929 Bridge Street
Colusa, CA 95932
Phone: 458 - 0200 The animal control dept. is a division within the Sheriff's Dept.
Office and shelter hours for the public: 2:00 - 3:00 Monday thru Friday.
Personnel:
Chief Animal Control Officer Courtney Elliott
Dept. Head: Lt. Shane Maxey
COUNTY LEASH ORDINANCE APPROVED
Colusa County joins the ranks of Butte, Sutter, Merced, Yolo and San Luis Obispo counties with the Board of Supervisors approval on Tuesday April 5, 2011 of a county wide leash law. All dogs, when off the property of the owner or caretaker, must be on a leash not longer than 6 feet.
The ordinance will be in effect as of May 5, 2011.
NEW COUNTY ANIMAL ORDINANCE
Section 1. Colusa County Code sections 3-7 and 3-8 of Chapter 3, Article II (Ordinance No. 197, sections 7 and 8) are hereby repealed in their entirety.
Section 2. Colusa County Code sections 3-7 and 3-8 of Chapter 3, Article II are hereby enacted:
Sec. 3-7 Dog Leash Requirements.
No owner shall permit his dog to be in any area, other than on private property where the dog is maintained by or on behalf of its owner, unless the dog is securely restrained by a leash and the leash is held continously in the hand of a responsible person capable of controlled such dog.
This section shall not apply where the dog is:
A) Assisting a peace officer in law enforcement duties;
B) Under the control of a person engaged in hunting pursuant to a license issued under sections 3031 and following of the California Fish and Game Code;
C) Enrolled and actually participating in a dog training or obedience class, exhibition, or competition conducted by an organization with the permission of the owner or operator of the grounds or facility;
D) Actively herding livestock with the permission of the owner of the livestock being herded;
E) Phyically present in a location subject to Federal or State Government law enforcement jurisdiction and not on privately owned property therein.
The ordinance term "leash" as referred to in this Chapter, means any rope, leather strap, chain or other material not to exceed over six (6) feet in length, of such strength and design to be capable of restraining the dog for which it is being used to lead to restrain, to be held in the hand of a person capable of controlling and actually controlling the animal to which it is attached.
Sec. 3-8. Dogs running on lands of non-owner/custodian.
Any owner or custodian of any dog which is running at large that causes injury through indirect, or direct action, to a human or domestic animal is guilty of either a misdemeanor or an infraction as shown by the particular facts of the incident. Nothing in this secion precludes prosecution for any additional or more severe applicable state or federal criminal liability which may apply as a result of injuries, property damage or death resulting from the dog running at large. The following definitions apply to this ordinance section:
A) "At large" means a dog located off the premises of its owner or custodian and not under physical restraint by the owner or cusrodian.
B) "Dog at large causing injury" means a dog off the premises of its owner or custodian as outlined in the definition of "at large" above in this section, which directly or indirectly causes or inflicts injury to any person or domestic animal. "Injury" is described as a wound or other type of injury which requires medical treatment, such as (but not inclusive of) muscle tears, lacerations requiring sutures, puncture wounds, broken bones or surgery.
