Beaumont Municipal Code Ch. 6.06 Animal Licenses

No person within the City owning, possessing, controlling, harboring, or keeping any dog over four months of age shall fail, refuse or neglect to procure a dog license tag for each dog, from the Animal Services Officer or his authorized agent.

The owner shall state at the time application is made, and upon standard printed forms of application provided for such purpose, his/her name and address, the name, breed, color, age, and sex of each dog for which application is made, and the grounds for exemption from fees, if applicable.

When a person moves into the City from another community who owns a dog which is currently vaccinated against rabies and for which dog a license was issued by such other community, such license shall be deemed valid for a period of one year from the date such person moves into the City or on the date of expiration of the license issued by such other community, whichever is earlier.

The owner shall notify the City within 30 days of moving into the City, and a City license shall be issued for the remainder of the license period as indicated, at no cost. If an application for a license from the Animal Services Officer is made more than 30 days after such license is required, the applicant shall pay, in addition to the applicable license fee, a late fee.

(Ord. 960, 10/20/09; § 1)

An owner of a cat may be issued a license and tag for such cat upon presentation to the Animal Services Officer of a certificate of vaccination signed by a veterinarian certifying that such a cat has been vaccinated, and upon the payment of a license fee. Said license shall be valid for the period of immunity indicated in the certificate of vaccination.

(Ord. 960, 10/20/09; § 1)

A metallic tag and license certificate with corresponding number shall be furnished by the Animal Services Officer upon compliance with all applicable requirements and payment of the appropriate fee. The Animal Services Officer shall keep a record of the owner or person making payment of the license fee and to whom a certificate and tag has been issued, and the number and date of the certificate and the tag.

(Ord. 960, 10/20/09; § 1)

No license or license tag issued to one dog shall be transferred to another dog.

(Ord. 960, 10/20/09; § 1)

If a valid license tag is lost or destroyed, a duplicate thereof may be procured from the Animal Services Officer upon submission to the Animal Services Officer of a statement signed by the owner of the dog containing the date and circumstances of such loss or destruction and the payment of a fee.

(Ord. 960, 10/20/09; § 1)

A valid license shall be displayed upon the dog's collar pursuant to Section 30951(b) of the California Food and Agriculture Code.

Upon request of the Animal Services Officer, any owner of a dog which a license is required under the provisions of this Title shall present to the Animal Services Officer a currently valid certificate of rabies vaccination or license tag.

(Ord. 960, 10/20/09; § 1)

No person shall remove from any dog any collar, harness, or other device to which is attached a registration tag for the current license year, or remove the tag there from without the express written permission of the Animal Services Officer.

(Ord. 960, 10/20/09; § 1)

It shall be unlawful for any person to make use of a stolen, counterfeit or unauthorized license, tag, certificate or any other document or thing for the purpose of evading the provisions of this Title.

(Ord. 960, 10/20/09; § 1)

The term of each license issued shall terminate as of the termination date of the subject dog's most recent anti-rabies vaccination, and shall be renewed within 30 days after such period terminates, except that where the current vaccination for the dog which is the subject of the license shall expire prior to the expiration date of the license being applied for, the Animal Services Officer may upon request of the owner or custodian of such dog, backdate such license so that its expiration date occurs concurrent with or prior to the expiration date of the vaccination; provided, however, that where such backdating is performed, there shall be no reduction or discount of the license fee applicable to the license applied for, and such license shall be renewed within 30 days after the date of its expiration.

"Lifetime" license shall only refer to the waiver of licensing fees. Certificates of vaccinations as required by this Title shall be the determining factor if a license is valid as defined in this Title.

If an application for a license is made more than 30 days after the date a dog license is required under this Title, the applicant shall pay, in addition to the applicable license fee, a late fee.

Whenever a dog validly licensed under this Title shall have died more than three months before the expiration date of the license, the owner of such dog may return the license tag to the Animal Services Officer, accompanied by a statement signed by a veterinarian or a declaration signed under penalty of perjury by the owner, indicating that such dog is dead and specifying the date of death. In such event, the license shall be canceled and a pro-rata credit of the license fee by full calendar quarters of the original license period remaining after the death of the dog may be applied during said remaining period to the license fee for another dog acquired by the same owner.

The fees for a "lifetime" license shall be issued a pro-rata credit during only the first year of issuance.

(Ord. 960, 10/20/09; § 1)

All license fees due and payable hereunder shall be fixed from time to time by resolution of the City Council. No fee shall be charged for:

a. No fee shall be required for a license for any "assistance dog" as defined in California Food and Agriculture Code, Section 30805(a), if such dog is in the possession and under the control of, in the case of a guide dog, a blind person, or in the case of a signal dog, a deaf or hearing-impaired person, or in the case of a service dog, a physically disabled person, or where such dog is in the possession and under the control of a bona fide organization having as its primary purpose the furnishing and training of guide dogs for the blind, signal dogs for the deaf or hearing-impaired, or service dogs for the physically disabled. However this provision does not remove the owner's responsibility to vaccinate said dogs against rabies and attach a current license tag to the dog's collar. Whenever a person applies for an assistance dog identification tag, the person shall sign an affidavit as defined in California Food and Agriculture Code, Section 30805(b).

b. No fee shall be required for a license for any dog owned by a public entity.

c. Any dog owned by, or in the care of, any person who is a nonresident or who is traveling through the City, or who is temporarily sojourning therein, provided the dog is kept within the City for less than 30 days.

(Ord. 960, 10/20/09; § 1)

It shall be unlawful for any person to own, harbor or keep any dog, four months of age or older, within the incorporated area of the City, for a period longer than 30 days, which has not been vaccinated against rabies. Any person in the City who owns, harbors or keeps any dog over four months of age for a period longer than 30 days shall have such dog vaccinated against rabies as provided herein, by a veterinarian of his choice and such vaccination shall be renewed in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations of the State of California.

Each veterinarian after vaccinating any dog shall sign a certificate of vaccination in triplicate in the form required by the Animal Services Officer. The veterinarian shall keep one copy, shall give one copy to the owner of the vaccinated dog and shall send one copy to the Department within 30 of vaccination.

The Animal Services Officer shall issue a license only upon presentation of a certificate of vaccination indicating therein that the date of expiration of the vaccination immunity is not earlier than the date of expiration of the license being issued or renewed, and upon payment of the applicable license fee as specified in this Title; provided, however, that where the vaccinated dog is between the ages of four months and 12 months, the period of vaccination immunity required for licensing shall be as specified by State law.

In the event a dog has a short-term illness, is pregnant, or suffers from a long-term debilitating illness which in the opinion of a veterinarian contraindicates vaccination for rabies, such dog shall not be required to undergo vaccination during the period of such illness or pregnancy where a request for vaccination deferral has been approved by the Animal Services Officer. Such request shall specify the duration of the requested deferral, the reason for the requested deferral, and shall be signed by a veterinarian. The Animal Services Officer shall issue a license for such dog upon approval of the request for vaccination deferral and payment for the applicable license fee. The owner or person having custody of such dog shall confine and shall keep such dog confined, for the duration of the deferral. Within fourteen (14) days after the expiration of the deferral, the owner or person having custody of such dog shall present to the Animal Services Officer a certificate of vaccination in accordance with the provisions of this Title.

(Ord. 960, 10/20/09; § 1)

Upon transfer of ownership of any dog validly licensed under this Title, the new owner shall notify the Animal Services Officer of such transfer within 30 days of such transfer, on a form prescribed by the Animal Services Officer, accompanied by a transfer fee.

(Ord. 960, 10/20/09; §1)

The Department may deny or revoke an unaltered dog license for one or more of the following reasons:

a. The owner, custodian, applicant or licensee is not in compliance with all of the requirements of this section;

b. The Department has received at least three complaints, verified by the Department, that the owner, custodian, applicant, or licensee has allowed a dog to be stray or run at large or has otherwise been found to be neglectful of his or her or other animals;

c. The owner, custodian, applicant, or licensee has been previously cited for violating a state law, other City or municipal provisions relating to the care and control of animals;

d. The unaltered dog has been adjudicated by a court or an agency of appropriate jurisdiction to be potentially dangerous, dangerous or vicious, or to be nuisance within the meaning of the City of Beaumont Titles or under state law;

e. An unaltered dog license held by the applicant has been revoked;

f. The license application is discovered to contain a material misrepresentation or omission of fact.

(Ord. 960, 10/20/09; §1)

When an unaltered dog license is denied, the applicant may re-apply for a license upon changed circumstances and a showing that the requirements of this Title have been met. The Department shall refund one-half of the license fees when the application is denied. The applicant shall pay the full fee upon re-application.

When an unaltered dog license is revoked, the owner or custodian of the dog may apply for a new license after a 30-day waiting period upon showing that the requirements of this Title have been met. No part of an unaltered dog license fee is refundable when a license is revoked and the applicant shall pay the full fee upon reapplication.

(Ord. 960, 10/20/09; §1)

The Department shall mail to the owner, custodian, licensee, or applicant a written notice of its intent to deny or revoke the license for an unaltered dog which includes the reason(s) for the denial or revocation. The owner, custodian, licensee or applicant may request a hearing to appeal the denial or revocation. The hearing shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 6.22 of this Title. If the dog is moved before or during the appeal process, the owner, custodian, licensee, or applicant shall provide the Department with information as to the dog's whereabouts, including the current owner or custodian's name, address, and telephone number.

(Ord. 960, 10/20/09; § 1)