Chapter 6.08 ANIMALS GENERALLY

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this title, it is unlawful for any person to keep or maintain or cause to be kept or maintained any animal or fowl, unless the keeping of such animal or fowl is permitted in the zoning code of the city. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.020 The keeping of animals.

Not more than six small animals may be kept, provided none are kept for commercial use. Not more than four of such animals may be dogs or cats over 10 weeks of age. No roosters, ducks, turkeys, geese, pea fowl, guinea fowl, goats, sheep or hogs, except one pot belly pig may be allowed. Animals shall be maintained clean and odorless at all times, and shall not become a public nuisance. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.030 Sanitation requirements.

No person shall at any time maintain any lot or other premises, or any portion thereof, in the city, upon which any animal is kept in an unsanitary condition. No person shall maintain any such lot or other premises, or portion thereof, upon which any animal is kept, in such condition as to cause the same to be infested with flies or insects or to create any noxious or offensive odors. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.040 Vicious animal – Designation.

The city’s chief of police or animal control officer may designate any animal as potentially dangerous or vicious in accordance with the procedures set forth in Food and Agriculture Code Section 31601 et seq. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.050 Running at large prohibited.

No person owning any dog, or having the care, custody, or control or possession of any dog shall suffer, allow, or permit such dog to run, be, or remain at large on any public street, road, alley, park, square, or other public place or upon any private property other than the property of the owner or custodian of such dog without the consent of the owner of such property, within the corporate limits of the city, and all dogs may be deemed running at large within the meaning of this section unless tied or restrained by chain, strap or cord, not to exceed six feet in length, attached to their collars and actually held by some person, or staked away from the public walkway or thoroughfare. Any such restraining device shall be of sufficient strength as to prevent being broken, severed or otherwise rendered ineffective by the weight and/or strength of the dog. For purposes of this section, any dog in or upon any vehicle shall be deemed to be on the premises of the operator thereof. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.060 Control or containment.

No person owning or having care, custody, control or possession of any dog shall allow the dog to remain outside of a secure building or dwelling on the premises of the person unless the dog is within a fenced enclosure which is adequate to contain the dog, or unless the dog is securely tethered so as to prevent the dog from leaving the premises at will. Any dog so tethered shall be secured in such a manner as to be unable to cross the property line of such premises and shall further be restrained from entering onto any sidewalk, street, road, or other such place designated for the use of the public. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.061 Dogs, cats and other animals to be curbed.

Should any dog, cat and/or other animal defecate on any public property or on the private property of any person, the person owning or having custody of the animal shall immediately remove the feces from any such place to a site not prohibited by law. (Ord. 546 § 3, 2015)

6.08.070 Dogs in vehicles.

No dog, except a dog assisting a peace officer engaged in law enforcement duties, shall be transported on any public thoroughfare or left unattended in any vehicle parked on any street, road, alley or off-street parking facility, whether public or privately owned, unless such dog is totally enclosed within such vehicle, within a secured container carried upon such vehicle, or securely cross-tethered to such vehicle in such a way as to prevent a falling out of, or off, such vehicle. No dog shall be left completely enclosed in a parked vehicle without adequate ventilation, or in a way as to subject the dog to temperatures sufficiently above the ambient to affect the dog’s health and welfare. Any dog found in violation of this section may be impounded for the safety and protection of the dog and the public by the animal control officer. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.080 Female dogs in heat.

It is unlawful for any person owning or having the possession of any female dog in heat to permit the same to run at large or to run loose on or within the premises of such person. Running loose is defined for the purposes of this section as being outside of a house, closed garage, or other closed building, whether tied or not. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.090 Barking – Nuisance.

Any dog which continually and habitually barks, whines, screeches, cries or howls to the discomfort and inconvenience of other citizens for more than 30 minutes is a public nuisance. It is unlawful for any person to own or possess a dog which is a public nuisance. (Ord. 546 § 3, 2015; Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.100 Prohibited in food establishments.

No person shall allow, permit or take any dog whether loose, on leash or in arms, into any restaurant, grocery store, meat market, fruit store or food establishment of any kind in the city, except for guide dogs which have been specially trained to lead and aid the blind or disabled. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.110 License – Required – Vaccination.

It is unlawful for any person owning, harboring or having the care, custody or possession of any dog past the age of four months to keep or harbor such dog within the city unless such dog is vaccinated against rabies and the owner or person having control of such dog has secured a license to keep a dog as provided in this chapter. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.120 License – Application – Fee.

Every person keeping or harboring any dog past the age of four months within the city shall secure a license to keep a dog by causing the dog to be registered in the following manner:

A. Furnish to the city a description of the dog sufficient for identification, which description shall be entered in a record kept by the animal control officer for that purpose;

B. Pay the city a license fee as established by resolution of the city council. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.130 License – Issuance – Tag.

The city shall, upon proper registration and payment of the fee as provided herein, issue to the owner or person having control of the dog a license to keep a dog and a metal identification tag having a number corresponding with the registration number of the dog. The holder of a license to keep a dog shall preserve the same and shall, upon demand of the animal control officer or police officer, show such license. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.140 License – Rabies certificate.

No license to keep a dog shall be issued for any dog which has attained the age of four months or over unless a valid official certificate of vaccination signed by a licensed veterinarian shall indicate the date of vaccination and the type of vaccine used. The certificate shall be accepted as valid if the date of expiration exceeds the requested registration period (one or two years) and the vaccine used is approved by the state for the length of time indicated on the certificate. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.150 Collars required – Tags – Impoundment.

Every registered dog shall be provided by the owner or possessor thereof with a suitable collar or other device to which shall be attached the metallic identification tag issued by the animal control officer. Every dog not registered and not provided with such collar or other device and metallic identification tag found upon any of the streets, alleys, lanes, courts or other public places in the city or upon any private property, whether leashed or unleashed, or whether or not it is in any manner under the control of any person, shall be taken into custody of the animal control officer or his assistants and lodged in the public animal control shelter. It is unlawful for any person to use any metallic identification tag for any dog other than the dog for which it was specifically issued. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.160 Duplicate tags.

Lost identification tags may be replaced by surrendering to the city the license to the dog at the time the lost identification tag was procured, and by paying a fee as established by resolution of the city council. After complying with the above provision, the city shall again register the dog, issue a new license and new identification tag. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.170 Registration fee – Penalty for late registration.

A. The license fee for keeping a dog within the city shall be as established by resolution of the city council.

B. The fee may be prepaid for one, two or three years; provided, that the applicant presents a valid vaccination certificate extending through the period for which applicant desires. (Ord. 546 § 3, 2015; Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.180 Animal control officer and assistants – Appointments.

There is created the office of the animal control officer who shall be appointed by the city manager. The city manager is authorized to employ assistants for the animal control officer as the need arises. The animal control officer and his or her assistants are authorized and directed to enforce all the provisions of Part V of the Health and Safety Code. For such purpose they shall have the powers of peace officers. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.190 Animal control officer – Chief of police or his designee to supervise animal control officer’s work.

The animal control officer shall report to and be supervised in his work by the chief of police. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.200 Animal control officer duties generally – Animals running at large prohibited.

No person owning or having the care, custody, control or possession of any animal set forth in this section shall suffer, allow, or permit any such animal to run, be, or remain at large on any unenclosed lot or ground within the city, or any public street, road, alley, park, public square or other public property or upon any private property other than the property of the owner or custodian of such animal without the consent of the owner of such property. It shall be the duty of the animal control officer to take up and impound as provided in this title, any animal that may be found in or upon any public street, road, alley, park, public square, unenclosed lot or ground or upon any private property, other than the property of the owner or custodian of such animal, or private property with the consent of the owner of such private property. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.210 Rabies – Impoundment – Fee.

Any rabid animal, clinically suspected rabid animal, or biting animal, shall be surrendered to the animal control officer in accordance with California Health and Safety Code Section 121575 et seq. and California Code of Regulations 2606 et seq. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.215 Quarantine of a biting animal.

When the animal control officer has received information that an animal of a species subject to rabies has bitten a human being or has exposed another animal, the animal control officer, upon notice to the owner of the animal, may take either of the following actions:

A. The animal control officer may require that the owner quarantine that animal on the owner’s premises for a period of 10 days or for a duration as state law requires. The animal shall not be released from quarantine except by permission from the animal control officer.

B. The animal control officer can require that the animal be interned in the animal shelter for a period of 10 days. The animal’s owner shall be responsible for all boarding fees and costs. (Ord. 570 § 3, 2018)

6.08.220 Impoundment, redemption, disposition, euthanization.

The animal control officer shall impound, redeem, sell, transfer or euthanize animals within his or her custody and control in accordance with applicable state laws and regulations, including SB 1785 (Hayden), as such laws may be amended from time to time. The fees for redemption or disposition of animals within the custody of the animal control officer shall be established by resolution of the city council. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.230 No killing or butchering within residential areas.

No person shall kill or butcher any animal within a residential area of the city except as specifically provided in this chapter. Chickens, turkeys, ducks, pigeons, geese, game birds and rabbits may be killed or butchered in the city, provided the meat of such animal is for the personal consumption of the occupant of the property or his immediate family; and the act of killing is not visible or audible off the property. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.240 Violation – Penalty.

Except as otherwise provided by law, it is unlawful and constitutes an infraction for any person to violate or fail to comply with any provision of this chapter. (Ord. 469, 2003)

6.08.241 Abandonment of animals prohibited.

Every person who willfully abandons any domestic dog or cat or any other animal is guilty of a misdemeanor. (Ord. 546 § 3, 2015)