(a) License and registration required. No person owning, having an interest in, or having control, custody or possession of any dog or cat shall fail, neglect, or refuse to license and register such dog or cat, if over four months of age, in compliance with the terms of this chapter.
(b) Procurement of license certificates. The code enforcement officer, is authorized and directed to procure each year such number of license certificates and tags as may be sufficient for use during the year.
(c) It is unlawful to keep more than four dogs at any residence. Each dog must be licensed. For purposes of this section, a service dog licensed under Section 3.36.160 and serving a person who is disabled within the meaning of Government Code section 12926 subsection (i) or (j) is not counted toward the number of dogs kept or maintained.
(d) It is unlawful to keep more than five cats at any residence. Each cat must be licensed and kept primarily indoors.
(e) Individual dog or cat licenses are required at an animal facility for dogs and cats. An individual license must be obtained for each dog or cat when the dog or cat is kept as a pet at an animal facility and is not kept exclusively in a kennel run or cage.
(f) License and fees hobby breeding. A person who is a hobby breeder, as defined in this chapter, must pay the fee for a hobby breeding license under section 3.36.160. Each license authorizes the birth of no more than one litter per household in any 12-month period. Breeding more than one litter per year will result in penalties.
(g) Exceptions from the Domestic Dog and Cat Licensing Requirement. A domestic dog and cat license is not required for:
(1) Any dog or cat that is currently licensed in another jurisdiction;
(2) A dog or cat owned by or in the charge of any person who is not a resident of the city and is in the city for less than 30 days.
(3) Any dog found within the city when the owner thereof resides in any municipality or unincorporated territory within the County of Los Angeles (“County”), and such dog is wearing or has attached to it a license tag for the current year issued by such municipality or county.
(4) Any dog owned by or in the charge of any person who is a nonresident of the City of La Puente and is traveling through the city or temporarily sojourning therein for a period of not exceeding thirty (30) days;
(5) Any dog brought into the City and kept therein for not to exceed 30 days for the exclusive purpose of entering the same in any bench show, or dog exhibition, or field trials or competition;
(6) Any dog brought or sent into the city from any point outside thereof for the exclusive purpose of receiving veterinary care in any dog hospital, in the event that such dog is kept at all times strictly confined within such hospital;
(7) Any dog wearing or having attached to it a license tag for the current year issued by a municipality within the county or by the county when the owner thereof has, within one (1) year last past, moved his/her principal place of residence from such municipality or unincorporated territory of the county to the city; provided, that such municipality or county similarly exempts from tag and license requirements dogs wearing current city license tags and owned by persons who have moved from the city to such municipality or unincorporated territory of the county.
(h) License and license tag for dogs discharged from military service. A license for a dog that has been honorably discharged from the armed forces of the United States is valid for the dog's lifetime, so long as the owner or custodian of the dog keeps its vaccination against rabies current.
(i) Fees payable annually - delinquency charge. License fees must be paid annually. A delinquency charge will be applied when the license fees provided for in this chapter are not paid within thirty (30) days after the license fee is due.
(j) Recordkeeping of tags and licenses. The code enforcement officer will keep a record of the name and address of the animal owner or custodian and the date each license and tag is issued.
(k) License information. The following information must appear on the license receipt: the age of the animal, the date of the last rabies vaccination, and if the license was issued without proof of vaccination, the reason for the exemption.
(l) License and license tag transfer fee. A new owner of a dog or cat that is currently licensed may transfer the existing license to his/her name upon payment of a transfer fee, but a license for a service animal is not transferable.
(m) Replacement of lost or destroyed tags. An animal owner may purchase a replacement license tag if the animal's tag is lost or destroyed.
(n) Tag to be worn by animal. A license tag for an individual animal must be securely attached to a collar, harness, or other device that must be worn at all times by the animal except while the animal is indoors or in an enclosed yard or pen. The license tag attached to an animal must be the tag issued by the City or the County of Los Angeles.
(o) Microchipping of dogs and cats. There is no general requirement that a domestic dog or cat be implanted with an identifying microchip. However, in the event a dog or cat is impounded without the required license or license tag, the animal must be implanted with an identifying microchip and the owner or custodian is required to provide the microchip number to the Code Enforcement Division and to notify the applicable national microchip registry of a change of ownership of the dog or cat, or the owner's change of address or telephone number.
(p) Removing tag and identification prohibited. It is unlawful for an unauthorized person to remove the license tag or other identification from an animal.
(q) Vaccination requirements.
(1) A person keeping or harboring a dog or cat over four months of age in the city's jurisdiction must have the dog or cat vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian on or before the latest of the following dates:
(A) Fifteen (15) days after first acquiring the dog or cat;
(B) Fifteen (15) days after bringing the dog or cat into the city.
(2) A person keeping or harboring a dog or cat in the city that has been vaccinated against rabies is required to have the dog or cat revaccinated within a period of not more than:
(A) Twelve (12) months after the dog's or cat's initial vaccination if the dog or cat was between three months and one year of age at the time of such vaccination; and
(B) Thirty-six (36) months after each subsequent vaccination.
(3) Certificate of vaccination. A licensed veterinarian in the who vaccinates a dog or cat against rabies must immediately issue a certificate of vaccination signed by the veterinarian to the owner or custodian of the dog or cat, and a duplicate certificate to the Code Enforcement Officer, stating:
(A) The name and address of the owner or custodian of the vaccinated dog or cat;
(B) The type of vaccine used, the name of the manufacturer, the manufacturer's serial or lot number, and the date of the vaccination; and
(C) The breed, age, color, and sex of the vaccinated dog or cat. (Ord. 961, § 2, 2019)