Part 3

Department of Animal Control[Added by Ord. 485; suspended by Ord. 92-10]

The Department of Animal Control and its director thereof shall be responsible for the administration and enforcement of this chapter under the supervisor of the City Administrator.

The Director shall capture and take into custody all:

• A. Unlicensed dogs.

• B. Any other animal wild or domestic, which is by this Code either required to be licensed or kept or maintained upon a permit.

• C. Any animal being kept or maintained contrary to the provisions of this Chapter, any provisions of this Code, or State Statute.

• D. Dogs and other animals running at large contrary to the provisions of the Agricultural Code or any other State Statute or this Chapter.

• E. Sick, injured stray, unwanted or abandoned animals.

• F. Dogs which are unvaccinated in violation of this Chapter.

• G. Animals delivered by the owners to the Director, all title and interest in which is abandoned by such owners.

• H. Animals for which the owners or custodian is unable to care for because of imprisonment, illness, bankruptcy, litigation or other contingency or in cases in which the owner or custodian cannot be found.

The Director shall pickup or accept and care for any animals to be held for observation by the Health Officer.

The Director shall place all animals which he takes into custody in the animal shelter.

The Director shall pickup and dispose of all dead animals from public highways and from public and private property within the City of Lakewood, where the owner is unknown and also all dead dogs and dead cats that have been kept as pets, except that he shall not be required to pickup, unless directed by the City Administrator, any dead animal where the City has an agreement with any other person for the removal and disposal of such animals.

The Director, any officer or employee thereof, and any peace officer shall have the right to enter upon any public or private property in the City, except a building designated for and used for residential purposes, for the purpose of examining or capturing any animal thereon or therein. Any person who denies or prevents, obstructs, or attempts to deny prevent or obstruct such access is guilty of a misdemeanor.

The Director shall issue all licenses required by this Chapter and shall maintain those records required by this Chapter and handle all fees in such a manner as prescribed by the Director of Finance or written contract.

For the purpose of issuing individual dog licenses required by this Chapter and for no other purpose, the Director and each employee designated by the Director thereof where appointed by the Board of Supervisors to such capacity, shall function as a Deputy County Clerk to serve without additional pay as such.

It shall be the duty of the Director to enforce those sections of the Penal Code of the State of California pertaining to the inhumane treatment of animals and to take possession of animals so abandoned or neglected and to care for or dispose of the same as provided for in the Penal Code of the State of California, or this Chapter.

Whenever a power is granted to, or a duty is imposed upon, a public officer by this Chapter the power may be exercised or the duty may be performed by a Deputy of the officer or by a person authorized, pursuant to law by the officer, or the Chief of Police, his Deputy or any law enforcement officer.

For the purpose of discharging the duties imposed upon him by this Chapter, the Director, in order to enforce the provisions hereof to take up and impound any unlicensed or unvaccinated dog, shall enter upon any premises upon which any dog is kept or harbored or upon which he has reason to believe any dog is kept or harbored and demand the exhibition by the person owning or having charge or control of such premises or any such dog, the dog, the required rabies vaccination certificate, and the license or license tag for such dog for the current year provided for by this Chapter. The Section does not permit any person to enter upon any private dwelling except where necessary to rescue an animal or where the public health, safety and welfare would be endangered by the failure to enter such dwelling.

Any person upon whom any demand is made under the authority of this Chapter for the exhibition of any dog, rabies vaccination certificate, or any dog license or tag, who fails or refuses to exhibit the same if he has it in his possession or available to him, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

A person shall not interfere with, oppose or resist the Director or employee of the Department while such person is engaged in the performance of any act authorized by this Chapter. A person shall not remove any animal from the custody of the Director without receiving permission from the Director or his authorized employee to do so.