(A) License required; exceptions.
(1) Except as provided in this chapter, it is unlawful for any person to own any dog without obtaining an annual city license.
(2) It is not necessary to purchase a license or to pay a license fee for any dog under the age of four months.
(3) The license fee does not apply to any dogs kept or maintained exclusively in any dog kennel in the city.
(4) Any dog brought into the city which is duly licensed by Ventura County is exempt from being licensed by the city until the county license expires.
(B) Annual license fees. The annual license fee for keeping and maintaining an unaltered dog or for a spayed or neutered dog (if a certificate is presented from a licensed veterinarian verifying that the dog has been spayed or neutered) will be set from time to time by Ventura County Animal Services. As per state code, a rabies certificate for the licensed dog must be in effect at the time of licensing and be valid for the entire 12-month period of the annual license.
(C) Seeing eye or guide dogs. Seeing eye or guide dogs are those dogs that have been especially trained to lead and aid the blind or deaf. Any blind or deaf person having custody of such a dog may keep and harbor the dog within the city by obtaining a license to keep the dog as provided herein, and may lawfully take the dog into any food establishment within the city. There will be no fee charged for such dogs upon proof of anti-rabies vaccination.
(D) Date payable; proration; penalty.
(1) License fees required to be paid by this chapter are payable at the time a license is initially issued or upon renewal.
(2) Any license fee due pursuant to this chapter remaining unpaid for a period of thirty (30) days will be charged a penalty of fifty percent (50%) of the license fee. That penalty will be collected by the police chief or designee at the time of the collection of the license fee, and is in addition to the principal sum. In determining whether or not a penalty accrued under the provisions of this chapter, the police chief or designee may require an affidavit from any person claiming exemption from the payment of any penalty, which affidavit will set forth the facts upon which the claim for the exemption is based.
(E) Failure to pay license fee. Whenever any person owning, harboring or having the care or custody of any dog fails to pay the license fee provided and specified in this chapter for the dog, the director may cause the dog to be seized and kept in the public pound for the period and in the manner and upon the terms, conditions and requirements as specified in this chapter.
(F) Exception. Animals, other than dogs, are not required to be licensed pursuant to this chapter.
(Ord. 1224, passed 2-16-10; Am. Ord. 1241, passed 1-17-12)