Politics & Government

Hide Your Dogs — Capitola Has Animal Limits

Enforcement might be scarce, but there are laws as to how many dogs live in each household in Capitola.

Turns out there's a municipal code for everything, including the number of dogs and overall pets allowed per household in Capitola.

The limit is currently set at two dogs per household with four total pets allowed. Furthermore, no more than one unspayed female may be owned per house. There are exceptions to this rule for licensed kennel operators and veterinarians. The limit of four total pets also does not apply to birds, which are unlimited so long as "no nuisance is created."

Capitola's pet code gets especially tricky in regards to neighboring buildings. Yards, pens and stables for animals are not technically allowed within 25 feet of any school, restaurant or neighboring residence. 

Find out what's happening in Capitola-Soquelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Capitola dog limit is similar to other cities, but is more stringent than some in the area. See the list of cities and pet regulations below.

City Number of Dogs Allowed Total Pets Allowed Capitola 2 4 Scotts Valley 2 N/A Campbell 2 5 Los Gatos 2 5 Santa Clara County 2 (3 on parcels over 5 acres) N/A Santa Cruz 3 6 Watsonville 3 6 Sanger 3 N/A Santa Ana 3 N/A Morgan Hill 5 5

Enforcement of these laws is often scarce. But it's valuable information nonetheless, for locals to know whether or not they are in violation of the city code. 

Find out what's happening in Capitola-Soquelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Do you think this code is fair? Should there be a limit on dog ownership? Tell us in the comments!


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here