Costa Mesa Municipal Code Art. 1 Generally

(a) Every person who owns, possesses, keeps, or harbors a dog of whatever sex over the age of four months within the city shall pay to the city an annual license fee, to be set by a resolution of the city council, for each dog. Every such person whose dog has been spayed or neutered shall pay one-half (½) of the applicable license fee; provided, however, that said person can present a certificate of sterility issued by a licensed veterinarian.

(b) Any dog which cannot be spayed or neutered for health reasons shall, upon proof of this fact in writing from a licensed veterinarian, be required to pay one-half the applicable license fee.

(c) Senior citizens over 62 years of age may register their dogs at onehalf (½) of the applicable license fee.

(Ord. No. 07-16, § 1, 8-7-07)

The city shall deliver to the person making such payment a license which shall describe the dog, together with a seal or tag having thereon the number of such license. The city shall keep a record of the name of the owner and a description of the dog licensed.

(Ord. No. 07-16, § 1, 8-7-07)

Licenses shall become delinquent 30 days following the date on which they are due, and all delinquent licenses shall be subject to the payment of a penalty in an amount to be set by resolution of city council in addition to the license fee.

(Ord. No. 07-16, § 1, 8-7-07)

(a) The license collector, animal control officers and any other designated personnel are each authorized to collect dog license fees.

(b) All license fees collected pursuant to the terms of this chapter shall be paid into the general fund of the city.

(Ord. No. 07-16, § 1, 8-7-07)

No license fee shall be required for the following:

(a) Guide dogs for the blind, signal dogs for the hearing impaired and service dogs for the physically disabled registered and identified pursuant to Food and Agricultural Code sections 30850-30854. For the purpose of this subsection, an individual shall be considered to be disabled if he or she is unable to engage in substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or to be of long continued and indefinite duration.

(b) Dogs honorably discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

(c) Dogs in the care, custody and control of nonresidents who are traveling through the city or temporarily staying in the city for a period not exceeding 30 days, or dogs temporarily brought into the city for the exclusive purpose of being entered in a bench show or dog exhibition, provided such dogs are so entered and not kept elsewhere in the city.

(d) Dogs used in crime detection or apprehension by public officers.

(e) Dogs housed in a duly licensed pet shop prior to sale.

(f) Dogs owned by any duly licensed kennel operator.

(Ord. No. 07-16, § 1, 8-7-07)

The person licensing a dog shall attach the tag to a collar or harness and shall cause such collar or harness with the attached tag to be kept on such dog at all times. Licenses shall not be transferable or refundable.

In the event any registration tag is lost or destroyed, replacement may be obtained upon showing such proof as may be required and upon payment of the replacement fee in an amount set by city council resolution.

(Ord. No. 07-16, § 1, 8-7-07)

No unauthorized person shall remove from any dog any collar or harness or other device to which is attached a license tag or remove such license tag from any dog.

No person shall attach any current license tag to any dog, which tag was not issued to the dog, or shall remove a tag from any dog which is the property of another, or shall counterfeit or imitate a dog tag, or attach a counterfeit or imitation tag to any dog.

(Ord. No. 07-16, § 1, 8-7-07)

No person having the care, charge or control of any dog shall permit or allow the dog to be present upon any street, alley, park or public place in the city unless such dog is securely restrained by a leash or chain not exceeding six feet in length and to be held by that person. Any police or other city enforcement officer may order that the owner or person having the care, charge or control of any dog determined to be in violation of this section shall immediately remove such dog from the street, alley, park or public place.

(Ord. No. 07-16, § 1, 8-7-07)

The City Council of the City of Costa Mesa hereby decrees that maintaining, keeping and/or permitting a barking dog, as defined in section 3-8 of this Code, on any premises in the City of Costa Mesa constitutes a public nuisance. Every day the barking dog violation exists beyond the ten day notice period to correct the problem, as set out in section 3-114 of this Code, shall be regarded as a new and separate offense.

(Ord. No. 08-6, § 2, 8-19-08)

(a) Any animal control officer or police officer has the authority to issue an administrative citation pursuant to the procedures set forth in sections 1-34 through 1-48 of this Code to any responsible person for a barking dog violation that the enforcement officer did not see or hear based upon a complaint signed under penalty of perjury lodged by a member of the community who has been disturbed by the barking dog. All barking dog complaints shall be lodged with the Costa Mesa Police Department.

(b) Prior to issuing the administrative citation to the responsible person the enforcement officer shall send a warning notice via registered or certified mail or shall personally serve upon the responsible person a warning notice giving the responsible person 10 days from the date of mailing or date of personal service in which to abate the public nuisance caused by the barking dog.

(c) The administrative citation shall contain the information set forth in section 1-38 of this Code.

(d) The responsible person shall have the right to appeal the administrative citation as set forth in sections 1-42 through 1-47 of this Code.

(e) The procedures established in this section may be in addition to criminal, civil or any other legal remedy established by law which may be pursued to address violations of the municipal code.

(Ord. No. 08-6, § 2, 8-19-08)