Chapter 8.12 DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL

The Department of Animal Care and Control under the administrative management of the Director, and the office of the Director, are both hereby continued. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91)

8.12.020 Director—License Duties Generally.

The Director shall issue all licenses required by this Division 1, and shall maintain those records required by this Division 1, and handle all fees in such a manner as prescribed by the Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller, who for the purposes of this chapter only shall be designated as the City of Santa Clarita Auditor-Controller. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91)

8.12.030 Director and Other Employees—Tax Collector.

For the purpose of issuing all other licenses required by this Division 1 and for no other purpose, the Director and each employee designated by the Director shall be appointed as a Deputy County Tax Collector to serve without additional pay as such. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91)

8.12.040 Powers of Deputies.

Whenever a power is granted to, or a duty is imposed upon a public officer, the power may be exercised or the duty may be performed by a deputy of the officer or by a person authorized, pursuant to law, by the officer, unless this Division 1 expressly provides otherwise. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91)

8.12.050 Authority to Accept Negotiable Paper.

The Director, and the tax collector, in their discretion, may accept negotiable paper as provided in ordinance 4099, the County of Los Angeles Administrative Code, which, for purposes of implementation of this ordinance only, is hereby adapted by the City of Santa Clarita and incorporated herein by reference and subject to all of the provisions of Sections 25303.1 and 25303.2, 25303.3, 25303.4, 25303.5 and 25203.6 of the Government Code. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91)

8.12.060 Public Spay and Neuter Clinic—Establishment—Services and Fees.

A. The Director may establish a clinic, at which members of the public may have dogs and cats spayed or neutered in a humane manner upon payment of the fees set forth in Section 8.90.010.

B. A person submitting a dog or cat for the above service shall sign a consent form certifying thereon under penalty of perjury that he is the owner of the animals, or setting forth facts showing that he is otherwise authorized to present the animal for the above operation and such person may be required to furnish proof of such ownership or authority. Such consent shall contain a waiver of any and all liability of the County, City, the Department of Animal Care and Control and any county or City employees for any injury or death to an animal arising out of the aforementioned operation or any services provided incidental thereto.

C. The Department shall establish a return date by which a person submitting an animal for the above operation shall pick up such animal or be subject to a reasonable board and care fee to commence the day after such return date. Failure to pick up an animal within fifteen (15) days of the return date shall be deemed abandonment of such animal, and the Director may dispose of it by sale or destruction. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91)

8.12.070 Public Education Programs.

The Director may establish public education programs as deemed necessary to carry out the Department’s duties and responsibilities for the humane treatment of animals. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91)

8.12.075 Incentive Programs.

The Director may, at his or her discretion, offer incentive programs to encourage compliance with the dog and cat licensing requirements. (Ord. 01-12, 7/10/01)

8.12.080 Animals Held for Observation for Department of Health Services.

The Director shall pick up or accept and care for any animal to be held for observation by the Director of Health Services. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91)

8.12.090 Capture and Custody of Animals Required When.

The Director shall capture and take into custody:

A. All unlicensed dogs;

B. Any other animal, wild or domestic, which is by this Division 1 required to be licensed, but which is unlicensed;

C. Any animal being kept or maintained contrary to the provisions of this Division 1, the Animal Control Ordinance or any other ordinance or state statute;

D. Dogs and other animals running at large contrary to the provisions of the Food and Agricultural Code or any other state statute or of this Division 1;

E. Sick, injured, stray, unwanted or abandoned animals;

F. Dogs which are unvaccinated in violation of this Division 1;

G. Animals delivered by the owners to the Director, all title and interest in which is abandoned by such owners;

H. Animals for which the owner or custodian is unable to care because of imprisonment, illness, bankruptcy, litigation or other contingency, or in cases in which the owner or custodian cannot be found. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91)

8.12.100 Animals Kept in Animal Shelters.

The Director shall place all animals taken into custody in the county animal shelters, which, for the purposes of this chapter shall be designated as City animal shelters or appropriate facilities. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91; Ord. 01-12, 7/10/01)

8.12.110 Fees for Taking Unwanted Animals.

The department shall charge the fees prescribed in Section 8.90.010 for the taking up or relinquishing of an unwanted animal when requested to do so by the animal’s owner or other person having custody or control over said animal. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91)

8.12.111 Traps for Cats and Dogs—Rental Conditions.

The Director may permit members of the public to borrow animal traps to be used for the purpose of catching animals on their property. The Director may collect a fee for the use of all animal traps as provided in Section 8.90.010. If the trap is lost or damaged beyond repair, the Director shall collect the actual cost of the trap for its replacement. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91; Ord. 01-12, 7/10/01)

8.12.120 Removing Animals from Custody—Requirements.

A person shall not remove any animal from the custody of the Director, nor shall any person remove any animal from a City animal shelter, vehicle or trailer, without first paying the necessary fees as set forth in this Division 1 or without receiving permission from the Director to do so. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91; Ord. 01-12, 7/10/01)

8.12.130 Dead Animals and Dead Livestock—Pick Up From Property—Fee—Exceptions.

The Director shall pick up and dispose of all dead animals and livestock on public highways and on public and private property within the City of Santa Clarita, where the owner is unknown, or at the request of the animal’s owner or other person having custody or control over the animal. The fees for such removal services shall be as provided in Section 8.90.010. The Director shall not pick up any dead animals in garbage Disposal Districts where contractors are required to perform such service pursuant to contract. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91)

8.12.140 Dead Animals—Pick Up from Businesses or Other Facilities.

For each pick up or receiving of dead animals from any animal-related business, such as a pet hospital, nonprofit humane organization animal facility, stable or veterinary establishment, or any commercial, industrial, educational, medical or other facility that deals with animals in connection with its operation, the Director shall collect the fees determined annually as provided in Section 8.04.065. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91; Ord. 01-12, 7/10/01; Ord. 11-13 § 8, 6/28/11)

8.12.150 Tranquilizer Gun Equipment—Use Authorized When.

The Director may designate supervisory and selected animal control officers who will be authorized to transport and operate tranquilizer gun equipment for use in the capture and seizure of animals. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91; Ord. 01-12, 7/10/01)

8.12.160 Inhumane Treatment—Enforcement of State Law.

It shall be the duty of the Director to enforce those sections of the Penal Code of the state of California pertaining to the inhumane treatment of animals, and to take possession of animals so abandoned or neglected and care for or dispose of same as provided for in the Penal Code of the state of California or this Division 1. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91)

8.12.161 Stealing or Driving Cats Away from Owners Prohibited When.

A person shall not steal, take, carry, lead or drive away the cat of another, with intent to permanently or temporarily deprive the owner or possessor thereof. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91)

8.12.170 Complaint Investigation Authority.

The Director shall receive, investigate and report to other county officers and county departments complaints concerning disturbing or offensive noises or conduct of animals or fowl kept or maintained in the City of Santa Clarita. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91)

8.12.180 Unlicensed or Unvaccinated Dogs or Cats—Right of Entry for Enforcement.

For the purpose of discharging the duties imposed upon him by this Division 1, the Director, in order to enforce the provisions hereof to take up and impound any unlicensed or unvaccinated dog or cat, may enter any real property upon which any dog or cat is kept or harbored or upon which he has reason to believe any dog or cat is kept or harbored and demand the exhibition by the person owning or having charge or control of any such dog or cat, of the dog or cat, the required rabies vaccination certificate, and the license or license tag for such dog or cat for the current year provided for by this Division 1. This section does not permit any person to enter any private dwelling, except where necessary to rescue an animal. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91; Ord. 01-12, 7/10/01)

8.12.190 Refusing to Show License or Certificate Unlawful.

Any person upon whom any demand is made under authority of this Division 1 for the exhibition of any dog or cat, rabies vaccination certificate, or any dog or cat license or tag, who fails or refuses to exhibit the same if he has it in his possession, is guilty of a violation of this Division 1 and shall be punishable therefor as herein provided. (Ord. 01-12, 7/10/01)

8.12.200 Interfering with Department Officers Prohibited.

A person shall not interfere with, oppose or resist the Director or an employee of the department, while such person is engaged in the performance of any act authorized by this Division 1. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91)

8.12.210 Right of Entry for Enforcement—Conditions.

A. The Director, any officer or employee thereof, or other duly designated representative of the City, and any police officer or sheriff’s officer shall have the right to make an inspection to enforce the provisions of this Division 1 or other applicable law by entering into any building or upon any property within the City of Santa

Clarita when said person has reasonable cause to believe that there exists in any building and/or upon any property any violation of the provisions of this Division 1 or other applicable law, provided that:

1. If such building and/or property is occupied, he or she shall first present proper credentials to the occupant and request entry, explaining the reasons therefor; and if such building and/or property is unoccupied, he or she shall first make a reasonable effort to locate the owner thereof or other persons having authority over the building and/or property and request entry, explaining the reasons therefor;

2. If entry into said building or upon said property be refused, the Director, any officer, or employee thereof, or other duly designated representative of the Department, and any police officer or sheriff’s officer shall obtain an inspection warrant pursuant to the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure (Sections 1822.50—1822.57), for the entry and inspection of said building and/or said property;

3. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Director, any officer or employee thereof, or other duly designated representative of the Department and any police officer or sheriff’s officer has reasonable cause to believe that any animal is so hazardous, unsafe or dangerous as to require immediate inspection to safeguard the animal or the public health or safety, he or she shall have the right to immediately enter and inspect such building and/or property, and may use any reasonable means required to effect such entry and make such inspection, whether such building and/or property is occupied or unoccupied, and whether or not permission to inspect has been obtained. If the building and/or property is occupied, he or she shall first present proper credentials to the occupant and request entry, explaining the reasons therefor.

B. This section shall not prohibit the Director, any officer or employee thereof, and any police officer or sheriff’s officer from entering upon any public or private property in the City of Santa Clarita for the purpose of capturing an animal running at large in violation of this Division 1 or other applicable law. Any person who denies or prevents, obstructs, or attempts to deny, prevent or obstruct said capture is guilty of a misdemeanor. (Ord. 91-29, 8/13/91)

8.12.220 Animal Facility Inspection and Grading Authority.

The Director, or his or her duly authorized representative, shall inspect every animal facility annually as provided in Section 8.28.050 and shall report on the findings of said inspection in an animal facility inspection report. The letter grade issued by the Department shall be based on the most recent animal facility inspection report of the facility. The Director is authorized to recommend appropriate licensing or other legal action as set forth in Section 8.28.290. (Ord. 04-13 § 6, 10/12/04)