Violations

Enforcement Guidelines

Colusa County Animal Control enforces all animal-related laws and ordinances within Colusa County. Citations are not only a basic tool of enforcement to gain compliance but also serve as educational tools. The following are some general guidelines used by Animal Control and patrol officers to ensure that enforcement activities are conducted in a manner that is fair and equitable to all residents.

Citations

A citation may be issued for violations including, but not limited to, dog-at-large violations when the violator:

  • Allows the animal to:
    • Be unruly and jump up on people or property
    • Bite or behave dangerously, aggressively, or in a menacing fashion
    • Fail to respond to commands
    • Run off-leash in or near a playground, athletic field, or any other area with a concentration of children
  • Fails to demonstrate even minimum pet ownership responsibility and is in violation of other animal control ordinances (e.g., no pet license, no current vaccination, or no evident control over the animal)
  • Gives false information to the officer
  • Has previously been issued a verbal or written warning
  • Is aware of, but willingly violates, the law

Warnings

A warning may be issued, at the discretion of the officer, if the violator:

  • Has a valid pet license with the license displayed on the animal
  • Has not allowed the animal to bite or behave dangerously, aggressively, or in a menacing fashion
  • Has not previously received animal control code violation warnings
  • Is not aware of the law or tried earnestly not to violate the law

For More Information

For more information on animal control violations, please contact the division at (530) 458-0229.