Sanger vs Selma

Sanger does not impose breed-specific legislation banning or restricting particular dog breeds. California state law under Food and Agricultural Code Section 31683 prohibits cities from enacting breed-specific bans. Dangerous and vicious dog designations are based on individual animal behavior.

Selma does not impose breed-specific restrictions on any dog breed, consistent with California state law that explicitly prohibits breed-specific legislation. California Food and Agricultural Code Section 31683 states that no city or county program for the control of potentially dangerous or vicious dogs may regulate dogs in a manner that is specific as to breed. This means Selma cannot ban, restrict, or impose special requirements on pit bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Dobermans, or any other breed based solely on the dog's breed identity. Instead, Selma regulates dangerous and vicious animals through a behavior-based system established in SMC 6-2-31 through 6-2-36, which provides a structured administrative process for identifying, classifying, and managing individual dogs that have demonstrated dangerous or vicious behavior through specific documented incidents. Under state law, a dog may be declared potentially dangerous if it has engaged in unprovoked aggressive behavior on two separate occasions within a 36-month period that required a person to take defensive action. A dog is declared vicious if it inflicts severe injury or death on a human being without provocation. The City of Selma Animal Services Division administers the dangerous and vicious animal program, conducting investigations, scheduling hearings, and enforcing conditions imposed on owners of declared dangerous or vicious dogs.