Westminster, CA Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

The City of Westminster does not maintain large wildland areas, so its core animal rules in Municipal Code Chapter 6.12 focus on prohibiting the keeping of wild animals and requiring permits for otherwise-prohibited animals, enforced by Westminster Animal Control through the Police Department. Feeding that attracts wildlife or sustains feral animal populations can create a public nuisance, which the city can abate under its animal-control and nuisance authority. Property owners are responsible for not creating conditions that draw rodents, raccoons, opossums or feral cats and dogs. On the state side, California prohibits the intentional feeding of big-game mammals: under California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 251.3, it is unlawful to knowingly feed big-game animals such as deer, elk, bears, wild pigs and others. California Fish and Wildlife also strongly discourages feeding coyotes and other predators because it habituates them to people and is a frequent driver of conflict in Orange County neighborhoods. Residents who see a sick, injured or aggressive wild animal in Westminster should contact Westminster Animal Control at (714) 548-3201, and for protected wildlife issues, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Because there is no off-leash or wildlife refuge designation tied to feeding here, the practical guidance for residents is simple: do not feed wild animals or feral colonies in a way that creates a nuisance, and secure trash and pet food.