Madera County, CA Animal Ordinances: Livestock (2026)

Madera County is a major agricultural county where cattle, horses, and other livestock are common in both the valley and the foothills, and the County Code addresses livestock that strays from the owner's control. Chapter 6.04 (Animal Control) in Title 6 (Animals and Agriculture) contains Article III on Livestock at Large, including Section 6.04.170 on restraint of errant livestock—the framework under which loose or straying animals are handled. Chapter 6.24 (Grazing Area) provides separate County rules concerning grazing and roaming livestock. Together these provisions place responsibility on livestock owners to confine their animals and prevent them from running at large onto roads or neighboring property. Where livestock is involved in a bite incident, Madera County Animal Services applies the same quarantine requirements as for other animals, except that the quarantine period for livestock is fourteen (14) days. Beyond animal control, what livestock you may keep and how it must be sited is also shaped by the County's zoning code (agricultural zone districts in Chapter 18.53 and the small-livestock-farming definition at 18.04.490). Because California also has a long-standing framework of "open range" versus fenced-district rules, livestock owners and rural neighbors should confirm the specific grazing and fencing status that applies to their area with the County. Owners of straying livestock can face impound and cost-recovery, plus liability for damage their animals cause.