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

Unincorporated Siskiyou County does not have a stand-alone animal-hoarding ordinance, but hoarding situations are reached through several tools. Within the Animal Control code (Title 5, Chapter 3), the Animal Control Officer is given duties and authority (Article 16, Section 5-3.16.01) to enforce the chapter, including investigating conditions and impounding animals; the rabies and animal-care framework supports action when animals are kept without proper care. Zoning under Title 10, Chapter 6 governs how many animals may be kept on a parcel by district, so an accumulation far beyond what the parcel's zoning contemplates can be a code-enforcement and nuisance matter. The strongest tools come from California state law, which the county relies on for cruelty and neglect cases. Penal Code 597 makes serious animal cruelty and neglect a crime (a misdemeanor or felony), and Penal Code 597.1 makes it a misdemeanor for an owner or keeper to leave an animal without proper care and attention - including adequate food, water, shelter, and veterinary care - and authorizes officers to seize neglected animals, with the owner liable for impoundment and care costs on conviction. Under these laws there is no fixed maximum number of animals a person may own, but when the number causes overcrowding that compromises the animals' health and safety, it can support a cruelty or neglect charge. Siskiyou County Animal Control investigates such complaints and coordinates with law enforcement.