Sunnyvale, CA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Sunnyvale does not enforce breed-specific legislation. California Food and Agricultural Code Section 31683 prohibits cities and counties from enacting breed-specific bans on ownership. Local agencies may only adopt breed-specific rules for mandatory spay/neuter or breeding programs, and Sunnyvale has not done so. Instead, the city focuses on behavior-based enforcement: dogs declared potentially dangerous or vicious after an incident are subject to mandatory containment, muzzling, liability insurance, and in severe cases removal from the city. Landlords and HOAs in Sunnyvale may still impose breed restrictions on tenants because they are private contracts not bound by the state preemption. Apartment communities near Lawrence Expressway and along El Camino frequently list pit bull, Rottweiler, and Doberman exclusions in leases.