Redding Municipal Code Ch. 7.04 General Provisions

A. Employees of any of the following: a public pound, a society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, an animal control agency, or a humane society who have qualified as humane officers pursuant to California Corporations Code Section 14502 are authorized to issue notices to appear in court pursuant to Chapter 5C of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code for violations of state animal control laws or this title at such times as there exists a valid contract for these services between the city and the public pound, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, animal control agency, or humane society.

B. Employees of a public pound, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, animal control agency, or a humane society who have qualified as humane officers pursuant to California Corporations Code Section 14502 are included within the definition of "enforcement officer" of Section 1.13.020 of this code and are authorized to issue administrative citations pursuant to Chapter 1.13 of this code for violations of state animal control laws or Title 7 of this code at such times as there exists a valid contract for these services between the city and the public pound, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, animal control agency, or humane society.

C. The authority of the humane officers is limited to the jurisdiction of the city. The humane officers are not authorized to take any person into custody even though the person to whom the notice is delivered does not give his or her written promise to appear in court or before an administrative tribunal.

D. The authority of the animal control agency may expand in times of emergency to include the rescue of animals, the shelter of record for pets of displaced owners, the opening of additional shelter locations, and other emergency operations as warranted.

E. It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully resist, delay or obstruct any animal control officers in the discharge or attempt to discharge any duty imposed upon such officer pursuant to this title or other provisions of the Redding Municipal Code.

(Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

(Ord. No. 2635, § 1, 4-6-2021)

For purposes of this title, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, certain words and phrases shall have the meanings given them in this section.

"Animal" means all nonhuman members of the animal kingdom including domestic, exotic and livestock species.

"Animal control officer" means the poundmaster or any individual authorized to act by the provisions of Title 7 and Chapter 1.13 of this code.

"Dog" means and includes the domesticated members of the species canis familiaris; the word "dog" excludes other members of the family Canidae, including any hybrids of canis familiaris.

"Dog exercise area" means any fenced area or other enclosed area of a city park designated by the city council by resolution or ordinance as an area where dogs may be off a leash.

"Domestic animal" means any animal customarily kept by humans for companionship, including, but not limited to, dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, hamsters, mice, turtles, pot-bellied pigs and the like.

"Exotic animal" means any species of animal not considered domestic or livestock. For the purpose of this definition, "exotic animal" includes, but is not limited to, poisonous snakes and lizards.

"Exotic birds" means and includes parakeets, parrots (including macaws), cockatiels, cockatoos and similar birds.

"Kennel" means either:

1. Any person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of keeping, harboring, breeding, buying, or selling dogs or cats or both; or

2. Any dwelling or other property where more than six dogs or six cats, or any combination thereof exceeding a total of six, over the age of four months are kept and maintained for a purpose other than breeding, buying, selling or boarding.

The term "kennel" shall not include any animal shelter operated by a humane society, a municipal agency or its authorized agents, or a veterinary hospital operated by a veterinarian licensed by the state of California.

"Large fowl" means and includes emus, ostriches, rheas or other similar flightless birds.

"Livestock" means any animal customarily kept by humans for the purpose of providing food, clothing or work, including, but not limited to, equine, bovine, ovine, caprine, porcine and fowl, but excluding bees.

"Pot-bellied pig" means and includes the Vietnamese variety miniature pig of less than one hundred fifty pounds in weight and less than twenty-two inches in height as the shoulder.

"Poultry" means and includes pigeons, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and all other domestic or domesticated fowl.

"Pound" means and includes any location used for the impounding of animals and may include any animal shelter operated by the Haven Humane Society or the County of Shasta.

"Wild animal" means and includes specifically any live nonhuman primate, raccoon, skunk, fox, coyote, wolf, leopard, panther, tiger, lion, lynx, poisonous snake or like reptile, or any other warm-blooded mammal which can normally be found in the wild state and is not typically domesticated in California.

(Ord. 2397 § 2 (part), 2007: Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

(Ord. No. 2590, § 30, 8-21-2018; Ord. No. 2635, § 2, 4-6-2021)

Except as permitted by Title 18 of the Redding Municipal Code, no person shall tether any animal or graze the same upon any public street, avenue, sidewalk or alley, or so near to any public street, avenue, sidewalk or alley as to endanger or annoy any person or occupant of any vehicle passing thereon.

(Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

(Ord. No. 2635, § 3, 4-6-2021)

No person shall cruelly beat, torture, misuse, deprive of food or water, or otherwise maltreat any animal in the city.

(Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

No person shall strike, threaten to strike, tease or harass any official police dog while any such dog is in the company of a peace officer or is located within an official police vehicle or police kennel.

(Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

It is declared to be a nuisance and it is unlawful for any person to allow or permit animals, under his or her ownership or control, to run at large except upon private property exclusively under the ownership and/or control of the owner or keeper or within a designated dog exercise area. Violation of this section shall be a misdemeanor and also subject to administrative enforcement pursuant to Chapter 1.13 of this code.

(Ord. 2397 § 2 (part), 2007: Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

A. It is unlawful for the owner or person having custody of any animal to permit, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care or control, to allow any such animal to defecate or urinate upon the sidewalk of any public street; or upon the floor of any common hall in any apartment house, hotel, or other multiple dwelling; or upon any entranceway, stairway or wall immediately abutting on a public sidewalk; or upon the floor of any theater, shop, store, office building, or other building used in common by the public; or upon the floor or stairway of any depot or station or public waiting room; or upon any floor, stairway, entranceway, office, lobby, foyer, or patio used in common by the public; or upon the walks, picnic areas, tennis courts, ball diamonds, band shells, or in or upon any public buildings located within the public parks.

B. It is declared to be a public nuisance and is unlawful for any person to feed cats outside by placing food directly on the ground or in containers in publicly owned spaces. A person may feed only cats owned or kept by the household. Food must be provided in containers that are not to be left outside overnight.

(Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

(Ord. No. 2635, § 4, 4-6-2021)

It is declared to be a nuisance and it is unlawful for any person to keep or permit to be kept upon any premises any animals in a foul, offensive, obnoxious, filthy or unsanitary condition.

(Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

It is the duty of every owner or persons in possession and in control of animals to keep them within a good and substantial enclosure within the city which will prevent their running at large. Cats can be kept outside in such conditions so as not to be a nuisance as stated in Section 7.04.070.

(Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

(Ord. No. 2635, § 5, 4-6-2021)

A. It is declared to be a nuisance and it is unlawful to keep, maintain or permit on any lot or parcel of land, any animal that habitually disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood or person, by barking, howling, crying, baying, screeching, or making any other noise so as to unreasonably disturb the peace or quiet of any two persons living in different households.

B. It is declared to be a nuisance and it is unlawful to keep, maintain, or permit on any premises within the city, any animal that habitually disturbs the peace or quiet of any neighborhood or person, by barking, howling, crying, baying, screeching, or making any other noise so as to unreasonably disturb the peace or quiet of any neighborhood as witnessed by an animal control officer.

C. For purposes of this section, a barking, howling, crying, baying, screeching, or other disturbing noise that occurs continuously or incessantly for a period of at least ten minutes or intermittently for at least thirty minutes at any time either day or night shall be considered an unreasonable disturbance.

D. Any noise by an animal shall not be considered an unreasonable disturbance if a person is trespassing or threatening to trespass upon the property that is the subject of the disturbance, or if any person is teasing or provoking the animal that is causing the disturbance.

E. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the keeping of any watchdog; provided, that the keeper takes immediate steps to quiet such watchdog whenever it barks, and provided, that the keeper never leaves the watchdog unattended on the premises in a place where its barking, if prolonged or repeated an undue number of times, unreasonably disturbs the peace or quiet of any two persons living in different households.

F. Any person who owns or keeps an animal that violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of an infraction and subject to the imposition of an administrative citation pursuant to Chapter 1.13 of this code.

G. On a first complaint that an animal is disturbing the peace, the animal control officer shall:

1. Investigate the complaint;

2. Identify and document all prior violations of this chapter attributable to any animals kept by the owner or keeper of the animal that is the subject of the complaint;

3. Provide the owner or keeper with information on responsibilities and liabilities under this chapter;

4. Serve the owner or keeper with a warning notice that documents the violations of this chapter. Service shall be accomplished by any of the following methods: personally delivering the notice to the owner or keeper; conspicuously posting the notice at the real property where the animal resides; mailing a copy of the notice by certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested to the owner or keeper; or by regular mail.

H. On second and subsequent complaints, the animal control officer shall:

1. Investigate the complaint;

2. Identify and document all prior violations of this chapter attributable to any animals kept by the owner or keeper of the animal that is the subject of the complaint;

3. If a violation is found to have occurred, cause the owner or keeper to be served with a (a) notice to appear in court; or (b) an administrative citation pursuant to Chapter 1.13 of this code.

I. For purposes of this section, a "complaint" means a written complaint to the city that is signed by at least two individuals from different households, on a form approved by the city manager.

(Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

No persons shall, at any time, hunt, pursue, kill, trap, take, keep or destroy any quail of any description or species, or any other wild animal or wild bird within the boundaries of the city. The provisions of this section shall not prohibit the keeping and maintaining of wild animals within the city under the following conditions:

A. Any wild animals which are kept in or managed by a zoo, museum, state-licensed educational institution, permitted circus, properly licensed wildlife rehabilitation centers and state and federal agencies responsible for the regulation of wild animals.

B. Any wild animals in a licensed veterinary hospital for treatment.

(Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

It is declared to be a nuisance and it is unlawful for any person to establish or maintain any slaughterhouse within the city limits.

(Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

It is unlawful for any person to keep any chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys, pigeons, doves, squabs or similar fowl or any hares, rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, hamsters, rats, mice or any other similar gnawing mammal, owned or controlled by him or her within forty feet of any dwelling house or structure used as a dwelling house, unless the house or structure is occupied by him or her; or to keep the same within fifteen feet of any side and rear property lines, except where the rear of the property abuts on a public alley, in which case a distance of fifteen feet from side property lines shall be maintained, or to keep the same within fifty feet of any front property line. Nothing in this section is intended to supercede the provisions of [Section] 18.43.140 of the Zoning Ordinance in those instances where said ordinance specifically regulates the type, number, and conditions under which certain specified animals may be kept.

(Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

(Ord. No. 2456, § 2, 5-4-2010)

It is unlawful for any person to keep any rooster over three months old within the city. It is unlawful for any person to keep any peafowl (peacocks) or guinea fowl within the city.

(Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

It is unlawful for any person to keep parakeets, parrots (including macaws, cockatiels, cockatoos or other exotic birds) within thirty-five feet of any building used as a dwelling or residence by any person other than the owner or custodian of the birds. It is unlawful for any person to keep more than twenty-five parakeets in an outside open cage or enclosure.

(Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

A. It is unlawful for any person to keep, harbor or maintain in or about any dwelling, or the curtilage thereof, more than six dogs or six cats, or any combination thereof exceeding a total of six, each of which is over the age of four months, unless the owner has obtained a kennel license under the provisions of this chapter. Not more than one pot-bellied pig may be kept, harbored or maintained in or about any dwelling; the combined number of dogs, cats, and pot-bellied pigs shall not exceed a total of six.

B. For the purposes of this section, the term "dwelling" is defined in the same manner as such term is defined in the zoning regulations of the city.

C. The provision of this section shall not apply to any owner who owns more than six dogs or six cats, or any combination thereof, on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter so long as such dogs are licensed by the owner under this chapter. This exception does not apply to any dogs subsequently owned, acquired or otherwise possessed by such owner after the effective date of such ordinance.

(Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

(Ord. No. 2590, § 31, 8-21-2018)

A. It is unlawful for any person to display, sell, offer for sale, barter or give away, upon any street, sidewalk, recreation trail, in front of or adjacent to any retail store, shopping center or other place of business which members of the public frequent, any animal.

B. It is unlawful for any person who owns or controls any retail store, shopping center, or other place of business which members of the public frequent to permit any person to display, sell, offer for sale, barter or give away any animal on the premises owned or controlled by such person.

C. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the display or sale of any animal legally for sale in a licensed pet shop, feed store or other place of business which is authorized to display or sell animals.

(Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)

Any violation of Section 7.04.030, 7.04.040, 7.04.050 or 7.04.100 of this chapter constitutes a misdemeanor. Any violation of any other section in this chapter constitutes an infraction.

(Ord. 2397 § 2 (part), 2007: Ord. 2354 § 1 (part), 2005)