San Clemente Municipal Code Ch. 6.12 Dogs and Cats

No person owning or having charge, care, custody or control of any dog shall cause or permit, either shall fully or through failure to exercise due care or control, any such dog to be upon any:

A. Private property unless such dog be restrained thereon by a fence, wall, substantial chain or leash not exceeding six feet in length, other appropriate physical restraint, or is under the charge of a person competent to exercise care, custody and control over such dog; or

B. Highway, street, alley or other public property unless such dog be restrained by a substantial chain or leash not exceeding six feet in length, and is under the charge of a person competent to exercise care, custody, and control over such dog, unless the owner or operator of such public property grants written permission for such dog to be on such property without such chain or leash.

(Ord. No. 1797, § 1, 11-4-2025)

A. .....Dogs within or upon public beaches, parks, municipal pier, municipal golf course, etc., are prohibited. Except as provided below, no owner or person in charge or in control of any dog shall permit or allow such dog to be within or upon the public beaches, public access ways to the beach, parks, municipal pier, or municipal golf course, and such dogs are prohibited from being within or upon such aforementioned public places.

1. City parks where dogs are permitted on-leash: A dog who is on a leash and under the control of the dog's owner or the owner's agent is permitted within specified parks that the city council may, from time to time, designate by duly passed resolution or ordinance.

2. City parks where dogs are permitted off-leash: The city council may, from time to time, designate by duly passed resolution or ordinance, one or more off-leash dog parks where dogs may be permitted without a leash, provided the owners or owners' agents comply with all animal related rules and regulations, including posted rules and regulations specifically provided for the use of said off-leash dog park(s).

3. Effective date designated parks are available to dogs; regulations: A park designated by the city council as being available to dogs shall be deemed to be available for use by dogs at such time as the director of beaches, parks and recreation erects signs in the park noting that the park has been so designated. Any dog using a public park in accordance with this section shall have a collar attached to it that contains a current dog license.

4. Removal of park from list of designated dog parks: Notwithstanding any of the above, the city council may, from time to time, by duly passed resolution, remove any park from its list of parks designated for use by dogs if it determines that such removal is in the best interests of the city.

5. Dogs on leashes allowed on beach trail: A dog who is on a leash and under the control of the dog's owner or the owner's agent is permitted on all portions of the beach trail and all beach access ways providing access to the beach trail, including those portions of the beach trail and beach access ways that overlay the beach service road, at all times of the year, except on the Fourth of July and during the time that major city-sponsored special events (e.g., the Ocean Festival) are occurring on the beach and the director of beaches, parks, and recreation has posted the beach trail to prohibit dogs, at which ties dogs shall be prohibited in such areas.

B. Dogs on Leashes Allowed on Municipal Trails. .....Dogs on leashes and under the control of the dog's owner or owner's agent are permitted on municipal trails. For the purposes of this section, the term "municipal trails" shall mean those trails identified in the City of San Clemente General Plan.

C. Dogs Prohibited. .....Dogs shall be prohibited on Avenida Del Mar from its intersection with El Camino Real to its intersection with Avenida Seville during the San Clemente Fiesta celebration.

D. .....No owner or person in charge or in control of any dog, except a blind person with his or her guide dog, shall permit or allow such dog to be within or upon public school property, public beaches, public access ways to the beach, parks, municipal pier or municipal golf course, except where authorized by this code. This section does not prohibit the use of dogs on school property for teaching or other school uses when approved by the school officials.

(Ord. No. 1797, § 1, 11-4-2025)

Dog and cat owners shall securely confine their female dogs and cats while in heat (estrus) within an enclosure in a manner that shall prevent access by male dogs or male cats, or the attraction of male dogs or male cats to the immediate vicinity. Any person found in violation of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(Ord. No. 1797, § 1, 11-4-2025)

Except for un-spayed female dogs during the breeding period, the provisions of this chapter do not prohibit dogs from running at large on the premises of the owner or person having charge of such dog.

(Ord. No. 1797, § 1, 11-4-2025)

A working dog, performing acts such as herding under the control and supervision of owner or handler shall not be considered as unleashed while performing his or her duties. A hunting, obedience, tracking or show dog shall not be considered unleashed while performing in the above capacities in areas designated for such activities.

(Ord. No. 1797, § 1, 11-4-2025)

Dog owners and custodians of dogs shall, at all times, take all reasonable precautions to prevent their dogs from biting, attacking or attempting to bite any person or from interfering with the use of public or private property. Any person owning or having custody or control of a vicious dog commits a violation of this code if, as a result of that person's failure to exercise ordinary care, the dog bites, attacks, wounds or otherwise injures or kills a human being and the owner or custodian knew or should have known of the vicious or dangerous nature of the dog. It is unlawful for any person to fail to comply with this section. However, nothing in this section shall authorize the bringing of a criminal action pursuant to a violation of this section if the bite, attack, attempted bite, injury or threat was sustained by person who, at the time, was committing a willful trespass upon the premises occupied by the owner or custodian or the dog, or was committing or attempting to commit a crime upon the premises occupied by the owner or custodian of the dog, or was teasing, tormenting, abusing or assaulting the dog or who has, in the past, teased, tormented, abused or assaulted the dog.

(Ord. No. 1797, § 1, 11-4-2025)

Whenever the general manager or authorized agent receives a report of a dog with a disposition of propensity to attack or bite any person or animal without provocation, he or she may require a sign to be placed by the owner stating the following: "Beware of Dog."

(Ord. No. 1797, § 1, 11-4-2025)