Grand Junction Is Changing How It Enforces Its Pet Limit

Did you know that Grand Junction has had a rule on the books for years that limits the number of pets per household? Would it surprise you to know the limit is 3 dogs and 3 cats?

What happens if you already have a house full of more than six? Is the pet paddy wagon already on its way? Keep scrolling to see what Grand Junction officials say about how this rule will be enforced in the future, and why animal overpopulation and welfare are such big concerns.

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The rule is part of Grand Junction Municipal Code (GJMC) Title 6, Animals, specifically the city's provisions governing household pets. Current rules allow residents to have up to three adult dogs and three adult cats, with a maximum of six adult household pets. The rule applies to animals four months old or older. Fish, small birds, rodents, and nonpoisonous reptiles do not count toward this magic number.

The Six-Pet Limit Isn't New. So What's Changing?

Grand Junction still has a six-adult-pet limit, but Animal Control says officers will now consider the circumstances of the household before deciding how to proceed. That means a temporary situation, such as an accidental litter of puppies or kittens, may not trigger immediate enforcement. KJCT reports that officers may instead give the owner time to find homes for additional animals and return to compliance.

The important distinction is that this is not a new exemption allowing people to permanently keep seven, eight, or 15 dogs and cats simply because they are well cared for. The city's code still says no more than six adult household pets are allowed.

Why is Grand Junction Changing Its Approach?

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KJCT News 8 reports Animal Control specialist Ben Ackerman said Grand Junction’s three-dog, three-cat rule came about in response to excessive numbers of animals found in some households. The pet limit was adopted to try to make those situations more manageable. Moving forward, the city wants to focus on overpopulation and welfare rather than counting them.