Animal Control Frequently Asked Questions

Kenai Municipality Code 3.10.070 Livestock within the city limits

a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person shall keep or maintain livestock within the City of Kenai.

(b) Livestock, other than bees, may be kept on lots of forty thousand (40,000) square feet or greater. No livestock shall be allowed in the RU, RS1, RS2 or TSH zones. Animals raised for a fur-bearing purpose are not allowed in any zone. Beekeeping will be restricted as described in subsection (g).

(c) In this section “livestock” is defined as the following animals:

(1) Cow

(2) Horse

(3) American bison

(4) Llama

(5) Alpaca

(6) Sheep

(7) Swine

(8) Goat

(9) Mule

(10) Donkey

(11) Ratite

(12) Duck

(13) Goose

(14) Chicken

(15) Turkey

(16) Rabbit

(17) Honey bees (Apis mellifera)

(d)

(1) Except for the RS1, RS2, RU, TSH zone(s), the Chief Animal Control Officer may issue temporary permits of not more than fourteen (14) days for the keeping of livestock not otherwise allowed for public exhibitions or entertainment events. The Chief Animal Control Officer may impose conditions on the permits as reasonably necessary for sanitation, safety, or hygiene. The permit may be revoked for a violation of the conditions of the permit or pertinent section of the Kenai Municipal Code. The City may charge a permit fee, which fee shall be as set forth in the City’s schedule of fees adopted by the City Council.

(2) Except in the RU zone, the Chief Animal Control Officer may, after notifying adjoining property owners in writing and allowing reasonable time for comment, issue a permit for the keeping of livestock for educational or youth activities, such as 4-H, Future Farmers of America, or Boy/Girl Scouts on lots not otherwise eligible under this section. The permit shall state the duration of the permit, which shall not exceed two (2) years, and the type and number of livestock to be kept. The Chief Animal Control Officer may impose conditions on the permits as reasonably necessary for sanitation, safety, or hygiene. The permit may be revoked for a violation of the conditions of the permit or Title 3 of the Kenai Municipal Code. Appeal of issuance or revocation of a permit may be made in writing to the board of adjustment. A permit may be renewed following written notice and reasonable time for comment to the adjoining property owners. The City may charge a permit fee, which fee shall be as set forth in the City’s schedule of fees adopted by the City Council.

(e) Lots on which livestock are kept on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this section which are not eligible for the keeping of livestock under this section shall be considered a non-conforming use of land under KMC 14.20.050. No new or replacement livestock may be kept or introduced on such lots after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this section. Offspring of livestock allowed as a non-conforming use under this section may be kept on such lots only until they are old enough to be relocated to a site conforming to this section or outside of the city limits.

(f) Except as set forth in subsection (g), below, corrals, pens, hutches, coops or other animal containment structures must have a minimum setback of twenty-five feet (25′) from the property’s side yards, fifty feet (50′) from the front yard, and ten feet (10′) from the back yard. All animal containment structures must be secure and in good repair.

(g) No person may keep honey bees, Apis mellifera, in a manner that is inconsistent with the following requirements or that is inconsistent with any other section of this code.

(1) Colonies shall be managed in such a manner that the flight path of bees to and from the hive will not bring the bees into contact with people on adjacent property. To that end, colonies shall be situated at least twenty-five feet (25′) from any lot line not in common ownership; or oriented with entrances facing away from adjacent property; or placed at least eight feet (8′) above ground level; or placed behind a fence at least six feet (6′) in height and extending at least ten feet (10′) beyond each hive in both directions.

(2) No person shall keep more than four (4) hives on a lot of ten thousand (10,000) square feet or smaller, nor shall any person keep more than one (1) additional hive for each additional two thousand four hundred (2,400) square feet over ten thousand (10,000) on lots larger than ten thousand (10,000) square feet.

(3) It shall be a violation for any beekeeper to keep a colony or colonies in such a manner or in such a disposition as to cause any unhealthy condition to humans or animals.

(4) Beekeepers shall take appropriate care according to best management practices when transporting hives of bees. Bees being transported shall have entrance screens or be secured under netting.

(5) The term “hive” as used in this section means the single structure intended for the housing of a single bee colony. The term “colony” as used in this section means a hive and its equipment and appurtenances, including bees, comb, honey, pollen, and brood.

(h) A person seeking relief from the provisions of this section may apply for a conditional use permit under KMC 14.20.150.

We know the decision to surrender your pet is never an easy one, however, if you are unable to find a different home for your pet please know we do our best to re-home animals, but that there is no guarantee that we will be able to.

If you feel that you have no other choice but to surrender your pet to us, please do so during business hours so we can get as much information to properly place your pet in a new home. There is a very minimal fee for relinquishing animals into our custody that ranges from $5.30 up to $20.40 per animal dependent on the type and age of the pet being given up.

Please, do not "let it go". Dogs especially do not adapt to the wild, and cats can breed quickly to create problematic feral colonies in the area that carry disease, as well as do damage to properties and wild bird populations.

Adopted animals are spayed or neutered and given age appropriate vaccinations but may need boosters in the future. Dogs range from approximately $188.00 to $284.00, cats range from $132.00 to $246.00. Prices are dependent on animal species, weight and gender. These fees include microchip, first vaccinations, rabies vaccination, and spay/neuter surgery. Pets that are already spayed or neutered are considerably less. All pets are adopted out licensed and given a first vaccination. You can see our fee schedule for more information.

Contact us at 283-7353 to see if one is missing that matches a description of a lost pet and we may be able to locate the owner. If you are inside Soldotna City limits, please take the animal to their local Animal Shelter at 205 South Kobuk Street, Soldotna, AK 99669 Phone: 907-262-3969 If you are in the city limits of Kenai, and you are unable to bring the dog in, you can call us at 283-7353 and an Animal Control Officer may be able to pick up the animal during business hours. If you need to bring the animal to our facility we are located at 510 N. Willow Street, Kenai, AK 99611. If you find a stray outside of Kenai city limits, and it is not in any immediate danger, nor causing any harm, please leave it where it is as it most likely lives in the area. Once a stray enters our facility, it is held for a minimum of 3 days or 72 hours in the hopes of the owner contacting us to reclaim their lost pet. If the animal is licensed or micro-chipped, we will attempt to contact the owner and hold the dog for up to five days, or 120 hours. Once the holding period is up, the animal’s health and temperament are evaluated to determine eligibility for adoption.

If your dog has been involved in a bite to a human in the Kenai city limits, please call us at 283-7353 during business hours to report the bite incident. All dogs and cats that have bitten a person and broken the skin are required by state law to be quarantined for ten days. Owned animals that are vaccinated at the time of a non-severe bite may be quarantined in the owner’s home at the discretion of an Animal Control Officer. Quarantines may take place at the shelter under certain circumstances with facility use fees required. Bites that occur outside of Kenai city limits need to be reported to the Alaska State Troopers, or corresponding City or Municipal Animal Control Facilities to the location of the bite occurrence.

Barking dogs can be a nuisance. If the dog is within the city limits Kenai, contact the shelter during business hours at 283-7353 with the time and date of occurrence as well as the description of the animal and your contact information so we may follow up on the complaint. If you are able to get a photo or video of the animal barking please e-mail it to us at animal@kenai.city with your contact information and the time and location the photo or video was taken.

If your pet is currently at the shelter you may need to pay impound, facility use and other fees before it can be released to you. The fees vary depending on the type of pet you have, the amount of time your pet stays in our facility, and other factors. Please call us at 283- 7353 between 11:00-5:30 Tuesday – Friday and 11-5 on Saturday.

If you do not have a live animal trap, Kenai Animal Control can loan residents of the city one for a refundable $30 deposit (cats/squirrel) of $ 50 deposit (dogs). There are also live traps for rent at Cadre-Feeds and for sale at Sportsman Warehouse for those that live outside of city limits. 

What is a kennel? 

Kenai Municipal Code 3.05.010: 

(7) “Kennel.”

(A) “Kennel, commercial” means premises where four (4) or more dogs over four (4) months of age are owned, kept, boarded, bred and/or offered for sale.

(B) “Kennel, private” means premises where four (4) or more dogs over four (4) months of age are owned or kept for private enjoyment.

How do I get a kennel license?

The Kennel permit application can be found in the Forms tab under General Overview on our left hand side of the Animal Control page. If you are having issues finding the application please contact us. 

Kenai Animal Control has many great dogs and cats available for adoption. Occasionally we have rabbits, birds and small rodents. To find the right one for you, visit the shelter, check us out on Facebook (Kenai Animal Shelter) or see our link to www.petfinder.com on our main page.