Sierra Madre Municipal Code Ch. 6.04 Animal Control

Except as provided in this title, Title 10 of the County of Los Angeles Code, being the animal control ordinance of the County of Los Angeles, is adopted by reference as the animal control ordinance of the city and may be cited as such. Title 10 of the County of Los Angeles Code is available to the public on the County of Los Angeles website.

(Ord. 1084 § 1 (part), 1992; prior code § 5300)

(Ord. No. 1421, § 1, 12-10-19)

Wherever in the animal control ordinance the following words and phrases are used, they respectively, shall have the following meanings ascribed to them:

"County" or "county of Los Angeles" means the city of Sierra Madre.

"County clerk" means the city clerk of the city of Sierra Madre.

(Ord. 1084 § 1 (part), 1992; prior code § 5301)

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6.04.010, the specific provisions of any contract between the city and an animal control service provider shall supersede the provisions of Title 10 of the Los Angeles County Code, and the contracted service provider shall be the poundmaster.

(Ord. 1084 § 1 (part), 1992; Ord. 945 § 1, 1976: prior code § 5302)

(Ord. No. 1421, § 2, 12-10-19)

The poundmaster and any officer or employee thereof, are charged with enforcing the provisions of this chapter, are authorized to take such lawful action as may be required to enforce this chapter, and are invested with the powers and duties of peace officers of the city for such purposes.

(Ord. 1084 § 1 (part), 1992; prior code § 5303)

Section 010 of Chapter 32 of Title 10 of the County of Los Angeles Code is amended to read as follows:

SECTION 010—ANIMALS RUNNING AT LARGE

No person owning or having charge, care, custody, or control of any dog shall cause, permit, or allow the same to be or to run at large upon any highway, street, lane, property or premises other than those enclosed by fencing or structures sufficient to confine such dog in the city, unless such dog be restrained by a substantial chain or leash not exceeding six (6) feet in length and is in the charge, care, custody, or control of a competent person.

(Ord. 1084 § 1 (part), 1992; prior code § 5304)

(Ord. No. 1421, § 3, 12-10-19)

Chapter 28 of Title 10 of the County of Los Angeles Code is deleted.

(Ord. 1084 § 1 (part), 1992; prior code § 5305)

(Ord. No. 1421, § 4, 12-10-19)

Editor's note— Section 4 of Ord. No. 1421, adopted Dec. 10, 2019, changed the title of § 6.04.060 from "Los Angeles County control ordinance—Article VI deleted" to read as herein set out.

Notwithstanding the fees and licensing requirements established in the animal control ordinance of the county of Los Angeles, the following fees are established for the city:

A. License fee for keeping and maintaining a dog in the city is fixed as follows: For spayed bitches or neutered males, the annual license fee will set by city council resolution. It shall not be necessary to procure a license or pay a license fee hereunder for any dog under the age of four months. Each license shall be payable annually each year and the same shall expire at midnight from date of issue. Senior citizens sixty-five years of age or older, at the time of application and owning the dog, shall qualify for a reduction of the above license fee of fifty percent.

B. Penalty. If the license fee provided for under the provisions of this section are not paid within thirty days of the due date, a penalty in the sum of seven dollars and fifty cents shall be added to such license fee and shall be collected therewith.

C. The fees for impounding and keeping the same shall be set by contract with an animal shelter.

(Ord. 1087 § 5, 1992; Ord. 1005 § 1, 1983; Ord. 986 § 1, 1981; Ord. 968 § 1, 1979; Ord. 964 §§ 1—3, 1979; Ord. 950 § 1, 1977; Ord. 940 § 1, 1976: prior code § 5306)

(Ord. No. 1442, § 2, 5-25-21)

A. Use of any area designated by the city council as a dog park for off-leash exercise of dogs is subject to the payment of a user fee. The amount of said user fee shall be set by resolution of the city council.

1. The following areas are designated as dog parks for off-leash exercise of dogs, subject to the requirements of this section:

i. The Sierra Vista Park small dog park;

ii. The Sierra Vista Park large dog park;

B. The director of finance is authorized to adopt such administrative regulations that are necessary to facilitate the payment of said user fee. Such regulations shall require that prior to issuance of evidence of payment of the user fee, the applicant shall sign a waiver of liability approved by the city attorney and agree to be bound by the "Official Rules of Use for Dog Parks" as approved and amended from time to time by the community services commission. The presence of a dog in a designated dog off-leash area shall constitute a waiver of liability, on behalf of the person either owning or controlling the dog, to the City of Sierra Madre, as well as an agreement and undertaking to protect, indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the City of Sierra Madre for any injury or damage caused by the dog.

C. Upon satisfying the requirements of subsection B of this section and any other administrative regulations adopted by the director of finance, the payer of the user fee shall be provided with evidence of payment or waiver of payment of the user fee. Said evidence of payment or waiver of payment must be shown upon demand to any city official.

D. Persons who have obtained the age of sixty-five years may receive a waiver of payment of the user fee specified in subsection A of this section, but must still sign a waiver of liability as specified in subsection B prior to use of the dog park for off-leash exercise of a dog.

E. It shall be a violation of this Municipal Code to use any area, designated as a dog park or permit a dog entry to said areas without first paying the user fee required by this section.

F. Any person who takes a dog into an off-leash area must have physical control of the dog by means of an adequate leash when entering and leaving the off-leash area and must maintain voice control over the dog at all times while in the off-leash area. All dogs in an off-leash area must be licensed and must display valid license tags attached to the dog collar.

G. Any violation of this section shall be processed as a violation of this code.

(Ord. 1175, 1999)

(Ord. No. 13-28, § 1, 2-28-2012)

Except seeing eye or other certified service dogs on leash or dogs used by public law enforcement agencies, no person owning, having a proprietary interest in, harboring or having the care, charge, control, custody or possession of a dog shall permit such dog to be upon any designated playing field grounds, regardless of whether the dog is on or off leash. Designated playing fields include:

1. Dapper Field.

2. Heasley Field, including the t-ball field.

(Ord. No. 13-28, § 2, 2-28-2012)