Animal Hoarding: Daly City vs San Mateo
How do animal hoarding rules compare between Daly City, CA and San Mateo, CA?
Daly City, CA
San Mateo County
Daly City does not have a stand-alone 'animal-hoarding' ordinance, but the conduct is reachable through Daly City Municipal Code Title 6 (Animals), Title 7 (Health and Sanitation), and Title 8 (Public Peace, Morals and Welfare), and is heavily backstopped by California state law. Cal. Penal Code §597 makes it a misdemeanor or felony to fail to provide food, water, shelter, and veterinary care to any animal - the core fact pattern of hoarding. Cal. Penal Code §597.9 separately bars any person previously convicted of animal cruelty from owning or possessing animals for 5 years (misdemeanor) or 10 years (felony). The Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA (Coyote Point Shelter) handles animal-control intake and cruelty investigations for San Mateo County.
View full Daly City rules →San Mateo, CA
San Mateo County
No data available yet for San Mateo.
Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Daly City | San Mateo |
|---|---|---|
| Primary state law | Cal. Penal Code §597 (animal cruelty) | - |
| Post-conviction ban | Cal. Penal Code §597.9 (5 or 10 yrs) | - |
| Local backstop | Daly City Muni Code Titles 6, 7, 8 | - |
| Investigating agency | Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA | - |
| Maximum fine (PC §597) | $20,000 + forfeiture | - |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Daly City FAQ
Does Daly City have its own hoarding ordinance?
Daly City does not have a stand-alone animal-hoarding ordinance. Local enforcement uses Daly City Muni Code Title 6 (Animals), Title 7 (Health and Sanitation), and Title 8 (Public Peace) to address sanitation and nuisance conditions, and refers cruelty cases to the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA for prosecution under Cal. Penal Code §597.
Who investigates a suspected hoarding case?
Reports go to Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA's Coyote Point Shelter (650-340-7022), which provides animal-control and humane-officer services for San Mateo County jurisdictions including Daly City. The shelter's humane officers can apply for warrants and seize animals under Cal. Penal Code §597.1. Daly City code enforcement may parallel-track the housing and sanitation violations.
Can a convicted hoarder get pets again?
Not for years. Cal. Penal Code §597.9 prohibits any person convicted of animal cruelty under §597 (or related statutes) from owning, possessing, maintaining, or caring for animals for 5 years (misdemeanor conviction) or 10 years (felony conviction). Violating that ban is a separate offense punishable by a $1,000 fine.
San Mateo FAQ
No FAQs available.
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