A maximum of seven cats over eight weeks of age.
These updates ensure consistency with animal welfare practices, neighborhood compatibility, and enforcement clarity.
File ID: 2025-02006 1/13/2026
Policy Considerations: The proposed amendment aligns with the City’s goals of responsible pet ownership, reducing nuisance complaints, and promoting public health and safety. The revision also brings Code into alignment with current best practices in animal care and modernizes community standards.
Economic Impacts: Increased licensing revenue.
Environmental Considerations: Not Applicable
Sustainability: Not Applicable
Commission/Committee Action: Animal Wellbeing Commission advised of the ordinance change as part of the 2025 Workplan.
Rationale for Recommendation: The proposed amendment aligns with the City’s goals of responsible pet ownership, reducing nuisance complaints, and promoting public health and safety.
The revision also brings Code into alignment with current best practices in animal care and modernizes community standards.
Financial Considerations: Increasing the allowable number of owned animals per dwelling unit is expected to generate additional revenue through the City’s licensing partnership with DocuPet.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable
ORDINANCE NO.
Adopted by the Sacramento City Council
Date Adopted
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 9.44.370 OF THE SACRAMENTO CITY CODE,
RELATING TO THE NUMBER OF SWINE, DOGS, AND CATS PER DWELLING UNIT
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO:
SECTION 1.
Section 9.44.370 of the Sacramento City Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
9.44.370 Number of swine, dogs, and cats per dwelling unit.
A. No person or group of persons shall keep, harbor, or maintain more than three swine permitted by section 9.44.320 in or about any dwelling unit or adjacent yard.
B. No person or group of persons shall keep, harbor, or maintain more than three dogs in or about any dwelling unit or adjacent yard, unless all of the dogs are over the age of four months and are spayed or neutered; however, under no circumstances may any person or group of persons keep, harbor, or maintain more than four dogs in or about any dwelling unit or adjacent yard.
C. No person or group of persons shall keep, harbor, or maintain more than seven cats over the age of eight weeks in or about any dwelling unit or adjacent yard.
D. For the purposes of this section the term "dwelling unit" has the same meaning as in the Planning and Development Code.
Attachment 2