Lassen County, CA Animal Ordinances: Animal Hoarding (2026)

Lassen County's Title 8 animal code provides nuisance and care backstops, but the principal tool against animal hoarding is California Penal Code section 597. That statute criminalizes depriving an animal of necessary food, water or shelter, subjecting it to needless suffering, and failing to provide proper care. Hoarding situations fall under section 597 when the number of animals overwhelms the keeper's ability to meet the animals' food, water, shelter and health needs, causing overcrowding that compromises their health and safety. There is no fixed statutory number that defines hoarding; the test is whether conditions and animal numbers harm the animals' welfare. Section 597 is a 'wobbler' that can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony, with penalties that can reach years of incarceration and substantial fines depending on severity. In unincorporated Lassen County, Animal Control and the Sheriff investigate neglect and cruelty complaints and may impound or seize animals to protect them, with costs charged to the owner. The County's Chapter 8.08 nuisance provisions (straying, noise, sanitation) and Title 8 care expectations may apply alongside the state charges. Suspected neglect or hoarding should be reported to Lassen County Animal Control or the Sheriff's Office.