Orange County Municipal Code Art. 10 Animal Health

Editor's note— Section 10 of Ord. No. 2836, adopted May 6, 1975, repealed former § 4-1-54 defining certain terms as used in Art. 10. Said former section was derived from Code 1961, § 41.101.

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

(Code 1961, § 41.102)

The County Veterinarian shall be appointed by the Orange County Board of Supervisors in compliance with State and Federal laws.

(Code 1961, § 41.103)

It shall be the duty of the County Veterinarian, acting in cooperation with the State Veterinarian, to enforce all laws of the State of California, the ordinances of the County of Orange and all orders of its Board of Supervisors pertaining to the health and sanitary condition of animals in said County. To this end he or she is authorized, upon approval of the Board of Supervisors, to establish, maintain and enforce such quarantine, sanitary, testing and immunizing measurers 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 and corrals; 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.

(Code 1961, § 41.104; Ord. No. 98-15, § 34, 12-8-98)

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 County of Orange, he shall notify the Board of Supervisors, designating and describing the area where such disease has been found and shall, with their 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 County of Orange unless accompanied by a certificate signed by 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 County of Orange 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 County of Orange being exposed to infection from such disease.

(Code 1961, § 41.105)

The County Veterinarian shall investigate all reports of the presence of infectious diseases affecting animals within the County of Orange. He 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 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 County of Orange, 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 may cause such animal, premises and vehicles of transportation and any infected materials, equipment or effects to be properly cleaned and disinfected.

(Code 1961, § 41.106)

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

(Code 1961, § 41.107)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 98-16, § 1, adopted December 8, 1998, amended the Code by repealing § 4-1-166 in its entirety. Former § 4-1-166 pertained to removal of livestock from slaughterhouse, and derived from the Code of 1961, § 41.108.

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

(Code 1961, § 41.109; Ord. No. 98-15, § 35, 12-8-98)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 98-16, § 1, adopted December 8, 1998, amended the Code by repealing § 4-1-168 in its entirety. Former § 4-1-168 pertained to report of arrival and identification of dairy cattle, and derived from the Code of 1961, § 41.1010.

No person shall inject, or cause to be injected, tuberculin into any cattle or performing animals or horses except when used in connection with a tuberculin test as defined in section 4-1-154 of this article.

(Code 1961, § 41.1011; Ord. No. 98-15, § 36, 12-8-98)

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

(Code 1961, § 41.1012; Ord. No. 98-15, § 36, 12-8-98)

Whenever the County Veterinarian shall have cause to believe that there is danger that cattle or performing animals or horses in the County of Orange, or any cattle or performing animals or horses brought into the County of Orange, are afflicted with tuberculosis, he or she shall cause such cattle or performing animals or horses to be examined and tested for tuberculosis.

(Code 1961, § 41.1013; Ord. No. 98-15, § 36, 12-8-98)

All cattle or performing animals or horses 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 (3) inches in height from top to bottom and two (2) inches wide at the top and the branding edge shall be not less than one-quarter (¼) of an 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.

(Code 1961, § 41.1014; Ord. No. 98-15, § 36, 12-8-98)

The owner or person in charge of livestock or performing animals or horses shall properly confine in stanchions or chutes any livestock or performing animals or horses which the County Veterinarian may designate for examination, injection, vaccination, observation, administration of tuberculin mallein or for other tests or purposes. If the owner or person in charge refuses to properly confine such livestock or performing animals or horses 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 or performing animals or horses for the purpose mentioned. The expenses incurred shall be a lien upon said livestock or performing animals or horses and shall be recovered by action in the name of the County of Orange unless paid within ten (10) days after written notice of the amount has been given by the County Veterinarian to the owner or person in possession of said livestock or performing animals or horses.

(Code 1961, § 41.1015; Ord. No. 98-15, § 36, 12-8-98)

Any person having knowledge of the presence of an infectious disease in livestock or performing animals or horses shall report same to the County Veterinarian. All persons owning or having control of livestock or performing animals or horses 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, destruction of livestock or performing animals or horses and disposal of carcasses, manure, offal and refuse.

(Code 1961, § 41.1016; Ord. No. 98-15, § 36, 12-8-98)

All animals including performing animals or horses brought into the County of Orange 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 or performing animals or horses to protect the public health and health of domestic animals of the County of Orange.

(Code 1961, § 41.1017; Ord. No. 98-15, § 36, 12-8-98)