Citrus Heights Municipal Code Art. VI Dogs and Cats

All persons owning or having custody of a dog or cat over the age of four months of age shall obtain and maintain a valid license and tag for each dog and cat from the Chief of Animal Services. Each applicant for such a license shall pay a fee as specified by the City Council and set forth in the fee schedule. Every owner of an unlicensed or untagged dog or cat shall be deemed to be in violation of this Chapter except as otherwise provided herein.

(Ord. No. 2012-002, § 1, 2-9-2012; Ord. No. 2016-014, § 2, 1-12-2017)

Every owner of a dog or cat that does not have a current vaccination for rabies as evidenced by an official certificate, shall be deemed to be in violation of this Chapter except as otherwise provided herein.

(Ord. No. 2012-002, § 1, 2-9-2012; Ord. No. 2016-014, § 2, 1-12-2017)

1. Every dog or cat over four months of age shall be subject to a annual license fee. The City Council may, by resolution, adopt annual licenses fees or licenses fees for periods of time longer than one year. If the dog or cat is over four months of age when acquired, the owner shall obtain a license within 30 calendar days of acquisition of or entry into the City, unless the dog or cat has a valid, unexpired City of Citrus Heights License. Thereafter, such license fee shall become due and payable annually on the date of expiration of any license previously issued to the owner for the dog or cat. The amount of such fee shall be established in accordance with Section 8-52 of this Chapter but shall be charged only in full and not on any pro rata formula.

2. No license shall be valid for any dog or cat for which the rabies vaccination is current for less than the 12 months period from the date of licensing or for any unvaccinated dog or cat. Should the rabies vaccination not be valid for 12 months from the date of first application for licensing, the owner may elect either: (1) to be issued a license at full price which would be valid for less than 12 months; or (2) to revaccinate the animal and be issued a license at full price which would be valid for no less than 12 months. Dog or cat licenses that are issued for terms longer than the length of a rabies vaccination are only valid as long as the animal continues to maintain any required rabies vaccination. To be in compliance with licensing requirements, the animal must maintain current rabies vaccination status at all times.

3. A dog or cat license fee shall become delinquent the day after it becomes due and payable, and upon delinquency, a monetary penalty as established in accordance with Section 8-95 of this Chapter shall be added to the regular fee. An unpaid penalty shall be added to the succeeding year's license fee.

4. The Chief of Animal Services shall procure and issue serially numbered license tags stamped with the name of the City and annual renewal licenses. The license shall only be issued upon the application of owners who have complied with the vaccination and fee provisions of this Chapter.

5. Upon presentation by a dog or cat owner of a properly completed license application form, including proof of current rabies vaccination and the proper license fee, and, if applicable, a delinquent fee, the Chief of Animal Services shall issue a dog or cat license and a license tag or renewal license. The owner shall retain the dog or cat license form for inspection by the Chief of Animal Services.

6. Every dog or cat shall be provided by the owner with a suitable collar, harness, or other device to which the license tag shall be securely affixed. Alternate methods of identification may be allowable, including micro-chipping, if approved in writing by the Chief of Animal Services. The dog or cat owner shall ensure that the dog or cat bears such license tag or other approved identification at all times except when the animal is being prepared for or exhibited at a dog or cat show.

7. A license tag issued for one dog or cat shall not be transferred or attached to any other dog or cat.

8. A valid license issued pursuant to this section to one owner may be transferred to a new owner of the licensed animal for a transfer fee of $10.00.

9. Whenever a license tag or decal is lost, stolen, or damaged the owner shall apply for and obtain a replacement tag or decal from the Chief of Animal Services upon payment of the prescribed replacement fee.

10. Despite anything in this Chapter to the contrary, when an owner brings into the City a dog or cat that has been licensed in another jurisdiction, the dog or cat shall not be subject to the licensing provisions of this section for so long as the out-of-county license would be current and valid at its place of issuance but not more than 12 months from entering the City and so long as issuance of said license would have satisfied the provisions of Section 8-92(2) of this Chapter. Upon surrender of the license from the other jurisdiction, the owner shall be issued a City of Citrus Heights dog or cat license at no charge.

11. The following are excused from ordinarily applicable license fee requirements, as specified:

a) No fee shall be charged for working dogs that are documented as having been appropriately trained and actively used by law enforcement agencies for law enforcement purposes.

b) A fee shall not be levied for any dog license issued for a seeing-eye dog owned by a blind or partially blind person or for any dog duly trained and registered with a training agency to assist a disabled person when such dog is actively used for the purpose trained.

(Ord. No. 2012-002, § 1, 2-9-2012; Ord. No. 2016-014, § 2, 1-12-2017)

No person shall maintain or operate a kennel or cattery or keep, harbor, or maintain a wild animal within the area of the City governed by this Chapter without first, being properly zoned for such activity and second, applying to and receiving from the City a Special Business License and a Use Permit to do so.

a. A person shall be deemed to maintain or operate a kennel if the person, without an applicable Special Business License and Use Permit in effect, keeps, harbors, or maintains five or more dogs over four months of age.

b. A person shall be deemed to maintain or operate a cattery if the person, without an applicable Special Business License and Use Permit in effect, keeps, harbors, or maintains five or more cats over six months of age.

c. The following shall be exempt from the requirements of this Section:

i. Catteries when the cats are physically restrained or confined to the place of keeping and when no founded complaints by the public or observations by Animal Services of a violation of any provision of this Chapter are made; and

ii. Enterprises maintained or operated and exclusively as animal facilities pursuant to a General Business License.

d. If a person operates more than one kennel or cattery at more than one address, a separate Special Business License and Use Permit shall be required for each location.

(Ord. No. 2012-002, § 1, 2-9-2012; Ord. No. 2016-014, § 2, 1-12-2017)

Every dog which is commercially used as a protection or sentry dog must, in addition to satisfaction of the provisions of Section 8-92, wear at all times a distinctive type of identification as authorized and provided by the Chief of Animal Services which identifies to the public that the animal is a protection or sentry dog.

(Ord. No. 2012-002, § 1, 2-9-2012; Ord. No. 2016-014, § 2, 1-12-2017)

1. A violation of any of the provisions of Chapter 8 Article VI may be punishable criminally as a misdemeanor or, in the alternative, by imposition of administrative monetary penalties pursuant to California Government Code Section 53069.4. Administrative monetary penalties shall be enforced and collected according to the procedures set forth in section 8-183.

2. Violations of Sections 8-90 and 8-92 shall be subject to the following:

a) Upon the first violation, a penalty of $100.00 for each animal. If the owner complies with the section within 14 days after receiving notice of said violation and presents proof of compliance, the penalty shall be waived. An additional $100.00 penalty shall apply for every 30-day period of a continuing violation, up to a maximum penalty per offense of $500.00.

b) Upon a second or subsequent violation, an initial penalty of not less than $500.00 for each animal with respect to which there is a violation, subject to late penalties in the amounts and as described in Subsection 2(a) of this section.

3. In the event that the owner violating provisions of this Chapter no longer possesses said animal, he/she is still responsible for any and all penalties assessed to him/her. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as preventing the Chief of Animal Services from instituting a proceeding in the municipal court for violation of this Chapter where there has been no impoundment.

(Ord. No. 2012-002, § 1, 2-9-2012; Ord. No. 2016-014, § 2, 1-12-2017)