Mendocino County, CA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

No breed-specific ban for unincorporated Mendocino County was found in the County Code. California law preempts breed bans: Food & Agricultural Code §31683 provides that a city or county may adopt its own program for the control of potentially dangerous or vicious dogs, but 'no program regulating any dog shall be specific as to breed.' That means Mendocino County may not declare a dog dangerous or vicious based solely on its breed (e.g., pit bull, Rottweiler). The one narrow exception in state law is Health & Safety Code §122331, which allows a city or county to adopt a breed-specific program limited to mandatory spay/neuter or breeding requirements — not an ownership ban. No such breed-specific sterilization ordinance for Mendocino County was identified in the sources reviewed. Instead, the County controls dangerous animals behaviorally through Mendocino County Code Chapter 10.10 (Vicious Animals), whose stated purpose is to establish a program for the control of vicious animals. Under that chapter, an animal declared vicious shall not be allowed to roam at large by its owner, and owners of vicious animals face additional requirements such as public-liability insurance and secure confinement. Private parties — landlords, HOAs, and insurers — are not bound by the §31683 preemption and may still impose their own breed conditions.