Alameda Municipal Code § 7-3 Dogs and Cats

Every person who owns, harbors or has in his/her possession or control any dog or cat over four (4) months of age in the City shall pay a license fee. The license fee shall be set by City Council Resolution.

However, the license fee for spayed and neutered dogs or cats and for dogs and cats owned by citizens who are sixty-two (62) years of age and older shall be fifty (50%) percent of the license fee imposed. If such person's income is below the "very low income" level established by the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Oakland area, there shall be no license fee imposed. No person shall own, keep, harbor or possess any dog or cat within the corporate limits of the City for which the license fee imposed by this subsection has not been paid. An additional fee, set by City Council Resolution, shall be charged if the above mentioned license is not obtained within forty-five (45) days after the date requiring the license.

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

It shall be the responsibility of every person who owns, harbors or possesses any dog or cat over the age of four (4) months in the City, to ensure that the annual dog or cat license tag issued by the City is fastened to the collar or leash of a dog, or to the collar or other device worn by a cat at all times when in a public place. The license number and animal shelter telephone number of (510) 748-4585 may be legibly printed using permanent, indelible ink on a collar or other device worn by a dog or cat, in lieu of the license tag.

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

Whenever a tag issued for the then current year has been stolen, or lost, the owner or possessor of the animal for which the same was issued may, on the payment of three ($3.00) dollars and on making and subscribing to an affidavit of such loss and filing the same, receive a duplicate tag for the remaining portion of the then current year.

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

It shall be unlawful for any person owning, harboring, or having the care, custody or possession of any dog or cat over four (4) months of age to keep or maintain such dog or cat in any place in the City unless such dog or cat has been vaccinated as required by this Code. All dogs or cats under four (4) months of age shall be confined to the premises of, or kept under physical restraint by, the owner, keeper or harborer. Any dog or cat having received its initial rabies vaccination shall be subject to the same restrictions as an unvaccinated dog or cat for a period of thirty (30) days from the date of such initial vaccination.

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

The Supervising Animal Control Officer shall not license any dog or cat until it has been vaccinated with anti-rabies vaccine, by injection or other method approved by the County Health Officer, and the owner or person in possession of the dog or cat submits a Certification of Vaccination from a licensed veterinarian confirming the approved vaccination of the dog or cat valid for a period extending at least through the current licensing period. The effective duration of immunity elicited in dogs and cats shall be specified by the County Health Officer but shall not in any event exceed those periods recommended by the California State Department of Public Health and duly enforced by the California Conference of Local Health Officers.

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

The vaccination shall be performed under the direction of a duly qualified and licensed veterinarian. The person vaccinating the dog or cat shall issue to the owner or person in possession of the dog or cat a certificate of vaccination, which shall include a statement as to the type of anti-rabies vaccine used in vaccinating the dog or cat.

Every person authorized by State law to administer an anti-rabies vaccination who offers that service in the City of Alameda will use certificates furnished by the Alameda Animal Shelter. On a weekly basis, copies of the completed certificates, showing the name and address of the owner, and other pertinent data, regarding each dog or cat vaccinated during the previous week, will be picked up from the veterinarians, clinics or other authorized parties, by the Alameda Animal Shelter. Failure to comply shall result in a misdemeanor offense with issuance of a citation by an Animal Control Officer to the offending veterinarian, clinic or other authorized party.

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

Except for veterinarian hospitals, kennels, animal breeders, pet shops or other commercial uses operating under a valid use permit, it shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to maintain on any premises owned, occupied or controlled by him/her or it in the City, more than three (3) dogs over the age of four (4) months. This subsection shall not apply to persons which currently maintain more than three (3) dogs; however, this exemption is not intended to permit such persons to add or replace such dogs in excess of three (3).

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

It shall be unlawful for any person having an interest in, owning, harboring or having in charge, care or control, custody or possession of any dog to cause or permit such dog to be in, on, or upon any public street, alley, or other public place, unless such dog is kept securely fastened by a rope, chain or leash of sufficient length and strength to maintain control of the animal and under the supervision of a responsible person, or confined within the private property of the owner or person having control of the dog. The leashing requirements, with the exception of those that apply to potentially dangerous animals in Section 7-10.9(b)(2), do not apply to those areas officially designated by the City as "Dog Parks" or "Dog Runs."

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

a. It shall be unlawful for any person owning or having control or custody of any dog to permit the animal to stray onto private property of another.

b. It shall be unlawful for any person owning or having control or custody of any dog to permit the animal to defecate upon the public property of this City or upon the private property of another unless the person immediately removes the feces and properly disposes of it, provided, however, that nothing herein contained authorizes such person to enter upon the private property of another without permission.

c. Visually handicapped persons who use seeing eye guide dogs are exempt from this law.

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

It shall be unlawful in the City to harbor, keep or maintain any dog or dogs which disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood or person by persistent or prolonged barking, howling or making unusual noises. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to premises operated as duly licensed pet shops, wherein dogs are temporarily kept and maintained for purposes of sale, but the operators of such pet shops shall exercise appropriate means of reducing the barking, howling and noise making of the dogs. Any violation of this section shall be deemed a violation of Section 4-10.5 of the Alameda Municipal Code and subject to the penalties in Section 4-10.12 of the Alameda Municipal Code.

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

No person owning or having possession of any female dog shall suffer or permit the same to be upon any public street of the City during the period of oestruation of the dog, unless such dog is kept securely fastened by a rope, chain or leash not over six (6°) feet in length and under the supervision of a responsible person, or confined in a vehicle.

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

Every dog found or being in any public street of the City and not being kept securely fastened by a rope, chain or leash and under the supervision of a responsible person, or confined in a vehicle, shall be taken by the Supervising Animal Control Officer to, and impounded in the animal shelter, where it may be redeemed by the owner or persons theretofore entitled to the possession of it within three (3) days, excluding Sunday, Monday and holidays, thereafter, on payment of feed and care charges and upon securing a rabies vaccination and dog license as required under this Code.

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

In addition to the Supervising Animal Control Officer, any person may take up any female dog found or being in any public street of the City during the period of oestruation of the dog, and not being kept securely fastened by a rope, chain or leash not over six (6°) feet in length and under the supervision of a responsible person, or confined in any vehicle, and it shall be the duty of such person to immediately deliver such female dog to the Supervising Animal Control Officer, who shall give to such person a receipt for such female dog.

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

a. Dogs on South Shore Beach Unlawful. It shall be unlawful for any person owning or having possession of any dog to suffer or permit the same to be upon any portion of those lands owned by the City of Alameda, commonly referred to as the South Shore Beach, and more particularly described as follows:

All of that area bounded on the north by the southern edge of the bicycle and walking path adjacent to Shoreline Drive, and on the west by Westline Drive extended, on the east by Versailles Avenue extended, and on the south by San Francisco Bay.

b. Impounding Dogs Found on South Shore Beach. Every dog being found upon the South Shore Beach, as same is described in paragraph a., may be taken into custody by the Supervising Animal Control Officer or any Police Officer and may be transported to and impounded in the animal shelter under the same terms and conditions as are set out in Section 7-3.12 of this Code, pertaining to seizure and disposition of unleashed dogs.

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

The Supervising Animal Control Officer, his/her officers and employees, are hereby declared to have the duty to enforce the provisions of this chapter and they shall have the power to arrest any person violating any such provision, in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Penal Code of California.

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

Any person who in any way resists, delays or obstructs any animal control officer in the discharge of any duty of his/her office is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

Any person who violates any of the provisions of this Code referred to in the preceding Section 7-3.15 shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished as provided in Section 1-5 of this Code.

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)

Whenever any person is arrested for a violation of one (1) or more of the sections of this chapter and such person is not immediately taken before a Magistrate as the procedure therefor is prescribed in the Penal Code of California, the Supervising Animal Control Officer or other arresting officer shall prepare and serve upon the arrestee a written notice to appear in Court in the form and manner provided in Section 853.6 and following of the Penal Code.

(Ord. No. 2747 N.S. 3)