Fairfield Municipal Code Art. II Dog Licenses

(a) Every person owning or having control, custody or possession of any dog within the city shall procure a license fee for such dog over four months of age. Dog licenses may be obtained between July 1 and August 31 for the licensing period beginning July 1 through June 30. The fee for such licenses shall be, except as provided in subsection (b), as provided in Solano County code section 4-425, and any amendments thereto, which pursuant to government code § 50022.9, is hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth.

In cases of lost or stolen license tags, the fee for duplicate tags shall be as established by resolution of the county board of supervisors. The license fee for new residents who possess valid licenses which expire on the same day as licenses provided herein shall be as established by resolution of the county board of supervisors per dog, upon payment of which a courtesy license in exchange for the non-city license shall be issued.

Any person failing to procure and pay the dog license until after the thirty-first day of August shall pay, as a penalty for such failure, in addition to the license fees, the fee as established by resolution of the county board of supervisors; provided, however, that such additional penalty shall not apply to the owner of any dog who brings such dog into the city after the thirty-first day of August, if such license is taken out within one month; nor shall any such penalty apply in the case where such dog is not yet four months of age on or prior to the thirty-first day of August, if such owner shall take out such license within one month after such dog shall have arrived at the age of four months; provided further that the license shall be prorated semi-annually.

The county animal control director, or other duly authorized person, shall collect in advance of the issuance of each dog license the fees required by this section.

(b) For the year July 1, 1986, through June 30, 1987, in addition to the fee provided for in subsection (a), there shall be imposed an additional fee of $1.00 per year for a dog that has been spayed or neutered and $2.00 per year for dogs which are not spayed or neutered.

(c) For the year July 1, 1987, through June 30, 1988, in addition to the fee provided for in subsection (a), there shall be imposed an additional fee of $2.00 per year for a dog that has been spayed or neutered and $4.00 per year for dogs which are not spayed or neutered.

(d) For each year after 1987/88, the additional fee imposed in subsection (c) shall increase an additional amount of $0.50 per year for a dog that has been spayed or neutered and $1.00 per year for a dog which is not spayed or neutered. For instance, the additional fee for a dog that is not spayed or neutered in 1988/89 shall be $5.00 and in 1989/90, it shall be $6.00.

The application forms for a dog license shall bear the name and address of the owner of the dog, the sex, color and breed of the dog for which such license is applied, and shall be signed by the owner or his duly authorized agent. Upon the issuance of such license, the county tax collector, the poundmaster, or other duly authorized person shall endorse upon such application the number of the license tag issued. All such applications so endorsed shall be filed in the office of the county animal control director or other duly authorized person and shall be open at all times for public inspection.

The owner or person harboring, controlling, or having the custody of any registered dogs shall inform the county animal control director or other duly authorized person of any change of address.

Every person owning or having control, custody or possession of any cat within the city may procure a license for each such cat, four months of age, between July 1 and August 31 of each year. The procedures applicable to the licensing of cats shall be the same as those pertaining to the licensing of dogs under this chapter. The fee shall be as established by resolution of the county board of supervisors.

A dog license shall be issued upon the payment of fees set out in section 3.24 and shall be renewed and the fees due and payable prior to August thirty-first of each annual period.

The owner or person harboring, controlling or having custody of any dogs within the city shall procure a dog license and tag, and attach such tag to a collar, harness or other device to be permanently worn by the dog for which such license was issued.

Such tags shall be metallic and shall have a stamp thereon bearing the name of the county and the year of its issuance. They shall be numbered serially and each tag shall have its number stamped thereon.

Whenever a dog license tag issued for the then current year by the county animal control director or other duly authorized person has been stolen or lost, the owner or possessor of the dog for which the same was issued, may, upon the payment of the amount as established by resolution of the county board of supervisors to the county animal control director or other duly authorized person, receive a duplicate tag for the remaining portion of the then current year.

No license tax shall be required with respect to licenses and tags issued for dogs which have been specially trained and are principally used for the purpose of leading persons with defective eyesight.

The county animal control director is hereby authorized and requested to have prepared suitable application blanks and license tags to be issued to the owners of dogs or persons having dogs in their custody and control, or who harbor dogs within the city.

The cost of procuring the necessary tags and application forms for such licenses are hereby declared to be a charge against the county.

Any person other than county employees authorized by the county animal control director or other duly authorized person to issue dog licenses shall receive, in full compensation for all services rendered, the sum as established by resolution of the county board of supervisors, per license issued, upon a claim verified by the county animal control director or other duly authorized person, filed and approved as other claims against the county.

No person shall fail or refuse to show to any animal control officer, the poundmaster or any duly authorized person the license certificate and the tag for any duly registered dog kept or remaining within any home or upon any enclosed premises under his immediate control.

No unauthorized person shall remove from any dog any collar, harness or other device to which is attached a registration tag for the current year, or remove such tag therefrom.

The provisions of this article shall not apply to any dog owned by or in the care of charge of a nonresident of the city who is traveling through the city or temporarily sojourning therein for a period not exceeding thirty days, nor to any dog temporarily brought into the city for the exclusive purpose of being entered in a bench show or dog exhibition; provided, that such dog is so entered and not kept elsewhere in the city.

Every person, except an animal control officer taking up any stray animal or any such animal which is running at large contrary to the provisions of this chapter shall, within twenty-four (24) hours, Sundays and holidays excluded, give notice to humane animal services or any animal control officer of:

(a) The fact that he has such an animal in his possession.

(b) A complete description of such animal.

(c) The license number of such animal, if any, and by what county or municipal corporation issued. If the animal has no license, such person shall so state.

(d) The place where such animal is confined.

Every person and any person in whose custody such animal may in the meantime be placed shall deliver such animal to an animal control officer or the poundmaster, without fee or charge, and the poundmaster or animal control officer shall thereupon hold and dispose of such animal in the same manner as though such animal has been found at large and impounded by him. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any animal shelter maintained and operated under title I, division 2, part 4 of the corporations code of the state; provided, however, that any animal placed by such society must be licensed as required by this chapter.