The City of Merced has no breed-specific ban. Its dangerous/vicious dog rules (Sec. 6.04.290) regulate dogs by behavior, not breed, consistent with California Food & Agricultural Code Section 31683, which bars local dangerous-dog programs from being breed-specific (except spay/neuter ordinances).
Merced Municipal Code Chapter 6.04 contains no breed-specific ordinance and no list of banned or restricted breeds. The dangerous and vicious animals section (Sec. 6.04.290) acknowledges that some dogs "by virtue of breeding or training, have a propensity to attack," but it regulates animals based on actual dangerous or vicious behavior as defined in Sections 6.04.010J (dangerous animal) and 6.04.010AA (vicious animal), not by breed. A dog declared dangerous or vicious after a hearing (Sec. 6.04.300) must be confined behind a lawful fence at least five feet tall, licensed, registered with a special registration fee, and kept under the controls ordered by the hearing officer (Sec. 6.04.290K). This behavior-based approach matches California Food & Agricultural Code Section 31683, which provides that a city or county may adopt a program to control dangerous or vicious dogs, but "no program regulating any dog shall be specific as to breed," with a narrow exception under Health & Safety Code Section 122331 that allows breed-specific spay/neuter (not ownership-ban) ordinances. Merced has not adopted a breed-specific spay/neuter ordinance. In short, no breed is prohibited in Merced; any dog can be regulated only after it shows dangerous or vicious behavior.
There is no breed-based violation in Merced. A dog declared dangerous (infraction) or vicious (misdemeanor) under Sec. 6.04.290 that is not confined or registered as ordered is subject to impoundment and penalties under Chapter 1.12.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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