Hawthorne Municipal Code Ch. 6.16 Dangerous, Diseased and Dead Animals

No person owning or having custody or control of any dog or other animal known by such person to be vicious or dangerous shall allow the same to run at large or to run loose on or within the premises of such person, in such a manner as to endanger the life or limb of any person lawfully entering such premises.

(Prior code § 9-210; Ord. 1102 § 1, 1975)

Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 6.08.010 and 6.16.010, no person owning or having charge, care, custody, or control of any dog which dog has been trained to attack persons or animals, shall cause, permit or allow the same to be or run at large or be chained or fastened upon any private property or premises including those of the person owning or having charge, care or custody of such dog except within such portion of such property or premises which are enclosed by a structure, fence or wall not less than six feet in height. The fence, wall or structure shall conform to the standards and requirements of this code or shall be of chain link construction. All gates shall be of the self closing and latching type with latches a minimum of five feet above the ground.

(Ord. 1207 § 1, 1980)

No person shall keep any animal which is known or believed by him to be infected with any dangerous or communicable disease, or which is afflicted with any painful disease believed by him to be incurable, without a permit so to do from the health officer of the city.

(Prior code § 9-211; Ord. 1102 § 1, 1975)

A. Whenever the owner or person having custody or possession of any animal, shall observe or learn that such animal has shown symptoms of rabies, or has acted in a manner in which would lead a reasonable man to suspect that it might have rabies, such person shall immediately notify the health officer or the bureau of animal services of such fact, and shall permit the health office or the bureau of animal services to inspect or examine such animal at any or all times. Further, the health officer or the bureau of animal services shall quarantine the animal on the premises where found, or may order its removal to a safe place of detention selected by the health officer at the expense of the owner, until it is established to the satisfaction of the health officer or the bureau of animal services that such animal has, or has not rabies. It shall be the duty of all veterinarians to hold any animal in quarantine, at any kennel, hospital or other place where such veterinarian is treating an animal indicating symptoms of rabies, until the disposition of same is ordered by the health department.

B. No person having custody of an animal suspected of having rabies shall fail, refuse or neglect to surrender the carcass of the animal, or such portion of the carcass as may be demanded, to the health officer after the death of the animal.

C. Any animal suspected or rabies shall be confined and kept under observation until it is either released or destroyed by written order of the health officer, or dies. If for the protection of life and property it is necessary to shoot any animal suspected of rabies, every effort should be made to prevent shooting or injuring the head, which must be preserved for laboratory examination.

D. When any animal shall be bitten by another animal having rabies, no person having custody of the animal so bitten, upon being informed thereof, shall fail, refuse or neglect to quarantine such animal and keep it confined or chained for a minimum of ninety days, and the health officer shall have power at his discretion to kill or quarantine the animal so bitten.

E. No person shall knowingly bring any dog into the city from any place in which rabies shall be present or shall have been known to be present within six months prior thereto without the permission of the health officer or the bureau of animal services.

(Prior code § 9-407; Ord. 1102 § 3, 1975; Ord. 1730 § 2, 2002)

Any person bitten by an animal and any other person in the city having knowledge of any person injured through having been bitten by any animal shall as soon as possible report such occurrence directly either to the health officer, to the bureau of animal services or to the police department. It shall be the duty of every person so bitten or who has knowledge of such bit to immediately take all possible steps to at once confine the animal and to report to the health officer, bureau of animal services or police department the description of the animal and the locality where confined. Such animals shall be kept confined until released in writing by the health officer. The bureau of animal services and all health and police officers are designated as enforcement officers in carrying out the provisions of this section.

(Prior code § 9-408; Ord. 1102 § 3, 1975; Ord. 1730 § 2, 2002)

Any animal taken into custody by the poundmaster which is either:

A. Infected with any dangerous or communicable disease;

B. Sick or injured beyond recovery; or

C. So feeble, infirm or otherwise incapacitated whether by reason of old age, or otherwise as to render its future existence whether for use, or otherwise, inhumane, may be destroyed by the bureau of animal services in a humane manner. The bureau of animal services shall direct that the destruction of the animal be consistent with the provisions contained in Senate Bill 1785 created by Senator Tom Hayden and codified as California Civil Code Sections 1834, 1834.4(a), 1834.5, 1834.6, 1834.7 (or its successor) California Food and Agricultural Code Sections 17005, 17006 (or its successor) and Penal Code Sections 597, 597a, 597f, 597u, 597v, 597w, 597.1 (or its successor), and 599(a)(b) (or its successor). After the animal is destroyed and/or removed, the owner shall reimburse the city for its actual costs of rendering such services. The fee shall be set by resolution.

(Prior code § 9-409; Ord. 1102 § 3, 1975; Ord. 1730 § 2, 2002; Ord. 1735 § 2, 2002)

In addition to any other duties imposed upon the bureau of animal services by this chapter and Chapters 6.04 and 6.08, it is the duty of the bureau of animal services to remove and dispose of any and all dead animals found in or upon any of the public streets, parks, or other public places within the city and of any abandoned dead animal found or being upon any private premises and to remove and humanely dispose of any live animal which, either by reason of age or infirmity or request of the owner or person having the care, custody or control thereof, is to be destroyed and disposed of within the city; provided however, that in case of large animals weighting two hundred pounds or more each (and whether dead or alive), the bureau of animal services shall not be required to remove more than two such large animals from any single premises within any period of thirty days. After the animal is destroyed, the owner shall reimburse the city for its actual cost of rendering such services. Fees for pick-up of dead animal removal will be set by resolution.

(Prior code § 9-410; Ord. 1102 § 3, 1975; Ord. 1730 § 1, 2002; Ord. 1735 § 2, 2002)