Chino, CA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Dog has bitten a person or animal once
- Breed named
- None; definition is conduct-based only
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine and/or 6 months jail
- Bite quarantine
- 12 days, owner's expense possible
- Adopting ordinance
- Ord. 2004-05, § 10, 2004
Summary
Chino does not regulate dogs by breed. Instead, Municipal Code Section 6.08.080 bans harboring or keeping a "vicious dog," defined purely by conduct: a dog that has bitten a person or another animal on one or more prior occasions. Keeping one after that is a misdemeanor, and any dog shown to have bitten someone faces a mandatory 12-day quarantine.
No person shall harbor or keep any vicious dog within the city. A vicious dog is a dog that has bitten any person or animal on one or more prior occasions. Any person who harbors or keeps a vicious dog in the city shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable as set forth in Section 1.12.010 of this code. ... Whenever it is shown that any dog has bitten any person, the owner or person having the custody or possession of such dog shall, upon the order of the city health officer or his authorized agent, quarantine it and keep it securely chained for a period of twelve days, and shall allow the city health officer or his representative to make an inspection or examination thereof at any time during such period.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38).
Full Breakdown
" The definition is entirely behavioral: the code names no breed, and a dog of any breed that has never bitten anyone is not a "vicious dog" under this section. 010, the code's general penalty provision, which sets a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both, with every day of continued violation treated as a separate offense. 090 requires that whenever a dog is shown to have bitten a person, the owner must, on order of the city health officer, quarantine the dog and keep it securely chained for twelve days and allow inspection at any time during that period; the health officer may instead order the dog quarantined at the city pound or elsewhere at the owner's expense.
120, who may enter private or public property to determine whether a dog is afflicted with rabies or properly licensed. 080 traces to Ord. 2004-05, § 10 (2004), amending Ord. 84-19, § 12 (1984), which itself derived from the city's prior code § 3-20.
Violations & Fines
Harboring or keeping a dog that has bitten a person or animal is a misdemeanor under Section 6.08.080, enforced through Section 1.12.010: a fine up to one thousand dollars, imprisonment up to six months, or both, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. The city may also pursue civil remedies, including injunctive relief, under Section 1.12.010(D).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Chino ban specific dog breeds like pit bulls?
What happens after my dog bites someone in Chino?
What is the penalty for keeping a vicious dog in Chino?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chino
How Chino compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Chino to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Breed Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle breed restrictions.