No Santa Cruz-specific ordinance restricts dogs by breed; California Food and Agricultural Code 31683 preempts breed-specific bans and provides that 'no program regulating any dog shall be specific as to breed.' Santa Cruz instead regulates dangerous behavior - any 'vicious animal' (defined by conduct, not breed, in SCMC 8.04.010(s)) must be confined and may be ordered muzzled and leashed.
California Food and Agricultural Code 31683 authorizes cities and counties to adopt dangerous/vicious dog programs but expressly bars breed-specific regulation: 'no program regulating any dog shall be specific as to breed' (with a narrow spay/neuter exception under Health and Safety Code 122331). Consistent with state law, Santa Cruz uses behavior-based rules. SCMC 8.04.010(s) defines a 'vicious animal' as any animal (except a peace-officer dog on duty) 'which bites any human being or any domestic animal or which demonstrates menacing behavior,' excluding animals provoked by a trespasser or by torment. SCMC 8.14.440 (Unrestrained vicious animals) makes it 'unlawful to permit any vicious animal to go unrestrained' and authorizes the poundmaster to order a vicious animal confined to its owner's premises and allowed out only 'under the direct control of its owner while on a leash and properly muzzled.' SCMC 8.14.400 prohibits dogs from harassing, chasing, threatening or injuring people, and 8.14.410 addresses dogs that kill or injure other animals, with a process to declare the animal vicious. None of these provisions reference any breed.
Failing to restrain a declared vicious animal is unlawful under SCMC 8.14.440; the poundmaster may impound the animal and impose confinement, leash, and muzzle requirements. General violations are infractions under SCMC 4.04.010.
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