Canyon Lake Municipal Code Ch. 10.16 Dogs, Cats and Other Animals at Large; Impoundment

Section

Cross-reference:

Requirements for pet waste disposal, see Chapter 15.02

(a) It shall be unlawful and a violation of this Code for an owner or the person in charge of such dog, cat or other animal to allow that dog, cat or other animal, licensed or unlicensed, to be at large as defined herein.

(b) Except as otherwise allowed by the Leash Law or other State laws, all dogs shall be kept under restraint anytime they are outside of the owner’s fenced premises by a leash or other device of a size and material appropriate to the dog, held by a person capable of restraining such dog with that leash; restraint does not include voice, eye or signal control.

(c) No owner shall fail to prevent his animal from becoming a public nuisance.

(d) Every female dog or cat in heat shall be confined in a building or other enclosure in such a manner that she cannot come into contact with a male member of the same species except for planned breeding.

(32-12/92 § 10.05.010) (Ord. 166, passed 4-6-2016; Am. Ord. 237, passed 12-13-2023)

In the interest of public health and safety, it shall be lawful for any person to take up, in a humane manner, any dog, cat or other animal at large and promptly to deliver such dog, cat or other animal to the Animal Control Officer.

(a) For purposes of catching cats at large, City residents may rent cat traps from the contracted animal control agency.

(b) When a resident traps a cat with a permanent ear tag, that cat shall be released immediately. Alternatively, the resident may notify the Animal Control Officer to request impoundment if he or she believes the cat has been trapped before on at least three occasions within the past 12 months.

(32-12/92 § 10.05.020) (Am. Ord. 181, passed 5-1-2019)

(a) The Animal Control Officer may receive, take up and impound any dog, cat or other animal at large in violation of this Chapter or any other law; any dog, cat or other animal which is molesting any person or other animal; any sick, injured or stray dog, cat or other animal; or may release the cat to its owner.

(b) Any dog or cat four months of age or older which has been impounded shall not be released from impoundment unless it is licensed, vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and micro-chipped in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter.

(c) Any Animal Control Officer impounding a licensed dog or micro-chipped cat shall give written notice by first class mail, postage prepaid, to the last known address of the owner, of the impounding of such dog or cat and shall give the owner telephone notice where possible. If such dog or cat is not redeemed within five business days or as otherwise provided by law from the date of impound, the officer having custody of the dog or cat shall either place it for adoption or destroy it as set out herein.

(d) Upon impounding an unlicensed dog or unidentified cat, the officer shall give notice to the owner, if the owner and his whereabouts are known, of the impounding of such dog or cat. If such dog or cat has not been redeemed within five business days of the date of impound, the officer shall dispose of such dog or cat in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter or shall destroy such dog or cat. For the purpose of this Section, the notice specified herein shall be given in the manner determined by the officer as expedient under the circumstances.

(e) The Animal Control Officer having custody of any trapped or impounded dog or cat may, by humane methods, summarily destroy such dog or cat if the dog or cat is feral or is suffering from any incurable, dangerous or contagious disease, providing a veterinarian first shall certify, in writing, that such dog or cat is so suffering.

(f) Any Animal Control Officer having in his/her custody any unredeemed, impounded dog or cat may release such dog or cat to any adult individual upon payment by that individual of the adoption fees and the spay/neuter deposit and micro-chipping cost. The dog or cat also may be released to a nonprofit corporation formed under the provisions of the California Corporations Code for the prevention of cruelty to animals for such sale or placement as such nonprofit corporation or nonprofit organization may choose, except that such animals shall not be sold or released or given to labs. Releases of dogs or cats to such nonprofit corporations or nonprofit organizations pursuant to this Subsection shall not be subject to the payment of the impound/adoption fees but shall be subject to the spay/neuter deposit and micro-chipping cost.

(j) It shall be unlawful for any person to remove an impounded animal from an Animal Control Center without the permission of the officer in charge thereof.

(32-12/92 § 10.05.030) (Am. Ord. 181, passed 5-1-2019)

(a) When an unaltered and unlicensed dog or unaltered cat is impounded pursuant to State laws and this Title, in addition to satisfying all applicable requirements for the release of the animal, including but not limited to payment of impound fees the owner shall also do one of the following:

(1) Provide written proof of the dog or cat’s prior sterilization, if conditions cannot or do not make this assessment obvious to the contracted animal control agency’s personnel;

(2) Have the dog or cat spayed or neutered by a veterinarian at the sole expense of the owner. Such expense may include additional fees due to extraordinary care required; or

(3) At the discretion of the Animal Control Officer, the dog or cat may be released to the owner if he or she signs a statement under penalty of perjury, representing that the dog or cat will be spayed or neutered and that he or she will submit a statement within ten days of the release, signed by a veterinarian, confirming that the dog or cat has been spayed or neutered or is incapable of breeding.

(b) Costs of impoundment.

(1) The owner of the unaltered dog or cat shall be responsible for any and all costs: of impoundment, including but not limited to daily boarding costs, vaccination, medication, and any other diagnostic or therapeutic applications.

(2) The costs of impoundment shall be a lien on the dog or cat, and the unaltered animal shall not be returned to its owner until all such costs are paid or arrangements for payment acceptable to the contracted animal control agency have been made, including, but not limited to, a payment plan. If the owner of an impounded unaltered animal does not pay the lien against it in full within 14 days, the animal shall be deemed abandoned and become the property of the contracted animal control agency.

(32-12/92 § 10.05.040) (Am. Ord. 181, passed 5-1-2019)