Pacifica, CA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Pacifica's Animal Control article defines 'dangerous animal' and 'vicious animal' entirely by what the animal has done, not what breed it is: a dangerous animal is one that has caused bodily harm short of a 'severe injury' or attacked another animal seriously enough to require veterinary care, while a vicious animal is one that inflicted a severe injury, killed a person, or repeated dangerous behavior while already under a dangerous animal permit. 209(a) bars anyone from knowingly keeping an animal designated dangerous without first obtaining a dangerous animal permit from the Animal Control Officer, and any dangerous animal for which no permit was obtained must be surrendered for disposition, which can include euthanasia.

215, where the failure of a victim animal's owner to have used a leash is expressly barred from counting as a mitigating factor. 215(k) states that the procedures and definitions for 'potentially dangerous' and 'vicious' dogs found in the California Food and Agricultural Code, beginning at section 31601, are not adopted and do not apply in San Mateo County; the county and its cities instead run their own program authorized by Food and Agricultural Code section 31683. Nothing in either the state statute the city declined to adopt or in Pacifica's own program singles out any dog breed for extra restriction.