Paramount, CA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

The City of Paramount, California, defines a vicious dog by what the individual dog does. Section 6.20.060(B) of the Municipal Code provides that any dog having a disposition or propensity to attack or bite any person or animal without provocation is defined as a wild or vicious animal. Section 6.20.060(C) adds an evidentiary shortcut: where the official records of the Director indicate a dog has bitten any person or animal on two or more separate occasions, that record is prima facie evidence the dog is a wild or vicious animal.

Once the label applies, the Director of Animal Care and Control acts by written notice. The Director notifies the owner or harborer in writing to keep the animal within a substantial enclosure or securely attached to a chain or other type of control that is reasonably adequate under the circumstances. If restraint is impossible or impracticable, the dog is impounded until the owner or harborer can comply with the Director's order. An owner who fails to provide adequate restraint or control within a reasonable time after the written notice faces summary destruction of the dog.

Bites trigger separate duties. Section 6.28.020 requires the person in charge of a dog that has bitten someone to report it in writing forthwith to the Director, stating the name and address of the person bitten and the time and place of the bite. Under Section 6.28.030, on the order of the Director, any police officer or the Health Officer, the dog must be kept securely confined on a chain or in a closed cage or paddock for 10 days and cannot be removed without written permission. Section 6.28.040 exempts law enforcement dogs from quarantine when the bite happened during law enforcement use, and Section 6.28.050 exempts a guide dog serving a blind master, absent evidence of rabies exposure, unless the master fails to keep the dog confined to the premises or available for examination. Kennel operators must house any dog or cat exhibiting a vicious disposition individually under Section 6.36.060(B), and the residential zoning chapters list potentially dangerous animals among prohibited household pets.