Colusa County Municipal Code Div. 1 Generally

(Ord. No. 197, § 1)

This article shall be known and may be referred to in all pleadings and proceedings as the “dog license regulations.”

(Ord. No. 197, § 3; Ord. No. 276, §§ 1, 2)

For the purposes of this article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:

Dog.

The word “dog” shall be interpreted to mean any domesticated animal of the canine family, including domesticated coyotes, wolves, or other wild species of the same.

Dog license.

The term “dog license” shall refer to the license required to be annually issued for each individual dog.

Kennel license.

The term “kennel license” shall be construed to mean an annual license issued to the owner or proprietor of each kennel wherein is maintained more than five dogs for breeding, training, treating, sale or other commercial purposes.

Owner.

The word “owner” shall be construed to include any person who owns or controls, or harbors, or keeps in his possession any dog over the age of four months.

(Ord. No. 742, § 2 (part))

No owner shall permit his dog to be in any area, other than on private property where the dog is maintained by or on behalf of its owner, unless the dog is securely restrained by a leash and the leash is held continuously in the hand of a responsible person capable of controlling such dog. This section shall not apply where the dog is:

(a) Assisting a peace officer in law enforcement duties;

(b) Under the control of a person engaged in hunting pursuant to a license issued under Section 3031 and following of the California Fish and Game Code;

(c) Enrolled and actually participating in a dog training or obedience class, exhibition, or competition conducted by an organization with the permission of the owner or operator of the grounds or facility;

(d) Actively herding livestock with the permission of the owner of the livestock being herded;

(e) Physically present in a location subject to federal or state government law enforcement jurisdiction and not on privately owned property therein.

The term “leash,” as referred to in this chapter, means any rope, leather strap, chain or other material not to exceed six feet in length, of such strength and design to be capable of restraining the dog for which it is being used to lead or to restrain, to be held in the hand of a person capable of controlling and actually controlling the animal to which it is attached.

(Ord. No. 742, § 2 (part))

Any owner or custodian of any dog which is running at large that causes injury through indirect or direct action to a human or domestic animal is guilty of either a misdemeanor or an infraction as shown by the particular facts of the incident. Nothing in this section precludes prosecution for any additional or more severe applicable state or federal criminal liability which may apply as a result of injuries, property damage or death resulting from the dog running at large. The following definitions apply to this section:

(a)

“At large”

means a dog located off the premises of its owner or custodian and not under physical restraint by the owner or custodian.

(b)

“Dog at large causing injury”

means a dog off the premises of its owner or custodian as outlined in the definition of “at large” in subsection (a) of this section, which directly or indirectly causes or inflicts injury to any person or domestic animal. “Injury” is described as a wound or other type of injury which requires medical treatment, such as (but not inclusive of) muscle tears, lacerations requiring sutures, puncture wounds, broken bones, or surgery.

(Ord. No. 197, § 18)

It shall be unlawful and a misdemeanor for any person, if an owner, as defined by section 3-6, of any unspayed female dog to cause or permit or allow the same to stray or run in any other manner be at large in or upon any public street, lane, alley, court or other public place in the county while such female dog is in the copulating season.

(Ord. No. 197, § 5)

All kennels, or other places where dogs are kept in the county for breeding, training, treating, sale or other commercial purposes shall be so constructed as to prevent dogs confined therein from running at large off the premises where such kennel is maintained and shall be maintained, operated and constructed in a sanitary and proper manner so that the same shall not become a nuisance to the neighborhood thereof. No dog shall at any time be taken except under leash or under the control of the owner or his agent from the premises whereon such kennel is operated, and the owner, his agents or employees who shall run or take dogs off the premises of such kennel, or permit them to be run or taken therefrom except as herein provided, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(Ord. No. 197, § 18; Ord. No. 569 (part))

It shall be unlawful and a misdemeanor for any person to interfere with, oppose or resist any animal control officer or other person authorized under the provisions of this article to take up and impound dogs, while such animal control officer or other person is engaged in the performance of any act authorized by this article.

(Ord. No. 197, § 21)

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this article, it shall not be unlawful for any person to bring into the county a dog for a period not exceeding twenty days in any one year, which has been licensed by a municipality or other political subdivision of the state, provided that such dog shall have such license attached to it as provided by this article for the attaching of licenses issued under this article.