Santa Cruz County Code Title 6 (Animals) requires dogs to be under physical restraint - leash, tether, or in a person's grasp - whenever off the owner's property. In public, dogs must be leashed except at designated off-leash areas, must be accompanied, and cannot be left unattended more than 15 minutes.
Santa Cruz County Code Title 6 (Animals), enforced by Santa Cruz County Animal Services, makes it unlawful for the owner of any dog (licensed or not) to allow the dog to be away from the owner's premises unless under actual physical restraint and control - a leash, tether, or grasp. In any public place, a dog must be on leash at all times except at legally designated off-leash dog areas (such as Lighthouse Field State Beach off-leash hours, Mitchell's Cove off-leash hours, and Pacific Beach), must be accompanied by its owner or a custodian, and may not be left unattended for more than 15 minutes. Cal. Food & Ag Code 30951 requires effective dog restraint statewide. All dogs over 4 months must be licensed by the County and rabies-vaccinated per Title 6. SCCC Chapter 6.19 (Regulation of Dangerous Animals) governs potentially-dangerous and vicious dog hearings. Cities (Santa Cruz, Capitola, Watsonville, Scotts Valley) have parallel rules and contract Animal Services through the JPA.
Title 6 violations are infractions or misdemeanors; impound fees, daily boarding, license back-fees, and vaccination costs are due to reclaim a dog. Vicious-dog declarations under SCCC 6.19 can require muzzling, secure confinement, or destruction. Cal. F&A 31601 et seq. supplies state procedure.
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See how Santa Cruz's dog leash laws rules stack up against other locations.
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