Plumas County Municipal Code Art. 1 General Provisions

For the purposes of this article, unless otherwise apparent from the context, certain words and phrases used in this article are defined as follows:

(a) "Animal Control Director" shall mean a designated representative of the Board charged with the administration of the provisions of this chapter. Agents and employees of the Director may be designated by the Director to be Animal Control Officers for the purposes of carrying out and enforcing the provisions of this chapter and all State and County laws relating to animal control.

(b) "At large" shall mean an animal off the premises of its owner and not under restraint of a leash or not under the control and immediate presence of the owner.

(c) "City" shall mean any incorporated city within the County which has duly and regularly adopted an ordinance pursuant to the provisions of Section 30501 of the Food and Agricultural Code of the State requesting the application of the provisions of this chapter within the confines of such city.

(d) "Commercial dog kennel" shall mean any lot, building, structure, enclosure, or premises where four (4) or more dogs are kept or maintained for commercial purposes, including boarding and breeding, and where the primary purpose of the kennel is the sale or rendering of services for profit. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to veterinarians who board, but do not breed, dogs.

(e) "Confinement" shall mean not able to come into contact with others of the same species or persons.

(f) "Hobby dog kennel" shall mean any lot, building, structure, enclosure, or premises where four (4) or more dogs over the age of four (4) months are kept as pets or maintained for the purpose of showing in recognized dog shows, field trials, or obedience trials, for working and hunting, or for the purpose of improving the variety of breed in temperament or conformation toward the exhibition of individual dogs in recognized dog shows or field and obedience trials, or for use as working dogs in hunting. A hobby dog kennel license shall not be issued unless there are provisions on the premises for keeping the dogs confined.

(g) "Impoundment" shall mean taking possession of animals or fowl upon placement in the animal control vehicle, the impoundment facility, or placement by the Animal Control Officer in the other confinement as may be appropriate.

(h) "Licensing authority" shall mean the Tax Collector and any of his duly authorized deputies.

(i) "Owner" shall mean and include the legal owner, equitable owner, and person harboring or having the custody or control of any dog or other animal.

(j) "Quarantine" shall mean the taking up and impounding of an animal in the designated animal shelter by the Animal Control Director for a period of fourteen (14) days or, in the discretion of the Director, the confinement of an animal by keeping it in a secure pen, or by tying it with a stout chain on the property of the owner of such animal, so that the animal does not come into contact with any other animal or human being for a period of fourteen (14) days.

(k) "Reasonable control" shall mean under the restraint of a leash or under the control and immediate presence of the owner.

(l) "Veterinarian" shall mean a doctor of veterinary medicine licensed to practice under the laws of the State.

(§ 42302, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by Ord. 731, § 1, Ord. 83-549, eff. November 3, 1983, § 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986, and § 1, Ord. 93-819, eff. November 16, 1993)

The provisions of this chapter shall apply to any incorporated city of the County which shall have adopted an ordinance pursuant to the provisions of Section 30501 of the Food and Agricultural Code of the State, and entered into a contract for such services, requesting the application of the provisions of this chapter within the confines of such city.

(§ 42301, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by Ord. 654, and § 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 1 of Division 14, et seq., of the Food and Agricultural Code of the State, there are hereby established animal control centers of the County which shall be maintained in such places as are provided for from time to time by the Board. The direction, supervision, and necessary patrol of such animal control centers shall be duties delegated by the Board.

(§ 42301, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by Ord. 654, and § 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

The Animal Control Director shall keep such records as may be required of him by the Board or other authority.

(§ 42304, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by Ord. 477, and § 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

Any female animal, during the period when such animal is in heat or a breeding condition, shall be confined by the owner.

(§ 42308, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by § 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

(a) It is hereby declared to be a public nuisance for any person to keep, maintain, or permit to remain on any lot or parcel of land under his control any animal which, by any sound uttered by it, shall disrupt the peace and quiet of the inhabitants of any neighborhood or interfere with any person in the reasonable and comfortable enjoyment by such person of life and property.

(b) The Animal Control Director may investigate any complaint, and, if he finds such conditions exist, he may issue an order to conform requiring the owner or custodian of such animal to abate such conditions within a reasonable time.

(§ 42311, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by § 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

It shall be unlawful for the owner of any animal to abandon such animal in any unincorporated area of the County or within the confines of any contracting city.

For the purposes of this section, an animal shall be considered abandoned when the owner, within three (3) days after notification, fails to pick up and pay the impounding and related fees when such animal has been impounded, or when the animal is left by the owner when changing residence.

(§ 42304, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by Ord. 477, § 1, Ord. 79-328, eff. August 9, 1979, and § 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

(a) It shall be unlawful and a violation of this section for any animal to be beyond the immediate control of the person owning, possessing, or caring for such animal when the animal is:

(1) At large on a road or street or other public place; or

(2) At large on private property without the permission of the owner or occupant of the property.

(b) Any person owning or entitled to the possession of livestock shall restrain such livestock by an adequate fence. An adequate fence is any fence which is good, strong, substantial, and sufficient to prevent the ingress and egress of livestock. No wire fence shall be a good and substantial fence within the meaning of this article unless the fence has three (3) tightly stretched barbed wires securely fastened to posts of reasonable strength, firmly set in the ground not more than one rod apart, one of which wires shall be at least four (4') feet above the surface of the ground. Any kind of wire or other fence of a height, strength, and capacity equal to or greater than the wire fence described in this subsection shall be a good and substantial fence within the meaning of this article.

(c) Any animal found by the Animal Control Director not under control as provided in subsection (a) or (b) of this section shall be taken by the Animal Control Director and impounded; provided, however, no such animal staked or tied for the purpose of grazing upon private property and no fowl at large upon private property shall be impounded, except on the complaint of the owner or occupant of such property or any other property who claims to be injured thereby.

(d) The Animal Control Director shall immediately notify the owner or person entitled to the possession of any such impounded animal or fowl of the impounding thereof, personally, if known, or, if unknown, by posting a notice of impoundment, with the description of the animal or fowl and the time and place of its apprehension, for three (3) days at an animal control center.

(e) Such impounded animals, where the owner or person entitled to the possession is unknown, may be redeemed within such three-day period by paying the fees set forth in Section 6-1.212 of Article 2 of this chapter.

(f) After the notice of impoundment has been posted for three (3) days, any animal or fowl mentioned in such notice may be disposed of.

(g) Any person who pastures livestock in such grazing areas in the County shall have on file with the Animal Control Director the owner's brand and the name and address of the person to be notified if any animal is found not under control as provided in subsections (a) and (b) of this section.

(h) When any dog is found in violation of Section 6-1.108(a) and such dog is unaltered, fines shall be charged per the current fee/fine schedule for (1) first offense, and (2) second and subsequent offenses. These recommended fines may be reduced with proof of spaying or neutering.

(§ 42309, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by § 2, Ord. 79-328, eff. August 9, 1979, § 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986, § 1, Ord. 87-651, eff. February 12, 1987, and § 1, Ord. 01-946, eff. June 14, 2001)

Any animal purchased from an animal control center by any person shall be restored to the owner upon proof of ownership if such animal is reclaimed within thirty (30) days. The purchaser shall be reimbursed by the owner for the actual expenses incurred.

(§ 42304, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by Ord. 477, and § 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

Any person possessing a dead animal or fowl shall dispose of it in a safe and sanitary manner. It shall be the duty of the Animal Control Director, upon the receipt of information that the body of any domestic animal or fowl has not been properly disposed of in accordance with the provisions of this section, to proceed with the disposal of such dead animal or fowl and collect the disposal fee as may be adopted by resolution.

The actual costs of such disposal shall be collected from the owner or person entitled to the possession of the animal or fowl.

(§ 42307, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by § 3, Ord. 79-328, eff. August 9, 1979, § 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986, and § 1, Ord. 93-819, eff. November 16, 1993)

At the request of any person, the Animal Control Director shall remove and dispose of any fowl or domestic animal lawfully in the possession of such person. The Animal Control Director shall collect fees from persons for whom such services are rendered as may be adopted by resolution.

(§ 42307, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by § 3, Ord. 79-328, eff. August 9, 1979, § 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986, and § 1, Ord. 93-819, eff. November 16, 1993)

Any city not electing to contract with the County shall be charged a fee for the humane disposal of each animal brought to an animal control center for such purpose. Such fee shall be waived if such dog has a valid County license issued for it pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

(§ 42304, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by Ord. 477, Ord. 783, § 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986, and § 1, Ord. 93-819, eff. November 16, 1993)

It shall be unlawful for any person to permit any dog or cat which is owned, harbored, or controlled by such person to be on the premises of the County Fairgrounds, unless with the express permission of the fairgrounds management, or unless the dog is a guide dog for the blind in the company of its owner.

(§ 42313, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 708, as amended by § 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

It shall be unlawful for any person to permit any dog which is owned, harbored, or controlled by such person to be on the premises of the Feather River College campus, unless the dog is a guide dog for the blind in the company of its owner, or unless express permission is obtained from a Feather River College official.

(§ 42306, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by § 1, Ord. 76-136, eff. January 14, 1976, § 3, Ord. 79-328, eff. August 9, 1979, § 1, Ord. 79-347, eff. November 8, 1979, and § 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

The Animal Control Director may kill any dog found in the act of killing, wounding, or persistently pursuing or worrying livestock or poultry on land or premises which are not owned or possessed by the owner of the dog or if the Animal Control Director has such proof as conclusively shows that the dog has recently engaged in killing, wounding, or persistently pursuing or worrying livestock or poultry on land or premises which are not owned or possessed by the owner of the dog.

(§ 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

It shall be unlawful to permit or allow any dog to pursue any wild fowl or game animal during the closed season on such fowl or animal or to pursue any domesticated fowl or animal belonging to anyone other than the owner of the dog.

(§ 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

A Violation of any provision of this chapter, unless otherwise specified, shall be an infraction punishable by a fine of Twenty Five and no/100ths ($25.00) dollars for the first offense, Fifty and no/100ths ($50.00) dollars for the second offense, and Seventy Five and no/100ths ($75.00) dollars for any subsequent offense. These fines can be issued by any Law Enforcement Officer.

Any penalty assessment authorized by section 1464 of the Penal Code shall be in addition to the fines set forth in this section.

Subsequent offenses shall have occurred within three (3) years after the previous violation to incur a progressive fine.

(§ 1, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986, as amended by § 1, Ord. 88-688, eff. May 20, 1988, § 1, Ord. 93-819, eff. November 16, 1993, and § 2, Ord. 01-946, eff. June 14, 2001; § 1, Ord. 20-1131, adopted June 16, 2020)

(a) Possession of any wild or restricted animal within Plumas County is unlawful if prohibited by State law, as set forth Chapter 2 of the Cali-fornia Fish and Game Code, Sections 2116-2203 and California Code of Regulations Sections 671-671.5, as presently written or subsequently amended.

(b) Possession of any animal, as described in section (a) above, is lawful if: (1) animal is lawfully possessed pursuant State law, (2) a local wild animal permit is obtained; (3) animal is housed in a pen constructed in accordance with the requirements set forth in California Fish and Game Code Section 671.3; and (4) possession of the animal does not violate local zoning regulations. Any other possession of a wild or restricted animal shall be unlawful.

(§ 2, Ord. 02-982, adopted November 12, 2002)

(a) No owner shall permit his or her dog, cat, or other animal to deposit fecal matter within a County-maintained park or campground, unless such owner shall cause the fecal matter to be removed immediately thereafter and lawfully disposed.

(b) For the purposes of this chapter, "County-maintained park or campground" shall include Gansner Park, Chester Park, Story Ball Field, Rotary Ball Field, Dame Shirley Plaza, the Courthouse grounds, and the Taylorsville Campground.

(c) Violation of this section may be punished in accordance with Section 6-1.117 above.

(Ord. No. 14-1095, § 1, 6-17-2014)