Chapter 6.04 LIVESTOCK

A. “Immediate slaughter” means and applies to livestock shipped to a public stockyard and released therefrom for slaughter, and to livestock shipped to the plant or premises of a firm regularly engaged in the slaughter of animals under approved inspection.

B. “Infectious disease” includes any infectious, contagious or communicable disease considered by the County Veterinarian to be sufficiently dangerous to the welfare of the City and to the health of the livestock therein to warrant putting into effect the provisions of this chapter and their rules and regulations.

C. “Livestock” means any horses, mules, asses, cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, poultry, rabbits, pet birds, or dogs and cats, and fish, or any animal or animals ordinarily considered as wild animals which are kept in captivity or under control or ownership of any person for any purpose.

D. “Stockyard” means and applies to any stockyard, corral or premises wherein public trading in livestock is carried on, or where yarding, feeding and watering facilities are provided and where Federal, State or County inspection is maintained for the inspection of livestock for infectious disease.

E. “Tuberculin test” means any test approved by the Veterinary Services Division, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, United States Department of Agriculture for the detection of tuberculosis in animals. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.101 – 62.106)

6.04.020 Provisions supplement laws.

This chapter shall in all respects be construed to supplement and harmonize with the provisions of the laws of the State pertaining to animal husbandry. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.107)

6.04.030 Duties of County Veterinarian.

A. It shall be the duty of the County Veterinarian, acting in cooperation with the State Bureau of Animal Health, to enforce all laws of the State and all orders and ordinances of the City Council pertaining to the health and sanitary surroundings of the livestock, in the City, and for that purpose is empowered by this chapter and authorized by and with the approval of the City Council to establish, maintain and enforce such quarantine, sanitary, testing and immunizing measures or to promulgate such rules and regulations as may be deemed proper and necessary.

B. The County Veterinarian shall supervise examination and testing of animals or premises for the presence of contagious, infectious, or communicable disease; attend such meetings and conferences as may be called from time to time by the Bureau of Animal Industry or the Director of Agriculture. He shall investigate with the State any reported outbreak of contagious, infectious or communicable disease, the presence of which in the State may constitute a menace to the health of livestock in the City; shall investigate, make diagnosis of, and institute control measures for any suspicious case of rabies of animals reported by the Health Officer or any other person or agency. A report of such investigation shall be furnished to the Health Officer. The County Veterinarian shall supervise and administer the operation of the livestock and poultry laboratory. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.109)

6.04.040 County Veterinarian may enter premises.

The County Veterinarian is empowered by this chapter to enter any premises where livestock is kept, or on which he has reason to believe that livestock is kept, in order to carry into effect the provisions of this chapter. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.110)

6.04.050 Interference with County Veterinarian.

It is unlawful for any person to interfere with the official actions of the County Veterinarian. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.111)

6.04.060 Illegally imported livestock subject to examination at owner’s expense.

All livestock brought into the City in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to quarantine, examination and test at the expense of the owner by the County Veterinarian, who may dispose of such livestock to comport with the welfare of the City and the protection of the health of the domestic livestock therein. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.112)

6.04.070 Duty to assist County Veterinarian.

It is hereby made the duty of any person suspecting or having knowledge of the presence of any infectious disease in livestock to report same to the County Veterinarian. It shall be the duty of any person owning or having control of livestock to assist the County Veterinarian to enforce the provisions of this chapter, to obey all orders of the County Veterinarian made for the control and eradication of infectious disease, the sanitation of premises, the destruction of livestock and the disposal of carcasses, manure, offal, refuse, condemned meat and meat products. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.113)

6.04.080 Rats prohibited.

It is unlawful for any person to maintain a rat menace where livestock is kept. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.114)

6.04.090 Sanitary premises required.

All premises where livestock is kept, fed, stabled or otherwise cared for, or any premises on which a hog ranch or slaughterhouse is maintained or where meat products are prepared for food shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.115)

6.04.100 Rabies vaccination.

The County Veterinarian is hereby empowered to vaccinate animals for rabies at the request of the owner or person in possession of the animal vaccinated or whenever in his judgment the County Veterinarian deems such vaccination a necessary part of the control program authorized by this chapter. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.116)

6.04.110 Tests for livestock diseases – Fees.

At such times and places within the City as he determines, the County Veterinarian, in accordance with his authority and duties prescribed by law, may perform such tests as may be required to make proper diagnosis of various conditions and diseases in livestock as may be authorized from time to time by resolution of the City Council. Any person desiring such a test shall provide the County Veterinarian with such samples and/or specimens as the County Veterinarian may require. The County Veterinarian may issue health certificates based on his findings resulting from such tests or from such livestock examinations as may be authorized by law. The fees for such tests and health certificates shall be collected in advance by the County Veterinarian and shall be as specified by resolution of the Board of Supervisors. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.117)

6.04.120 Revocation of permits.

Any permits issued under the provisions of this chapter may be revoked by the City Council on recommendation of the County Veterinarian for violation of any of the provisions of this chapter or any of the rules and regulations established under the authority thereof, or because the conduct or location of such premises has become a nuisance. Such permit shall be subject to suspension by the County Veterinarian for the same cause or causes and until the conditions resulting in such violation are remedied or because the business no longer comports with public health and welfare. During the period of such suspension, the County Veterinarian may in his discretion permit such preparation of food products in an establishment for the slaughtering of animals or for the preparation of meat products as is absolutely necessary to preserve the food value thereof. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.118)

Article II. Importation of Livestock

6.04.130 Transportation of diseased animals – Permit.

It is unlawful for any person to bring into or receive in, or to transport from place to place within the City, except for the purpose of immediate slaughter, any livestock affected with any contagious, infectious or communicable disease without a permit from the County Veterinarian, except such diseased animals as are specifically permitted to enter the State and the City under Federal or State regulations, and only under the conditions and for the purpose prescribed in the Federal and State regulations governing movement of livestock. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.123)

6.04.140 Transportation directly to stockyards.

All livestock entering the City for the purpose of immediate slaughter by any method of transportation or by driving on hoof must be moved directly to a public stockyard or to the premises upon which they are to be slaughtered, except that such livestock in railroad shipments may be unloaded enroute in order to comply with the provisions of what is known as the “28-hour law” of the United States Department of Agriculture. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.125)

Article III. Quarantines

6.04.150 Quarantine of importations from other cities.

When the County Veterinarian has determined that an infectious disease exists among livestock in any other City or areas of the State and the importation of livestock from such City or area might spread such disease among livestock within the City, the County Veterinarian shall notify the City Council thereof, designating and describing the City or area wherein such disease has been found and shall, with their approval, establish quarantine restrictions against such City or area as the circumstances warrant. The County Veterinarian may refuse to permit shipments of livestock originating in such areas to enter the City unless accompanied by a certificate signed by a State or Federal Veterinarian which shall satisfactorily prove that there is no possibility that the livestock for which such certificate is issued are infected with or exposed to an infectious disease. Any livestock entering the City from any City or area so described and designated without such certificate may be quarantined by the County Veterinarian in such manner as to eliminate any danger of the livestock within the City being exposed to infection from such disease. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.130)

6.04.160 Quarantine within City.

Upon information received by the County Veterinarian of any infectious disease affecting livestock within the City, the County Veterinarian shall proceed to thoroughly investigate the same. Upon discovery of any infectious disease affecting livestock in the City, the County Veterinarian shall have the power and duty to establish such quarantine, sanitary testing, immunizing, and police regulations as may be necessary to control or eradicate such disease and prevent the spread thereof to other livestock. The County Veterinarian may quarantine any livestock which may have been exposed to infection from such diseased livestock or which may have been located upon the land or premises where such diseased livestock has been kept, and thereafter it is unlawful for any person to break such quarantine or to move or allow to be moved any such livestock from within the premises thus quarantined, or across the quarantine line so established without first obtaining from the County Veterinarian a permit to do so. If the County Veterinarian shall deem it proper to issue such a permit after inspection, the County Veterinarian may cause such livestock, premises, vehicles of transportation, and any infected materials, equipment or effects to be properly cleaned and disinfected. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.131)

6.04.170 Removal of quarantine notices prohibited.

It is unlawful for any person during the existence of such quarantine to remove, tear, deface, mutilate, obscure or otherwise destroy or in any other manner whatsoever interfere with any placard, notice, or proclamation declaring such quarantine which is placed on or about the premises on which any of said animals so quarantined are located. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.132)

6.04.180 Quarantined animals not to drink from streams or other channels.

It is unlawful for any person to permit any livestock so quarantined to have access to any irrigation ditch, stream or other channel in which water is running or may run at any time through such quarantined premises, or to allow such livestock to come in contact with other livestock which may have access to any irrigation ditch, stream or other channel so mentioned, or to permit the depositing in such irrigation ditch, stream, or channel of any manure, offal, excrement, or material which might carry infection, or to allow the drainage from any premises so quarantined to come in contact with such irrigation ditch, stream or other channel aforementioned. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.133)

Article IV. Tuberculosis Tests

6.04.190 Injection of tuberculin.

No person shall inject or cause to be injected tuberculin into any cattle except when used in connection with a tuberculin test. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.136)

6.04.200 County Veterinarian may require tuberculin test.

Whenever the County Veterinarian has cause to believe that there is danger that any cattle brought into the City are afflicted with tuberculosis he shall cause such cattle to be examined and tested for tuberculosis. Such test or tests may be made at any time within 120 days after arrival of such cattle into the City. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.139)

6.04.210 Movement of cattle during testing prohibited.

No person shall move from any premises any cattle upon which a tuberculin test has been started until the same has been completed without the permission of the veterinarian conducting such test, nor in any way interfere with the proper conduct of such test after it has been started. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.140)

Article V. Slaughterhouses

6.04.220 Slaughtering of animals – Permit required.

It is unlawful for any person to conduct, maintain or operate an establishment for the slaughtering of animals or for the preparation of meat products in the City without a permit issued by the County Veterinarian with the approval of the City Council; provided, that no permit shall be required for any establishment or individual exempt from inspection by the provisions of Section 307 of the Agricultural Code of the State, nor shall any permit be required of any establishment which is under Federal or State inspection. (Ord. 29 § 1, 1981; CC § 62.161)