No person shall have, keep, maintain, breed, sell, trade or let for hire, any wild, exotic, dangerous or nondomestic animal without first applying to and receiving special authorization from the health officer. The keeping or maintenance of such animals shall also conform to the appropriate zoning codes as well as laws and regulations promulgated by the state of California and the federal government.
The health officer may authorize the keeping or maintaining of any wild, exotic, dangerous or nondomestic animal when, in his opinion, any such animal may be kept or maintained without endangering the safety of any person, other animal or property, nor create a nuisance, provided however, that the health officer may require any such animal to be properly caged, tethered or restrained, and that he may create such additional requirements that may be necessary and proper under the circumstances; provided further, that any privately owned wild, exotic, dangerous or nondomestic animal shall require a license fee as specified in the city fee schedule, the initial fee to be paid at the time of application. He may revoke such authorization when, in his opinion, the safety of any person, other animal or property is endangered or that a nuisance is created by the keeping of such animal.
The provisions of this chapter shall not be application to licensed circuses, carnivals, zoo, or other collections of wild animals under jurisdiction of a city, state or federal government. (Ord. 163 § 7(K), 1997)