Stockton, California

§ 6.04.090 Dog or cat license.

A. Except as provided herein, the owner of each dog and the owner of each cat four months old or older shall obtain a dog/cat license from the City for the privilege of having and keeping such animal in the City. Each license so issued shall expire on the expiration date of the anti-rabies vaccination of the animal and the City shall issue a new license upon the owner’s paying all required fees and penalties (if applicable) and the owner’s complying with all conditions required for the City to issue a new license. The City may issue a duplicate license upon the owner’s paying a fee. The City shall issue a metal tag plainly inscribed with “Stockton Animal License” and bearing the license number. The City shall enter in a register kept for that purpose and the name and address of the owner (or the person to whom the license is issued), a description of the dog or cat, and the number and date of the license. If the owner presents a certificate from a licensed veterinarian that shows the dog or cat has been sterilized, the license fee shall be less than the regular fee. If the owner fails to renew the license within 30 days of the license’s expiration date, the owner shall pay a penalty.

§ 6.04.180 Sold or adopted animals to be sterilized—Exceptions.

Except as provided by State Law:

A. Each female dog and each female cat sold and/or adopted out by the Animal Services Center shall be sterilized; and

B. Each male dog and each male cat sold and/or adopted out by the Animal Services Center shall be sterilized.

§ 6.04.210 Litter permit required.

A. No person shall cause or allow any female dog or cat owned, harbored, or kept within the jurisdiction of the City to breed without first obtaining a litter permit. A litter permit is written authorization, issued annually by the Animal Services Supervisor or authorized designee, giving its lawful holder permission to breed a dog or cat. The litter permit shall be valid for one year from the date of issuance and may be renewed annually prior to the expiration date. Each applicant for a litter permit shall pay an annual fee as prescribed by the City Council and set forth in the annual fee schedule. Under no circumstances shall a litter permit be issued to a person who has been convicted of animal cruelty or neglect.

B. The Animal Services Supervisor shall establish procedures for and administer a Litter Permit Program to allow the responsible breeding of unaltered dogs and cats. In addition to the procedures set forth by the Animal Services Supervisor, litter permit holders shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

1. Any litter permit holder who advertises to the public the availability of any dog or cat for sale, adoption, or transfer, whether for compensation or otherwise, must prominently display the litter permit number in any such advertisement. Further, the litter permit holder must provide the permit number to any person who purchases, adopts, or receives any animal from the permit holder and include the permit number on any receipt of sale or transfer document.

2. Litter permits will not be issued for animals under 12 months of age or over seven years of age.

3. Any person or commercial establishments selling locally bred dogs or cats (with the exception of government agencies; nonprofit animal rescue organizations exempt from taxation under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3); or humane societies or societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals if such societies are incorporated under the provisions of California Corporations Code Section 10400 and the Non-profit Public Benefit Corporation Law in Part 2 of the California Corporations Code, beginning at Section 5110) shall prominently display the litter permit number(s) of the breeder(s) whose dogs and cats are sold in said establishments and any other pertinent information required by the Animal Services Supervisor or designee; commercial establishments selling dogs and cats which were not bred within the City shall prominently display the name and address of the breeder(s) of such dogs and cats and any other pertinent information required by the Animal Services Supervisor.

4. Any litter permit holder selling or otherwise transferring a dog or cat, whether for compensation or otherwise, shall maintain records for a period of three years containing the name, address, and telephone number of the animal’s new owner on a form approved by the Animal Services Supervisor.

5.Any litter permit holder or commercial establishment, which sells or otherwise transfers a dog or cat, whether for compensation or otherwise, shall provide to the new animal owner written information regarding the license and permit requirements of the City applicable to such animal; and any litter permit holder shall have his or her litter-puppy(ies)/kitten(s) microchipped or have some other form of identification acceptable to the Animal Services Supervisor and shall register the puppy(ies)/kitten(s) with the City.

6. No person shall give away any dog or cat as an inducement to enter a place of business or to enter into a business arrangement or as inducement to enter any contest, lottery, drawing, game, or competition.

7. Any owner of an unaltered dog or cat that meets all of the following criteria for each unaltered dog or cat shall be exempt from litter permit provisions and annually pay a reduced unaltered license fee upon a showing to the Animal Services Supervisor or designee that the owner meets the following criteria:

a. Registers and participates the pet in two American Kennel Club, United Kennel Club, International Cat Association, or the Cat Fanciers Association sanctioned events per year or each dog or cat has achieved a title and provides written documentation of the above to the County/City Animal Services; and

b. Be a member of a breed club or organization where the pet is used for showing, training, agility trials, or tracking tests and provides written documentation to the County/City animal services of such membership and participation.

§ 6.04.220 Litter permit—Penalties.

A. Any dog or cat owner found by the Animal Services Supervisor to be in violation of the litter permit provisions of this chapter may correct the violations by obtaining the necessary permit(s), no later than 30 days from the date when the owner was first notified of the violation. Should the owner fail to correct the violations in the manner described above, the Animal Services shall impose a $250.00 fine for the first occurrence, $500.00 for the second occurrence and a misdemeanor charge for each subsequent occurrence on the pet owner. Notice of this penalty shall not be waived upon the transfer or abandonment of the dog or cat by the noncompliant owner. This penalty shall be imposed in addition to any other applicable civil or criminal penalties.

B. If the penalty above is not paid and the owner does not spay or neuter his or her dog(s) or cat(s), or obtain the litter permit(s) within 15 days from the date when the Animal Services first notified the owner of the imposition of a penalty, the continuing violation of the litter permit requirement of this chapter becomes an additional infraction and may be prosecuted as such.

C. Any litter permit may be revoked and the animal required to be spayed or neutered if the Animal Services Supervisor or designee has reasonable cause to believe any of the following to be true:

1. The permittee has violated any City municipal codes relating to the keeping, care or use of any animal;

2. The permittee is in violation of any State health or safety law or regulation regarding animal care or control;

3. The permittee has failed to comply with any condition or requirement of the permit or has failed to pay any fee imposed under this code;

4. The permittee refused to allow inspection, upon 48 hours written notice, of any animal covered by the permit or premises on which the animal is kept; or

5. The permittee has transferred, sold, adopted or otherwise disposed of the animal for which the permit was originally issued.

D. If, after inspection, the Animal Services Supervisor or his/her designee concludes that it is probable that one or more of the above grounds for revocation has occurred, it shall cause written notice thereof to be transmitted by certified mail to the address of the litter permittee. Said notice shall specify the grounds of revocation of the litter permit.

E. The litter permittee may appeal the decision of the Animal Services Supervisor or designee by submitting a request for an administrative hearing form and paying the appeal fee within 10 days of the certified mailing date of the notice. The procedures for the administrative hearing are set forth in Chapter 1.44 of the Stockton Municipal Code.

§ 6.04.290 Licensing and sterilizing of certain impounded animals.

B. If an owner has previously been determined, through an administrative process or otherwise, to have violated any provisions of this chapter, any dog or cat of the owner that the Animal Services Center thereafter impounds must be sterilized prior to the animal’s release. The animal owner shall pay for such services unless the City Council, by resolution, has waived generally payment for such services.