Buena Park, CA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Buena Park's Municipal Code (Title 6, Animals) addresses dangerous animals by behavior, not by breed. An owner or responsible person keeping a dog that has been declared a 'potentially dangerous dog' or a 'vicious dog' must post warning signs at the entrances to the property where the dog is kept; the sign must be at least fifteen inches square and carry the warning in both written and pictorial form. It is unlawful for any person owning or in control of a potentially dangerous or vicious dog to cause or permit the dog to run loose about the person's premises in a manner that endangers any person lawfully entering those premises. These provisions mirror California's state dangerous-dog framework (Food and Agricultural Code Sections 31601-31683), which lets local authorities declare individual dogs potentially dangerous or vicious based on conduct such as unprovoked attacks. Notably, California Food and Agricultural Code Section 31683 allows cities and counties to enact dog regulations that are not breed specific, and Civil Code / Food and Ag provisions permit breed-based programs only for mandatory spay/neuter or breeding controls - not outright ownership bans. Buena Park's code, consistent with this, contains no ban on pit bulls or any other breed; enforcement turns on a dog's individual behavior. SEAACA investigates bite reports and dangerous-dog complaints in the city.