Colusa Municipal Code Art. IV Nuisances Prohibited

No person having an animal in her or his care, charge, control, custody or possession shall permit or allow:

(a) Any animal to obstruct or interfere with the reasonable and comfortable use of property in any neighborhood or community by running at large, chasing vehicles or pedestrians, threatening or intimidating people;

(b) Any animal to obstruct or interfere with the reasonable and comfortable use of property in any neighborhood or community by excessive barking, howling, crowing, screeching or making other noises. Noise is considered excessive when it is constant for twenty minutes or intermittent for thirty minutes or more, supported by witness testimony or audio/video recordings,

(c) Any animal to damage property, and except for cats, to trespass on private property;

(d) Any animal to be kept on the premises and unsanitary conditions to exist, which would cause odors, attract flies or vermin, or which would be otherwise injurious to the public health, offensive to the senses, or obstruct or interfere with the reasonable use of property within the neighborhood;

(e) Any animal to be kept or maintained in violation of state law, the city zoning code, or other city ordinances;

(f) Feeding of feral cats or outdoor feeding of any cat, subject to authorization by animal control officer.

A violation of any of the above provisions is hereby declared to be a public nuisance.

(Ord. No. 423, § 1, 10-29-2024)

Whenever an animal control officer has reasonable cause to believe that a public nuisance exists, he or she may conduct an investigation of the alleged nuisance. Additionally, whenever an animal control officer receives three or more complaints or affirmations in writing from persons having separate residences in the same neighborhood or employed regularly in the same neighborhood that any animal is a habitual public nuisance by reason of trespassing, continual howling, barking or other noise, such as screeching or crowing, or by damage to property, by vicious action or propensity, or by any other means or conditions causing undue annoyance, the animal control officer shall investigate to determine if a public nuisance exists. If an animal control officer finds that a public nuisance does exist, as defined in this chapter, the animal control officer shall serve written notice upon the owner or custodian of the animal that such nuisance shall be abated. The owner or custodian shall then promptly abate the nuisance, within the timeframe specified by the animal control officer, but in any event not exceeding forty-eight hours. If the nuisance is not so abated, the animal control officer may issue a citation or seize and impound the animal in accordance with the procedures set forth in Article VII of this chapter.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, no animal that is part of an agricultural operation, exempt from being or becoming a nuisance by Civil Code Section 3482.5, shall be deemed to be a public nuisance under this section, provided such animal is owned and kept in compliance with this chapter and State law.

(Ord. No. 423, § 1, 10-29-2024)