Pismo Beach, CA Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

Section 6.04.140 covers two places: the Cypress Street Bridge and any spot within 100 feet of the bank of Pismo Creek. In that area it is unlawful to do three things. Feeding any pigeon, seagull or other bird is banned. Dispersing food material or other matter edible by birds so that it is available to them for ingestion is banned as well. And no one can permit food or edible matter to remain on the ground after dispersing or dropping it, so food that was dropped and left is covered along with food thrown on purpose. Public officers and public employees performing their duties are exempt.

Feral animals are handled in § 13.28.130, part of Chapter 13.28, the city's storm water chapter. Subsection B says no person shall feed feral animals or deposit or leave any foodstuff of any kind or nature, except in a trash receptacle provided for that purpose. The printed text names no zone or distance and does not define feral animals. The same section, in subsection A, deals with animal areas that affect water quality: where the city or the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board determines that an area used by animals is affecting water quality, the city requires the property owner or authorized representative to implement measures, including installation of preclusionary devices, and installation, maintenance and permitting are the owner's responsibility. Subsection C requires anyone responsible for an animal to promptly collect and remove its fecal matter on public or private lands.

The code exported for the city prints no ban on feeding deer, geese or other wildlife by name, so birds near the creek and feral animals are the two categories it addresses. The pier zone has its own bird feeding ban in § 12.20.195, covered on a separate page.