husky_mom - a "grandfather clause" means that you'd get to keep the animals you had before the law took effect, but not be able to add any new ones that woudl put you over the limit.

When Massachusetts raised the drinking age from 18 to 21, people who were 19 to 20 years old were "grandfathered in" so they could still go to bars, as they had already been allowed to legally for over a year, but anyone else had to wait until they actually turned 21. Does that help explain the concept?