Crescent City, CA ANIMAL CONTROL

Control of Domestic Animal Waste.

It is unlawful for the owner to fail to immediately remove and dispose of any fecal matter deposited by a domestic animal on any common public or posted private thoroughfare, sidewalk, passageway, bypath, play area, park or any place where people congregate or walk, or upon any improved or posted private property, without the permission of the owner or tenant of the private property. For the purpose of this section, the feces shall be immediately removed by placing it in a closed or sealed container and thereafter putting that container in a trash receptacle, sanitary disposal unit or other closed or sealed container. The matter shall not be disposed of in a private trash container without the permission of the container's owner.

It is unlawful for any person who maintains any premises upon which an animal is kept to allow feces, uneaten food, waste, litter, bedding, or other matter associated with the animal that emits an offensive odor, or encourages the breeding of flies or other insects or vermin, to accumulate. This provision shall not prohibit the owner or occupant of any premises from storing food in a suitable closed container until it is consumed or putting such feces, uneaten food, or other matter in a closed container prior to disposal.

General Control of Domestic Animals. It is unlawful, and the owner shall be responsible for any public nuisance created by a domestic animal. A domestic animal shall be deemed to have created a public nuisance if such animal performs any of the following acts:

Attacking, biting or scratching any person without provocation;

Interfering with the reasonable and comfortable use of public or private property, or chasing vehicles, bicycles or passersby;

Damaging public or private property other than that of the owner of the animal;

Scattering domestic waste or refuse;

Entering upon the private property of another without permission of the property's owner or other lawful occupant;

Being within such areas as the city council may from time to time fix and designate by resolution and post with signs declaring that dogs or other domestic animals are prohibited;

Being upon any public school grounds without permission of the school authorities;

Being in tot lots or play equipment areas of any city park;

For any equine to be ridden, led or driven on any sidewalk or pedestrian path or for any dangerous, unbroken/untrained or partially broken/trained equine to be ridden, led or driven upon any public street or bridle path;

10.

Habitually making any persistent sound, bark, howl, wail, bay, yelp, cry, or other noise with such frequency or in such a manner as to disturb the peace and quiet of one or more persons residing within a radius of three hundred yards of the boundaries of the premises where the domestic animal is located.

Dogs—Use by Police Department and Emergency Responders.

Any dog, and the handler of any dog, used by the police department or other emergency responders in the performance of official police duties shall have the right to enter or be present in or at any place where a police officer has a right to enter or be present in the performance of official police duties, including both law enforcement and search or rescue work.

It is unlawful for any person to willfully interfere with any dog which is used or being used by the police department or any officer or member thereof, or any emergency responder, in the performance of any of the functions or duties of the police department or of such officer or member or emergency responder.

Destruction of Wild or Diseased and Dangerous Animals. Any animal which has attacked and injured any person or is running at large and is, by reason of vicious disposition or disease, a danger to public safety, may be taken up by the pound master or any peace officer and, if necessary for protection of human life, destroyed in a humane manner.

Poisoning Animals. It is unlawful to place, leave or expose any poisonous substance in any place accessible to any domestic animal with the intent to kill or harm such animals.

Retention of Dog by Other Than Owner. No person shall, without the knowledge or consent of the owner, keep any domestic animal of which he or she is not the owner, for more than twenty-four hours without notifying the animal control officer, giving his or her name and address and a true description of the animal. At the discretion of the animal control officer, such finder of a domestic animal may be allowed to retain possession of it in lieu of impoundment.

Abandonment of Animals. No person shall abandon any domestic animal on the property of another, or leave any domestic animal unattended in a vehicle overnight, or locked in a vehicle for any period of time without adequate ventilation and water to prevent injury to the animal.

Dogs—Leash Required.

No person owning or having charge, care, or custody of any dog shall cause, permit or allow the same to be upon any highway, street, lane, alley, court or other public place, or upon any private property or premises other than those of the person owning or having charge, care, or custody of such dog, within the city limits, unless such dog be restrained by a substantial chain or leash and under the general control of the person having charge, care, or custody of the dog. A dog shall not be deemed under the general control of the person having charge, care, or custody of the dog if the dog commits any of the acts described in subsection B of this section.

The leash requirement does not apply to dogs while inside the city's dog park.

(Ord. 691 § 4, 2002; Ord. 805 § 2, 2019)