Watsonville Municipal Code Art. 2 Administration and Enforcement

An animal shelter, which shall be located at a place to be designated from time to time by the City Manager, is hereby authorized and established.

(§ 1, Ord. 886-92 C-M, eff. April 9, 1992)

(a) The Director of Animal Control or designee appointed by the City Manager shall possess, while engaged in the discharge of their duties, badges plainly designating their office, except that when any police officer acts as a Director of Animal Control, their badge as police officer shall be sufficient.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to resist or interfere with a Director of Animal Control or his designee in the discharge of their official duties.

(§ 1, Ord. 886-92 C-M, eff. April 9, 1992)

Upon the issuance of a Director of Animal Control badge, the recipient thereof shall be duly sworn in as a public officer or employee of the City, as authorized by the Penal Code of the State, and is hereby charged with the duty of enforcing this chapter and all laws of the City and the laws of the State relating to the care, treatment, or impounding of animals or for the prevention of cruelty thereto. All Animal Control Officers shall not, for the purposes of this chapter, be deemed peace officers, but may exercise those powers specified in Penal Code Section 830.9 if those officers successfully complete a course in the exercise of those powers pursuant to Penal Code Section 832 and if authorized by the Chief of Police.

(§ 1, Ord. 886-92 C-M, eff. April 9, 1992)

For the purpose of discharging the duties imposed by Section 6-1.203 of this article, the Director of Animal Control and the police officers of the City are authorized and directed to enter upon and inspect any premises upon which any animal is kept or harbored and to demand the person owning or having the charge or control of the animal to exhibit such animal and its license tag or permit if a license or permit is required by this chapter. This authority shall be subject to compliance with the laws protecting property and individual rights.

(§ 1, Ord. 886-92 C-M, eff. April 9, 1992)

It shall be the duty of the Director of Animal Control and of the police officers of the City, when the Director of Animal Controls are not on duty, to take up and immediately deliver to the animal shelter those animals which are directed to be taken up and impounded by this chapter or which are found or kept contrary to the provisions of this chapter.

(§ 1, Ord. 886-92 C-M, eff. April 9, 1992)

Any veterinarian who vaccinates or causes or directs to be vaccinated in the City of Watsonville any dog with the antirabies vaccine shall:

(a) Use a certificate approved by the Santa Cruz County Animal Services Authority to certify that such animal has been vaccinated; and

(b) Send a copy of the completed certificate to the Santa Cruz County Animal Services Authority within thirty (30) days from the date the dog is vaccinated; and

(c) If the dog that is vaccinated for rabies by a veterinarian located outside the City of Watsonville, the owner/guardian or person with a right to control the dog must submit a copy of the vaccination certificate to the Santa Cruz County Animal Services Authority within thirty (30) days from the date that a dog is vaccinated or brought into the City, whichever date is later in time.

(§ 1, Ord. 1280-11 (CM), eff. October 27, 2011)