Cattle, Goats and Sheep
San Diego Municipal Code § 44.0307
in effect§44.0307 Cattle, Goats and Sheep
(a) It is unlawful to bring or maintain, within a non–agricultural zone within the City, any cattle, bovine animals, goats, or sheep.
(b) Section 44.0307(a) shall not apply to the following:
(1) Dairies or dairy farms licensed during the month of July 1953.
(2) Any goats brought in temporarily, to privately-owned non-agricultural zones for the purpose of performing brush management in accordance with the Land Development Code section 142.0412.
(3) The keeping of miniature goats on a premises zoned for a single dwelling unit or developed with a single dwelling unit consistent with the following requirements.
(A) Miniature goats are those goats commonly known as Pygmy, Dwarf, and Miniature Goats.
(B) All miniature goats shall be dehorned.
(C) Male miniature goats shall be neutered.
(D) No more than, and no less than, two miniature goats shall be kept on the premises, except that offspring may be kept onsite for up to twelve weeks from birth.
(E) Miniature goats shall be housed in a shed designed to be:
(i) Predator proof;
(ii) Thoroughly ventilated;
(iii) Easily accessed and cleaned;
(iv) Watertight and draft free;
(v) A minimum of ten square feet of interior space; and
(vi) Located outside of all required setbacks as established by Chapter 13, Article 1 of this Code.
(F) Direct access from the shed to an outdoor enclosure shall be provided with the outdoor enclosure designed to be:
(i) Secured with a minimum five-foot tall fence;
(ii) A minimum area of 400 square feet;
(iii) Secured from the outside in a manner that prevents the miniature goats from escaping;
(iv) Free of objects that would enable the goats to climb out of the enclosure; and
(v) Easily accessed and cleaned.
(G) Goat’s milk, goat’s cheese, and other goat-related food products shall be for personal consumption only; sale of such products is prohibited.
(c) Property owners shall remove and properly dispose of droppings from cattle, goats or sheep as needed to prevent accumulation, to avoid a health or sanitation problem, or the breeding of flies, and to prevent discharge into the Storm Water Conveyance System, as defined in section 43.0302.
(Amended 8–30–1962 by O–8718 N.S.)
(Amended 9-19-2005 by O-19413 N.S.; effective 10-19-2005.)
(Amended 1-15-2008 by O-19698 N.S.; effective 2-14-2008.)
(Amended 2-22-2012 by O-20139 N.S.; effective 3-23-2012.)
Source: City of San Diego Office of the City Clerk, San Diego Municipal Code and City Charter (docs.sandiego.gov PDFs)URL: https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter04/Ch04Art04Division03.pdf#page=5Fetched: 10/28/2026