Another city has announced that it would be seizing residents’ cats and dogs thanks to a new ordinance that bars residents from owning more than four pets.
Northglenn, a Colorado city just 40 minutes outside Denver, will begin enforcing a new ordinance that will limit households to owning a total of four pets — whether that includes four dogs, four cats, or a mix of both.
4 animals is the limit in Northglenn, Colorado pic.twitter.com/4TP2Qh8wOv
— Ben Owen (@hrkbenowen) April 5, 2025
The Northglenn City Council approved the ordinance “at the request of residents and after extensive research and discussion, according to the city. The decision to limit residents to four pets came following complains from other residents about the “excessive noise and waste caused by a high number of pets in some neighborhoods.”
Before the rule takes effect on August 4, residents who already own more than four pets will have to apply for a “previously owned pet exception,” where they will have to fill out a form listing each pet’s name, age, breed, sex, and the date that they obtained the pet.
However, if these residents do not submit the form before the deadline, Northglenn will be able to pursue “enforcement action,” including “a potential court order requiring pet removal.”
In a statement to The Daily Mail, the city declared: “Our goal is to work with residents to ensure compliance through education and outreach before any enforcement action is taken. Pets bring joy and companionship to our lives, but they also come with responsibilities. By establishing reasonable pet limits, we aim to ensure that everyone living in Northglenn, both pet owners and non-pet owners, can enjoy their homes and neighborhoods.”
Meanwhile, Northglenn is not the only city that has implemented this policy. In fact, Northglenn was the only city in Adams County, Colorado, that did not have long-standing pet regulations. There are also numerous other cities across the United States that have implemented similar procedures, including several New Jersey towns that have limited residents to only three pets. California has also implemented a restriction of four pets per household statewide, and those pets must all be older than four months.
