Rohnert Park, CA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

California Food and Agricultural Code § 31683 preempts local breed-specific bans on dog ownership, and California Health & Safety Code § 122331 confirms that no specific breed may be declared potentially dangerous or vicious by ordinance. Consistent with that, Sonoma County's Animal Regulation Ordinance (Code Chapter 5, Article I, § 5-6) defines 'pit bull' to mean any Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, or American Staffordshire Terrier, or any mixed breed of dog containing those breeds, but it does not declare pit bulls per se dangerous. Instead, § 5-6 defines a 'potentially dangerous animal' as any animal that, when unprovoked, on two separate occasions within the prior thirty-six month period engages in behavior requiring a defensive action by any person to prevent bodily injury off the owner's property, or bites a person causing less-than-severe injury, or has killed or seriously bitten a domestic animal. A 'vicious animal' is one that, when unprovoked and in an aggressive manner, inflicts severe injury on or kills a human being. Once an individual dog is declared potentially dangerous or vicious, the County may require a 'secure enclosure' designed to prevent escape, leashing and muzzling outside the enclosure, and other restrictions.