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

California does not set a single number that automatically defines hoarding; liability turns on conditions. Under California Penal Code section 597, it is a crime to maliciously and intentionally maim, mutilate, torture, or kill an animal, and under related provisions to deprive an animal of necessary food, water, shelter, or care. Prosecutors apply this to hoarding situations: a person may keep only as many animals as they can properly care for, and once the number compromises the animals' health and safety through overcrowding, filth, or lack of food and veterinary care, it can be charged as cruelty or neglect under Penal Code 597 (a 'wobbler' that can be a misdemeanor or a felony depending on severity). Tehama County reinforces this in two ways. First, the County's Title 7 animal code caps private dog ownership at five dogs over four months of age per premises and requires a commercial or hobby kennel license above that number - so accumulating large numbers of dogs without the license is itself a County violation and a red flag for hoarding. Second, the Tehama County Animal Care Center and Sheriff's Office investigate cruelty and neglect complaints in the unincorporated county; the County's code allows animals existing in a prohibited condition or in violation of state law to be taken up and impounded. Residents who suspect hoarding, cruelty, or neglect should report it to the Tehama County Animal Care Center at (530) 527-3439.