Title
Ordinance Revisions to Sacramento City Code Section 9.44.370 Relating to Number of Swine, Dogs, and Cats per Dwelling Unit [Two-Thirds Vote Required] [In Lieu of Pass for Publication Ordinance to be Published in its Entirety]
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FileID
File ID: 2026-01052
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Location
Location: Citywide
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Recommendation
Recommendation: 1) Pass a Motion by two-thirds vote to bypass the Law and Legislation Committee pursuant to Council Rules of Procedure section 13.B.1.b.ii; 2) determining the Ordinance exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3); 3) adopt an Ordinance amending various provisions of section 9.44.370 of the Sacramento City Code, relating to number of swine, dogs, and cats allowed per dwelling unit; and 4) in lieu of publishing the ordinance title, publish the ordinance in full in the official newspaper of the City within ten days after adoption by the council, consistent with City Charter section 32(d).
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Contact
Contact: Ryan Hinderman, Interim Animal Care Services Manager, (916) 808-7911, rhinderman@cityofsacramento.org, Community Development Department
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Presenter
Presenter: None
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Attachments
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Law and Legislation Committee Original Ordinance Amendment (Redline), January 13, 2026
3-Sacramento City Code 9.44.370 (Redline)
4-Sacramento City Code 9.44.370 (Clean)
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Description/Analysis
IssueDetail
Issue Detail: Sacramento City Code currently allows residents to own up to three dogs. The Animal Wellbeing Commission suggested amending Sacramento City Code 9.44.370 to allow residents to own up to four dogs as part of their 2025 Workplan. The intent of the proposed amendment is to further reduce the number of dogs at the Front Street Animal Shelter, while increasing the number of dogs that are spayed/neutered citywide.
The proposed ordinance amendment was brought to the Law & Legislation Committee (Committee) on January 13, 2026 (Attachment 2). The Committee passed a motion to bring the ordinance amendment to the Animal Wellbeing Commission for additional input and requested staff to bring the ordinance directly to City Council without returning to the Law & Legislation Committee. The ordinance amendment was reviewed at the April 15, 2026, Commission meeting. A Motion was passed to include revisions suggested by the Animal Wellbeing Commission to the ordinance language that limited the exemptions from the spay/neuter requirement of the households’ resident dogs to be eligible for a fourth dog.
Staff agreed with the proposed changes and worked with the City Attorney’s Office to send the proposed changes (Attachment 3) to the Draft Ordinance Review Committee (DORC) prior to presenting the item to City Council. This staff report’s recommendation requires that Council amend the ordinance by a two-thirds vote because revisions suggested by the Animal Wellbeing Commission were made to the ordinance without returning to the Law & Legislation Committee.
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PolicyConsiderations
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.
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EconomicImpacts
Economic Impacts: None.
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EnvironmentalConsiderations
Environmental Considerations: Per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), approval of the proposed ordinance modifying the existing code that provides regulation for household pets will not result in a significant effect on the environment and is exempt from the CEQA. Under CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), the common-sense exemption, CEQA applies only to actions with potential to significantly affect the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA.
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Sustainability
Sustainability: Not applicable.
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Commission/Committee Action
Commission/Committee Action: The proposed ordinance amendment was brought to the Law & Legislation Committee (Committee) on January 13, 2026 (Attachment 2). The Committee passed a motion to bring the ordinance amendment to the Animal Wellbeing Commission for additional input and requested staff to bring the ordinance directly to City Council without returning to the Law & Legislation Committee. The ordinance amendment was reviewed at the April 15, 2026, Commission meeting. A Motion was passed to include revisions suggested by the Animal Wellbeing Commission to the ordinance language that limited the exemptions from the spay/neuter requirement of the households’ resident dogs to be eligible for a fourth dog.
Staff agreed with the proposed changes and worked with the City Attorney’s Office to send the proposed changes (Attachment 3) to the Draft Ordinance Review Committee (DORC) prior to presenting the item to City Council. This staff report’s recommendation requires that Council amend the ordinance by a two-thirds vote because revisions suggested by the Animal Wellbeing Commission were made to the ordinance without returning to the Law & Legislation Committee.
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RationaleforRecommendation
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.
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FinancialConsiderations
Financial Considerations: Not Applicable.
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LocalBusinessEnterprise
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
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