10 rules for unincorporated Alpine County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Poultry-keeping in unincorporated Alpine County is governed by zoning. Keeping chickens as husbandry is part of 'agriculture' and is allowed in agricultural and residential zones, but a commercial chicken or turkey farm in the Agriculture zone needs a use permit. Poultry may not run at large.
All of Alpine County is unincorporated. The County's Animal Control Ordinance bars animals from running at large and requires that, off private property, an animal be on a leash no more than ten feet long or under voice control. Working dogs are exempt while employed.
Alpine County's Animal Control Ordinance contains no breed-specific dog ban. Dangerous-dog issues are handled by a 'vicious animal' standard based on behavior, not breed. California law also bars counties from making dog-control programs breed-specific, except limited spay/neuter rules.
Alpine County's Animal Control Ordinance does not address bees. Under County zoning, 'apiaries' are part of the definition of agriculture, so beekeeping is treated as a permitted agricultural use in agricultural and residential zones rather than being separately licensed.
Keeping exotic animals in unincorporated Alpine County requires a use permit in the Agriculture zone, and commercial wild-animal 'menageries' are separately defined and regulated. California state law independently bars private possession of restricted wild species as pets without a permit that is not issued for pet purposes.
Alpine County specifically prohibits feeding bears or leaving food, refuse, pet food, grain or salt that lures bears. Adopted to protect both people and bears in this mountain county, violations are an infraction or misdemeanor and a public nuisance subject to abatement.
Livestock is welcome across this rural mountain county, but where you can keep it depends on zoning. Livestock is permitted by right in agricultural and residential-estate zones and in residential-neighborhood zones at a half-acre minimum. Livestock may not run at large, and strays may be impounded.
Alpine County has no separate hoarding ordinance, but its five-animal kennel rule and the County's seizure powers for diseased or vicious animals apply, and California Penal Code 597 makes neglect and overcrowding-related cruelty a crime. Animal control officers may enter property and impound animals.
Alpine County sets no flat household pet limit, but keeping five or more dogs and/or cats triggers a 'kennel' classification. Kennels require a use permit in residential-estate zones, and the AG zone treats kennels as a conditional use needing a permit.
Alpine County does not license cats and has no cat-specific leash law. Cats are included in the general 'animal' confinement and stray rules and count toward the five-animal kennel threshold. California has no statewide cat leash law, leaving most cat regulation to local code.
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