Ontario, CA Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

Intentional feeding of urban wildlife in Ontario is discouraged by both city and state authorities because it habituates animals, increases conflicts, and contributes to bites and scratches. California Fish and Game Code Section 251.1 and related regulations prohibit harassment of wildlife, and CDFW explicitly treats intentional feeding of coyotes, bears, deer, and other large wildlife as a form of illegal harassment in many areas. Ontario Municipal Code nuisance provisions allow Code Enforcement to declare an attractant such as unmaintained pet food bowls, open trash, or deliberate feeding stations that draw raccoons, skunks, opossums, or coyotes a public nuisance subject to abatement. Bird feeders and hummingbird feeders are generally allowed if maintained clean and not attracting nuisance wildlife. Residents along the greenbelt corridors, near the San Bernardino National Forest foothills to the north, and in Ontario Ranch should be especially careful with pet food and trash because of recurring coyote activity.