Dublin, CA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Dublin Municipal Code § 5.100.130(A)
- Scope
- City parks; wild and domestic birds
- Prohibited acts
- Capture, hunt, molest, injure, kill, tease
- Exception
- Express Director authorization
- Also barred
- Abandoning a bird in a park (subsection D)
- Penalty
- Infraction under § 5.100.160
Summary
Dublin bars anyone from capturing, hunting, molesting, injuring, frightening, trapping, killing, teasing, or throwing objects at any wild or domestic bird inside a city park, absent express Director authorization, under Section 5.100.130(A). Abandoning a bird in a park is also unlawful under the same section.
Unless expressly authorized by the Director, no person in a park shall: A. Capture, hunt, molest, injure, frighten, trap, kill, tease or hurt, throw or otherwise project objects at any wild or domestic fowl, animal, reptile, fish or bird;
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2-26, passed March 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
130, 'Animals in parks,' lists prohibited acts covering wild and domestic animals together. Subsection A specifically bars a person from capturing, hunting, molesting, injuring, frightening, trapping, killing, teasing, hurting, or throwing or projecting objects at 'any wild or domestic fowl, animal, reptile, fish or bird' unless the Parks and Community Services Director expressly authorizes the activity. Subsection B separately bars letting loose or bringing livestock, exotic animals, or any 'bird or fowl' that poses a safety hazard or public nuisance as defined in California Civil Code Section 3479, while subsection D bars abandoning any bird, animal, or fish in a Dublin park.
The chapter treats dogs differently: subsection C requires a leash no longer than six feet except in a designated off-leash dog run, and subsection E requires owners to remove and dispose of pet waste. Because subsection A protects wild birds specifically alongside domestic fowl, it functions as Dublin's local bird-protection rule for park property, layered on top of state and federal wildlife protections that apply regardless of city boundaries, such as the California Fish and Game Code's protections for native birds. The chapter traces to Ord. 16-88 and was last amended for this section by Ord. 3-04.
Violations & Fines
Section 5.100.160 makes any violation of Chapter 5.100, including harming or capturing a bird in a Dublin park without Director authorization, an infraction punishable as provided in Government Code Section 36900(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed or chase geese at a Dublin city park?
Is it illegal to trap a wild bird in a Dublin park?
What is the penalty for harming birds in a Dublin park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dublin
California rules heatmap·Compare Dublin to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Bird Protection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle bird protection.