Watsonville Municipal Code Art. 5 Care and Keeping of Animals

It shall be unlawful for any owner or person having the charge, care, control, or possession of any animal, except cats, to cause, permit, or allow the animal to stray, run, or in any other manner to be at large in or upon any public street, sidewalk, park, school ground, or upon any unenclosed lot or land.

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

It shall be unlawful for any owner or person having the charge, care, control, or possession to stake out, herd, or graze any animal, except cats or licensed dogs, upon any unenclosed lot or land in any manner so that such animal may be or go beyond the boundary of such lot or land. No owner shall stake or tie, or leave staked or tied, within 100 feet of an inhabited residence any horse, cow, or goat in an open lot without the written consent of the occupant of such residence.

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

All horses, cows, goats within the City authorized pursuant to Title 14 of this Code, when not in use, shall be kept inside enclosures at night.

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

It shall be unlawful for any person to tie any animal to any shrub or tree growing upon or along any of the sidewalks or streets of the City.

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

It shall be unlawful for the owner or person having the charge, care, control or possession of any animal to permit, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care or control, any such animal to commit any public nuisance upon the sidewalk of any public street; or upon any walkway, path, grass, or play area of any park or school; 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.

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

Whenever animals are kept within any building or on any premises without food, water, or proper care and attention, it shall be the duty of the Director of Animal Control and the police of the City, pursuant to all applicable Federal, State and local laws, to enter the building or premises to take possession of and remove the animals so abandoned or neglected.

(§ 1, Ord. 886-92 C-M, eff. April 9, 1992, as amended by § 1, Ord. 1250-09 (CM), eff. December 10, 2009)

No person shall keep or maintain any hive of bees in the City, except as authorized pursuant to Chapter 28 of Title 14 of this Code and under the following conditions:

(a) No more than two (2) hives shall be maintained on any one lot or parcel of land.

(b) No hive shall be kept or maintained within twenty-five (25') feet of any dwelling and 100 feet of any property line of the lot or parcel of land upon which situated.

“Front property line,” for the purposes of subsection (b) of this section, shall mean the sidewalk boundary farthest from the street.

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

No person shall place, leave, or expose, in any place accessible to birds, fowl, dogs, cats, or any domestic animal, with the intent to kill or harm such birds, fowl, or animals, any poisonous substance or ingredient or any edible or any other substance or ingredient which has in any manner been treated or prepared with any poisonous substance or ingredient.

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

It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or maintain any horse, cow, goat, or sheep within the City limits, except as permitted by Title 14 of this

Code, without first securing a permit therefor from the Health Officer.

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

It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or maintain, or cause to be kept or maintained, within the City any chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, or other fowl or any goats, rabbits, or guinea pigs, except under the following conditions:

(a) Such poultry and animals shall under no circumstances be permitted to run at large but shall be at all times confined within a suitable house or coop with an enclosed runway.

(b) Such house or coop and runway shall at all times be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition and shall be cleaned once a week or more often if necessary and shall at all times be free from offensive odors.

(c) Such house or coop shall be well limewashed or painted once each year or more often if necessary.

(d) No part of any such house, coop, or runway shall be less than twenty-five (25') feet from any dwelling or place of business occupied by human beings for dwelling or business purposes without the written consent of the occupant of such dwelling or place of business.

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

No animals from the animal shelter will be used for research purposes.

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

It shall be unlawful for any owner or person having the charge, care, control, or possession to permit any animal to defecate upon any public property, street, walk, or park, or to permit any animal to defecate upon the unenclosed private property of another person. The owner or person having the charge, care, control, or possession of any animal shall be responsible for the removal of any excreta deposited by their animal.

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

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or harbor any dog, cat or other animal, whether licensed or not, which by habitual howling, yelping, barking or other noise unreasonably disturbs or annoys any person with ordinary sensitivities.

(b) The application of the penalty set forth in subsection (a) of this section shall not be held to prevent such acts or actions declared and abated as a public nuisance.

(§ 1, Ord. 895-92 C-M, eff. July 28, 1992)