Chapter 6.08 — DOGS

• A. It is unlawful for any person who owns, keeps, harbors or cares for any dog to permit such dog to run at large from the premises used and occupied by said person for residential or business purposes, unless such dog is under restraint.

• B. No dog shall be left completely enclosed in a parked vehicle without adequate ventilation, or in such a way as to subject the dog to temperatures that would affect the dog's health and welfare; to do so is unlawful.

• C. Exceptions: A working dog, performing acts such as herding under the control and supervision of its owner/handler shall not be considered at large while performing its duties. A hunting, obedience, tracking or show dog shall not be considered at large while performing in those capacities.

(Prior code § 4.9; Ord. 98-851 § 1)

• A. All dogs on attaining the age of four months that are kept, harbored or maintained by their owners in the city shall be licensed hereunder, and failure to do so is unlawful. All dog kennels within the city shall be registered and licensed hereunder, and failure to do so is unlawful. Applications for licenses for dogs over the age of four months, and/or for dog kennels shall be made prior to July 31st of each year. A dog license and/or kennel license shall be valid for one

year in the year during which the license is obtained (unless the license is prepaid, in which case it shall be for the following year) from July 1st through the following June 30th.

• B. Written application for a dog license shall be made to the city clerk and shall state the name and address of the owner and the name, breed, color, age and sex of the dog. The license fee shall be paid at the time of making application, a numbered receipt given to the applicant, and a numbered metallic tag showing the year of license expiration shall be issued to the owner.

• C. Written application for a kennel license shall be made to the city clerk and shall state the following: number of dogs at the kennel, their color, breed, sex and verification that they have been vaccinated with antirabies vaccine as required in subsection E of this section. Every dog on the kennel premises shall be registered on said kennel application form; if a dog is not registered (excepting short-term [less than 30 days] boarding dogs), then that dog is considered an offense as an unlicensed dog, unless the dog is individually licensed. Every dog so registered shall be issued a metallic tag which shall be fastened on the dog's collar as set forth in subsection F of this section.

• D. Once the kennel license is issued, a copy of the written application for the kennel license shall be kept on file at city hall, with a copy provided to the animal shelter.

• E. No dog license shall be issued until the owner presents a current certificate by a licensed veterinarian that the dog sought to be registered and licensed has been vaccinated with antirabies vaccine in accordance with state law.

• F. Every owner is required to see that the tag is securely fastened to the dog's choke chain, collar or harness, which must be worn by the dog at all times. No person shall use for any dog a license receipt or license tag issued for another dog.

• G. The dog license for any year or portion thereof on each dog licensed at or within the time herein provided shall be $20 per dog, except that license fees for spayed bitches or neutered dogs shall be $7 per dog. When application is made for a license after 30 days following the start of the licensing period, a late fee of 50% of the license fee shall be added to the license fee for any year or portion thereof on each dog, and shall be collected with the regular license fee. One day each year at the license clinic held within the city the above-listed licensing fees shall be offered at half-price, only on the day of the license clinic.

• H. The kennel license fee shall be as follows:

• I. These licensing provisions shall not be intended to apply to dogs whose owners are nonresidents, temporarily (less than 90 days) within the city, nor to guide dogs ("seeing eye dogs") properly trained to assist blind or disabled persons when such dogs are actually being used by blind or disabled persons for the purpose of aiding them in getting from place to place.

• J. In case a dog tag is lost or destroyed, a duplicate shall be issued by the city clerk upon presentation of a receipt showing payment of the license fee for the current year, and the payment of a two dollar ($2.00) fee for such duplicate. Dog tags shall not be transferable from one to another, and no refunds or credits shall be made on any dog license because of the death of any dog or the owner's leaving the city before expiration of the license period.

• K. If there is a change in ownership of a dog or kennel during the license year, the new owners may have the current license transferred upon the payment of a transfer fee of one dollar ($1.00).

• L. Any dog owner, upon becoming a resident of the city, shall have 90 days to obtain a license for his or her dog, unless such dog will have theretofore been required to be licensed and/or redeemed in compliance with the provisions hereof.

• M. An owner moving from Lassen County to the city shall not be required to obtain a new license for that applicable city licensing period, provided the owner's dog has a current county license for that applicable licensing period within the city.

(Prior code § 4.10; Ord. 98-851 § 1; Ord. 04-907 § 1, 2004)

• A. Prior to issuance of a kennel license, and after an application is filed, the city shall cause the kennel to be inspected. The city may refuse to issue a kennel license, or may revoke any kennel license if the person making application or holding the kennel license refuses or fails to comply with the provisions of this chapter, the regulations promulgated hereunder by the city, or any law governing the protection and keeping of dogs.

• B. Any person who is denied a kennel license after making application therefor, or whose license is revoked shall, within 10 days after the written denial or revocation, sell, give away or humanely dispose of all dogs owned, kept or harbored. No part of the license fee shall be refunded.

• C. It shall be a condition of the issuance of any license that the city shall be permitted to inspect all dogs and the premises where they are kept at reasonable times and upon reasonable 24 hour notice. Should permission for such inspection be refused, the license shall either not be issued, or if already issued, shall be revoked.

• D. If the applicant has withheld or falsified any information on the application for kennel license, the city shall have authority to refuse to issue a license, or to revoke a license, as the case may be.

• E. Any person denied a license may not reapply for 30 days. Each new application thereafter shall be accompanied by a ten dollar ($10.00) fee. There shall be no application fee for the initial kennel license application.

(Prior code § 4.10 1/2)

It is unlawful for any dog owner, owning a dog under the age of four months, to allow such dog to run at large within the city and every such owner of a dog under four months of age shall keep such dog confined to the premises of the owner or keep such dog under physical restraint by the owner, provided that nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the sale or transportation of a dog four months of age or younger.

(Prior code § 4.11)

Every police officer, poundmaster and animal control officer shall have the power, as provided in Section 836.5 of the Penal Code, to arrest without a warrant and to prepare and give and accept written promises to appear, to give citations and exercise all powers authorized by Section 836.5 of the Penal Code.

(Prior code § 4.12)

• A. It shall be the duty of the animal control officer to apprehend any vicious dog, and any dog or dogs running at large or in violation of this chapter or any law of the state, and to impound such dog or dogs in the shelter designated by the city, to be confined in a humane manner for a period of not less than five days (120 hours), except as otherwise provided in Penal Code Section 597f . The animal control officer, upon receiving any dog, shall make a complete registry, entering the breed, color, and sex of such dog, and whether licensed. If licensed, the name and address of the registered owner and the number of the license tag shall also be entered in the registry.

• B. It is unlawful for dogs to run at large within the city limits. When dogs are found running at large, and their ownership is known to the animal control officer, such dogs need not be impounded, but the animal control officer may, in his or her discretion, cite the owners of such dogs to appear in court to answer the charges of violation of the chapter.

• C. It is unlawful for dogs to be within any city park without a leash.

• D. No dog shall be impounded by owner surrender unless the owner signs a release form and pays a fee of $25 per dog; said fees are for the purpose of offsetting the cost of administration and providing care to the dog and destruction if adoption does not occur.

• (Prior code § 4.13)

Not later than 24 hours after the impounding of any canine, the registered owner shall be notified by the United States mail, or if said owner of the dog is unknown, written notice shall be posted not later than 24 hours after impounding, for three days at 66 North Lassen Street (City Hall) and at 1801 Main Street (Police Department), describing the canine and the place and time of taking. The owner of any canine so impounded or an adoptive-owner, may claim (redeem) such canine upon payment of the license fee, if unpaid, and penalty if owing, and of all costs and expenses incurred by the city for impounding and maintenance of said canine.

The following charges shall be paid: A service charge for the first impoundment in the sum of $50, plus $12 per day for each day or fraction thereof such canine is kept, beginning with the day of impoundment;

In the event that the subject canine is impounded by the city a second time, the service charge shall be increased to $100 plus $12 per day for each day or fraction thereof such canine is kept, beginning with the day of impoundment and $200 plus $12 per day for each day or fraction thereof such canine is kept, beginning with the day of impoundment for the third and each subsequent impoundment. If the canine is not picked up or impounded for a period of 12 months from the most recent violation or impoundment, the impound fee will return to $50 as if it were the first impoundment, and increase accordingly to $100 for the second impoundment, and $200 for the third and each subsequent impoundment.

Any animals, canine or feline, that are subject to quarantine for bites and do not have a current rabies vaccination, or that do not meet the conditions of home quarantine, will be assessed a fifty dollar ($50.00) to two hundred dollar ($200.00) impound fee based on the number of violations and the impound schedule plus $20 per day for each day or fraction thereof, such dog is kept in quarantine or impounded. No animal may be redeemed by any owner unless such owner shall produce a certificate from a licensed veterinarian that such animal has been vaccinated with antirabies vaccine within the preceding 24 month period; provided, that any such owner shall have the

right, consistent with the other provisions of this chapter, prior to such redemption, and at his or her own cost and expense to have a licensed veterinarian vaccinate such impounded animal. (Prior code § 4.14; Ord. 16-1006 § 1, 2016)

It shall be the duty of the poundmaster to keep all dogs so impounded for a period of five days (120 hours) after written notice is sent to the last known address of the registered owner. If at the expiration of the said time period from date of notice to the owner or from first posting of such notice, if such dog shall not have been redeemed, it may be destroyed, or given to an adoptive home. Any dog suffering from rabies, or infected with hydrophobia, mange or other infectious or dangerous disease, shall not be released, but may be immediately destroyed, without any waiting period requirement.

(Prior code § 4.15)

No dog or dogs remaining unclaimed and held by the poundmaster for the city shall be sold, surrendered or given to any hospital or institution of learning for scientific purposes under any circumstances whatsoever, nor shall any official of the city nor any other person have any power or authority to so sell, surrender or give any dog herein mentioned to any hospital or institution of learning for scientific purposes. (Prior code § 4.16)

• A. A dog impounded as a vicious dog and unclaimed, shall be subject to the disposition provided in Section 6.08.080 . A dog impounded as a "vicious dog," and thereafter claimed by its owner, shall not be released except: (1) on order of court on disposition of any citations or complaint for violation of this chapter which caused such impoundment or (2) on written determination of the city attorney that citation will not be prosecuted or complaint will not be issued.

• B. The fees and charges for release of any dog impounded and held over five days as a vicious dog shall be as set out above and for all days the dog has been impounded in all cases, except that if the release from impoundment is by reason of court order after acquittal of violation of this chapter or on determination of the city attorney not to prosecute, the fees and charges shall be as set out above, but the service charge shall be limited to five days.

• C. It is unlawful for an owner of any vicious dog to fail to keep such vicious dog under effective physical control so as to preclude its unprovoked attack upon any human being, animal, or dog. For purposes of this section, "effective physical control" means that such dog, while on the owner's premises, shall be confined within a building or secure fence, and if off the owner's premises, shall be on a leash and securely muzzled.

• D. Without limiting Section 6.08.080 herein, providing for destruction of unclaimed or infected dogs, the court may, in addition to any other penalty provided in this chapter, order the destruction of any vicious dog which the court finds, should it escape from the "effective physical control," as defined in this subsection C of this section, will either: (1) without reasonable provocation attack any human or animal or dog; or (2) constitute a threat of harm or danger to public safety or welfare.

(Prior code § 4.17; Ord. 98-851 § 1)

It is unlawful for any person who owns any female dog in heat, or any dog of fierce, dangerous, or vicious propensities, to allow said dog to run at large upon the premises of one other than the owner. If any such dog is found at large in violation of this section, it shall be taken up and impounded. If any dangerous, fierce, or vicious dog so found at large cannot safely be taken up and impounded, such dog may be slain by any police officer. (Prior code § 4.18; Ord. 98-851 § 1)

The owner of every dog shall be responsible for the removal of any excreta deposited by said dog on public walks, recreation areas, or private lands not belonging to said owner. Failure to do so is unlawful, and a violation of this code. (Prior code § 4.18 1/2)

• A. Every dog which bites a person shall be promptly reported to the animal control officer and shall thereupon be securely quarantined at the direction of the animal control officer for a period of 10 days, and shall not be released from such quarantine except by written permission of the animal control officer. At the discretion of the animal control officer such quarantine may be on the premises of the owner, at the shelter designated by the city, or, at the owner's option and expense, in a veterinary hospital of the owner's choice. In the case of stray animals, or in the case of animals whose ownership is not known, such quarantine shall be at the shelter designated by the city.

• B. The owner upon demand made by the animal control officer shall forthwith surrender any dog which has bitten a human or which is suspected as having been exposed to rabies, for supervised quarantine, which expense shall be borne by the owner, and may be reclaimed by the owner if adjudged free of rabies, upon payment of fees set forth in Section 6.08.070 , and upon complying with the licensing provisions set forth in Section 6.08.020 .

• C. When a dog under quarantine has been diagnosed as being rabid, and dies while under such observation, the animal control officer shall immediately send the head of such animal to the State Health Department for pathological examination, and shall notify the proper public health officer of reports of human contacts, and the diagnosis made of the suspected animal.

• D. No person shall kill, or cause to be killed, any rabid animal, rabid dog, or any animal suspected of having been exposed to rabies, or any animal biting a human, except as herein provided, nor remove same from the city without the written permission from the animal control officer.

• E. The carcass of any dead dog exposed to rabies shall upon demand be surrendered to the animal control officer.

• F. The animal control officer shall direct the disposition of any dog found to be infected with rabies.

• G. No person shall fail or refuse to surrender any dog for quarantine or destruction as required herein when demand is made therefor by the animal control officer.

• (Prior code § 4.19; Ord. 98-851 § 1)

It is unlawful for the owner of any dog to keep or maintain such dog unless it shall have been vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian with antirabies vaccine. (Prior code § 4.20)

• A. Dogs subject to disposition at the animal shelter may be sold if the sale of any such dog is not contrary to law, or to the public interest. Dogs may not be sold at the animal shelter for purposes other than keeping as pets, and may not be sold without first having been licensed and vaccinated against rabies, and all applicable fees hereunder having been paid. No dog shall be released by the animal shelter or humane society for adoption without being spayed or neutered, unless a deposit for spaying or neutering the dog has been paid by the adopter. The minimum deposit to be so paid shall be equal to the lesser of the lowest fee charged by veterinarians within Lassen County or the sum of $40. The deposit shall be returned to the adopter provided that the adopter presents a written statement or receipt from the veterinarian or clinic that the dog has been spayed or neutered within 60 days from the date of adoption.

• B. Use of any deposit not claimed under subsection A of this section shall be limited to the following:

  1. Public education program to prevent overpopulation of dogs and cats;

  2. A program to spay or neuter dogs and cats;

  3. For follow-up programs to assure spaying and neutering are being performed;

4. Any additional costs incurred under this section. (Prior code § 4.22; Ord. 04-907 § 1, 2004)

City of Susanville, CA Tuesday, July 7, 2026