Windsor, California

3-4-500 – Dog License Required—Exceptions.

No person shall own or keep any dog over four (4) months of age within the Town of Windsor which has not been licensed pursuant to the provisions of this article, except:

a. A license shall not be required for any dog owned by a person who is a nonresident of the Town and is traveling through the Town or temporarily visiting therein for a period not exceeding thirty (30) days, provided that such dog has been vaccinated consistent with the requirements of this section and its owner presents proof of such vaccination upon demand and further provided that such dog is confined on the premises of the person in charge of it while temporarily in the Town.

b. A license shall not be required for any dog brought into the Town and kept therein for a period not exceeding thirty (30) days for the exclusive purpose of entering the same in any show, exhibition, field trail, or other competition or for breeding purposes, provided that such dog has been vaccinated consistent with the requirements of this section and its owner presents proof of such vaccination upon demand and further provided that such dog is confined on the premises of the person in charge of it while in the Town except when being groomed, trained, bred, shown, exhibited, or in competition.

3-4-515 – Application for License—Waiver of Fees.

Application for a dog license shall be made in writing to the Animal Control Officer by the owner of the dog to be licensed. Such application shall be on a form approved by the Animal Control Officer and shall be accompanied by a license fee, the amount of which shall be established pursuant to Section 3-4-115. Such license fee shall be waived for assistance dogs owned and used by totally or partially blind persons, deaf or hearing impaired persons, or other disabled persons, and for dogs owned and used by police departments or law enforcement officers exclusively for police work if all other requirements for licensing under this article are met. Such license fee may include a reduced rate for spayed or neutered dogs and for dogs owned by persons sixty-two (62) years of age or older if all other requirements for licensing under this article are met. The Animal Control Officer shall require such proof of qualification as the Animal Control Officer deems necessary prior to waiving or reducing the license fee for any dog. If the owner of any dog fails to make application for a dog license within thirty (30) days after receipt of notice from the Animal Control Officer to obtain a license, such owner shall pay a penalty for late licensing, the amount of which shall be established pursuant to Section 3-4-115, in addition to the license fee required in this section.

3-4-600 – Cat Registration.

Any person who owns or keeps any cat over four (4) months of age within the Town may voluntarily register such cat pursuant to the provisions of this article.

3-4-605 – Application for Registration.

Application for registration of a cat shall be made in writing to the Animal Control Officer by the owner of the cat to be registered. Such application shall be on a form approved by the Animal Control Officer and shall be accompanied by a registration fee, the amount of which shall be established pursuant to Section 3-4-115. Such registration fee may include a reduced rate for spayed or neutered cats and for cats owned by persons sixty-two (62) years of age or older if all other requirements for registration under this article are met. The Animal Control Officer shall require such proof of qualification as the Animal Control Officer deems necessary prior to reducing the registration fee for any cat.

3-4-1250 – Redemption of Impounded Animals.

The owner of any impounded animal may, at any time prior to the disposition of the animal, redeem the same upon compliance with the ordinance codified in this chapter and State law, presentation of proof of ownership satisfactory to the Animal Control Officer and payment of a redemption fee, the amount of which shall be established pursuant to Section 3-4-1215, and all other proper fees and charges accrued and provided for by this chapter. If the impounded animal is subject to licensure under this chapter, the owner shall comply with the licensing requirements for the animal prior to its release. If the impounded dog is subject to mandatory spay or neuter requirements under this chapter, the owner shall comply with such requirements as identified in Section 3-4-1410 for the dog prior to its release.

3-4-1255 – Disposition of Impounded Animals.

a. Any impounded animal, except livestock, which is not redeemed within the holding period specified in this article may, at the discretion of the Animal Control Officer, be put up for adoption or humanely destroyed by the Animal Control Officer. If an impounded animal is put up for adoption, such animal may be adopted by any qualified person upon submission of an application and payment of an adoption fee, the amount of which shall be established pursuant to Section 3-4-1215. If such animal is subject to licensure under this chapter, the person adopting the animal shall, prior to the animal’s release, comply with the licensing requirements for the animal. If such animal is a dog or cat which has not been previously spayed or neutered, such dog or cat shall be spayed or neutered. The person adopting such dog or cat shall, prior to such dog or cat’s release, provide a spaying or neutering deposit, the amount of which shall be established pursuant to Section 3-4-1215. The Animal Control Officer shall designate on such dog or cat’s adoption papers the date by which the spaying or neutering shall be completed. Upon receipt of a notice from a veterinarian or spaying and neutering clinic that such dog or cat has been spayed or neutered, the Animal Control Officer shall return the deposit to the person who adopted such dog or cat. If no such notice is received by the Animal Control Officer within thirty (30) days after the completion date designated on such dog or cat’s adoption papers, the deposit shall be forfeited to the Town and the person who adopted such dog or cat may be cited for violation of this section and such dog or cat may be seized and impounded.

3-4-1400 – Mandatory Spay or Neutering for All Dogs at Large.

Except as provided in subsections (a) through (g) of this section, all owners cited for dogs running at large for violation of Section 3-4-1025 shall have their dog spayed and neutered at the owner’s expense.

a. Dogs documented as having been appropriately trained and actually being used by public law enforcement agencies for law enforcement activities, or such dogs designated as breeding stock by an appropriate agency or organized approved by the Animal Control Officer after consultation with knowledgeable professionals;

b. Dogs documented as having been appropriately trained and actually being used as an assistance dog, such as a service dog, guide dog, signal dog, or social dog, or such dogs designated as breeding stock by an appropriate agency or organization approved by the Animal Control Officer after consultation with knowledgeable professionals;

c. Dogs documented as having been appropriately trained and actually being used by search and rescue agencies for search and rescue activities, or such dogs designated as breeding stock by an appropriate agency or organization approved by the director after consultation with knowledgeable professionals;

d. Dogs certified by a licensed veterinarian as having a health reason for not being spayed/neutered;

e. Dogs which are appropriately trained and actually being used for herding of other animals, or as livestock guardian dogs, hunting dogs, or such dogs designated as breeding stock by an appropriate agency or organization approved by the Animal Control Officer after consultation with knowledgeable professionals;

f. Dogs boarded in a licensed kennel or a business, which boards such animals for professional training or resale;

g. Dogs which are registered with the American Kennel Club, United Kingdom Kennel Club, and/or American Dog Breeders Association Incorporated and trained and kept for the purpose of show, field trials and agility trials.

3-4-1405 – Mandatory Spay or Neutering of All Pit Bulls.

No person shall own, harbor, or keep within the Town, a pit bull over the age of four (4) months, which has not been spayed or neutered, except as provided in Sections 3-4-1400(a) through (g).

3-4-1410 – Violations.

In addition to the violations set forth in Article 15 of this chapter, failure to comply with Section 3-4-1400 or 3-4-1405 above may result in the impoundment of the dog. In order for the owner of the dog to reclaim the dog from the shelter, one of the following must occur:

a. A veterinarian, chosen by the shelter, must spay or neuter the dog. The owner of the dog shall pay the cost of such sterilization and reclaim the dog from the veterinarian after the sterilization procedure is completed; or

b. A veterinarian, chosen by the owner of the dog, must spay or neuter the dog. The veterinarian must practice within the County of Sonoma. The shelter supervisor may release the dog either to the owner or directly to the veterinarian prior to the sterilization, provided, however, that if the shelter supervisor releases the dog to the owner, the owner must sign an affidavit affirming that he or she will arrange for the dog to be spayed or neutered within five (5) days of the dog’s release. Upon completion of the sterilization procedure, the owner shall provide written documentation to the shelter officer verifying that such procedure occurred. If the shelter supervisor does not receive such documentation within thirty (30) days of the dog’s release, or if the owner of the dog fails to have the dog spayed or neutered within five (5) days of the dog’s release, the shelter supervisor shall have the authority to impound the pit bull a second time, and the owner may be charged with a second violation of this section.