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

Calaveras County Code does not contain a stand-alone 'animal hoarding' ordinance, but several provisions address the underlying conduct. The animal-permit system in Section 6.16.010 caps unpermitted ownership at three dogs and four cats; keeping four or more dogs or five or more cats over four months old requires a permit, and a denied or revoked permit obligates the owner to reduce their numbers within thirty days. The director may deny or revoke an animal permit under Section 6.16.080. The nuisance provision, Section 6.10.110, lets Animal Services act against any keeping of animals that creates excessive dust, noise, odors, vectors, or a threat to health, conditions common in hoarding situations. Section 6.10.040 prohibits abandoning any domestic animal in the county and ties that to Penal Code Section 597s. The Section 6.04.030 definition of 'enclosure' references humane housing under Penal Code Section 597t. Animal control officers have authority to impound animals (Chapter 6.08) and, with appropriate process, to enter premises (Section 6.06.040). Severe neglect or cruelty is prosecuted under California Penal Code Section 597, the state animal-cruelty statute, which Animal Services and law enforcement enforce alongside the county code.