Laguna Niguel Municipal Code Art. 10 Animal Health

This article shall in all respects be construed to supplement and harmonize with the provisions of the laws of the state pertaining to animal industry.

(Ord. No. 2022-215, § 3, 6-7-22)

The county veterinarian shall serve as the city veterinarian. As used in this Code, "county veterinarian" shall mean such person appointed as county veterinarian by the county board of supervisors in compliance with state and federal laws.

(Ord. No. 2022-215, § 3, 6-7-22)

It shall be the duty of the county veterinarian, acting in cooperation with the state veterinarian, to enforce all laws of the state, the ordinances of the city and all orders of the city council pertaining to the health and sanitary condition of animals in the city. To this end he or she is authorized, upon approval of the city council, to establish, maintain and enforce such quarantine, sanitary, testing and immunizing measures and to promulgate such rules and regulations as he or she may deem necessary and proper. He or she shall regulate the movement of animals from stockyards, corrals and feedyards, and he or she shall supervise the examination and testing of animals or premises for the presence of contagious, infectious or communicable disease. He or she shall immediately report any human infectious or communicable disease found in animals to the health officer or his or her duly authorized deputy.

(Ord. No. 2022-215, § 3, 6-7-22)

When the county veterinarian has determined that an infectious disease exists among animals in any area and the importation of animals from such area might spread such disease among the animals within the city, he or she shall notify the city council, designating and describing the area where such disease has been found, and shall, with its approval, establish such quarantine restrictions as the circumstances shall warrant. The county veterinarian may refuse to permit shipments of animals from such areas to the city unless accompanied by a certificate signed by a state or federal veterinarian certifying that the animals for which such certificate is issued are not infected with or exposed to an infectious disease. Any animals entering the city from any area so described and designated without such a certificate may be quarantined by the county veterinarian and confiscated or disposed of in such manner as to eliminate any danger of the animals within the city being exposed to infection from such disease.

(Ord. No. 2022-215, § 3, 6-7-22)

The county veterinarian shall investigate all reports of the presence of infectious diseases affecting animals within the city. He or she is authorized to enter any premises where animals are kept, or on which he has reason to believe that animals are kept, in order to carry into effect the provisions of this article, and it shall be unlawful for any person to interfere with the official action of the county veterinarian or his or her authorized deputy. The county veterinarian may quarantine any animal suspected of being infected with or exposed to an infectious disease for a reasonable period of observation and until such tests as may be required to ascertain the presence or absence of an infectious disease are completed. Upon discovery of any infectious disease affecting animals in the city, the county veterinarian shall establish such quarantine, sanitary, testing, immunizing and control measures as may be necessary to control or eradicate such disease and prevent the spread thereof to other animals. The county veterinarian may quarantine any animal upon the land or premises where such diseased animal has been kept, and thereafter it shall be unlawful for any person to break such quarantine or to move or allow to be moved any such animals from within the premises thus quarantined, or across the quarantine line so established, without first obtaining permission from the county veterinarian. If, after inspection, the county veterinarian shall deem it proper to issue such a permit, he or she may cause such animal, premises and vehicles of transportation and any infected materials, equipment or effects to be properly cleaned and disinfected.

(Ord. No. 2022-215, § 3, 6-7-22)

It shall be unlawful for any person, during the existence of a quarantine as authorized by this article, to remove, tear, deface, mutilate, obscure or otherwise destroy or interfere with any placard, notice or proclamation declaring such quarantine.

(Ord. No. 2022-215, § 3, 6-7-22)

It shall be unlawful for any person to remove or to allow to be removed, except for immediate slaughter, any livestock from any stockyard owned, controlled or operated by or in connection with or incidental to the operation of any slaughterhouse or packinghouse, except on permits issued by the county veterinarian.

(Ord. No. 2022-215, § 3, 6-7-22)

It shall be unlawful for any person to bring into or receive into the city any livestock known to be affected with any contagious, infectious or communicable disease, unless such animals are specifically permitted to enter the state and the city under federal or state regulations, and then only under the conditions and for the purpose prescribed in the federal and state regulations governing movement of livestock.

(Ord. No. 2022-215, § 3, 6-7-22)

The arrival of dairy cattle into the city shall be reported to the county veterinarian immediately. The county veterinarian may mark the cattle for identification with tags or other means, and make a record showing the date of arrival, a description of the cattle, the name of the owner and of the person in charge of the cattle and the place in which they are to be kept. No person shall remove or tamper with any identification mark placed on any animal by the county veterinarian.

(Ord. No. 2022-215, § 3, 6-7-22)

No person shall inject or cause to be injected tuberculin into any cattle except when used in connection with a tuberculin test.

(Ord. No. 2022-215, § 3, 6-7-22)

No person shall move any cattle upon which a tuberculin test has been started until the test has been completed without the permission of the veterinarian conducting such test, nor shall any person in any way interfere with such tests.

(Ord. No. 2022-215, § 3, 6-7-22)

Whenever the county veterinarian shall have cause to believe that there is danger that cattle in the city, or any cattle brought into the city, are afflicted with tuberculosis, he shall cause such cattle to be examined and tested for tuberculosis.

(Ord. No. 2022-215, § 3, 6-7-22)

All cattle which are shown by the tuberculin test to be afflicted with tuberculosis shall be immediately marked for identification by branding the letter "T" on the left jaw. The "T" shall be three inches in height from top to bottom and two inches wide at the top, and the branding edge shall be not less than one-quarter inch in width. No animals so branded shall be slaughtered or disposed of in any manner or removed from the premises where located when branded unless permission is first obtained from the county veterinarian or from the director of the state department of agriculture.

(Ord. No. 2022-215, § 3, 6-7-22)

The owner or person in charge of livestock shall properly confine in stanchions or chutes any livestock which the county veterinarian may designate for examination, injection, vaccination, observation or administration of tuberculin mallein or for other tests or purposes. If the owner or person in charge refuses to properly confine such livestock for examination, test or vaccination as requested, the county veterinarian may employ help and incur such expense as is necessary to properly control such livestock for the purposes mentioned. The expenses incurred shall be a lien upon the livestock and shall be recovered by action in the name of the city unless paid within ten days after written notice of the amount has been given by the county veterinarian to the owner or person in possession of the livestock.

(Ord. No. 2022-215, § 3, 6-7-22)

Any person having knowledge of the presence of an infectious disease in livestock shall report the presence of the disease to the county veterinarian. All persons owning or having control of livestock shall assist the county veterinarian in enforcing the provisions of this division and shall obey all orders of the county veterinarian made for the control and eradication of infectious disease, the sanitation of premises, the destruction of livestock and the disposal of carcasses, manure, offal and refuse.

(Ord. No. 2022-215, § 3, 6-7-22)

All animals brought into the city in violation of any of the provisions of this division shall be subject to quarantine, examination and test, at the expense of the owner, by the county veterinarian, who may dispose of such livestock to protect the public health and the health of domestic animals of the city.

(Ord. No. 2022-215, § 3, 6-7-22)