10 rules for unincorporated Amador County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Amador County is a rural foothill county where keeping chickens, fowl, and small livestock is broadly allowed by zoning. There is no county chicken-count limit in residential-agricultural zones, but enclosed pens on parcels under 10 acres must sit at least 25 feet from property lines.
In unincorporated Amador County, dogs may not run at large. County Code defines a dog as 'at large' when off the owner's premises and not on leash or under the owner's direct control. Letting a dog run at large is prohibited and chargeable as an infraction.
Amador County's Animal Control Ordinance contains no breed-specific bans or breed-based licensing differences. Dog regulation in unincorporated areas is conduct-based (at-large, bite, nuisance). California law (Food & Agricultural Code 31683) bars local programs from being breed-specific, except for spay/neuter rules.
Beekeeping is allowed in unincorporated Amador County. Apiaries and honey extraction plants are a permitted use without a use permit in the agricultural (AG) zone (County Code 19.24.036). The Animal Control Ordinance also exempts honey-producing bees from its 'wild animal' venomous-species restriction.
Amador County's Animal Control Ordinance defines 'wild animal' broadly, including big cats, wolves, primates, large constrictors and crocodilians, raptors, and any venomous species (except honeybees). Keeping wild animals is restricted, and California Fish & Game permit rules separately govern many exotic species statewide.
Amador County's code does not contain a specific ordinance prohibiting feeding deer, bears, or other wildlife. The County Code's animal provisions focus on owned domestic and captive wild animals. California law and CDFW guidance discourage feeding wildlife, and a statewide regulation bans intentionally feeding big game such as deer and bears.
Amador County is a rural ranching county with designated open-range grazing land in its eastern foothills. The Animal Control Ordinance treats all domestic animals except dogs and cats as 'livestock,' bars livestock from running at large on public roads (a misdemeanor), and sets a 3-day stray-removal process on non-grazing land.
Amador County has no standalone 'hoarding' ordinance, but its kennel-licensing rules cap unlicensed multi-dog keeping and require proper care of every animal. Severe hoarding/neglect is prosecuted under California Penal Code 597 and 597.1, which let officials seize and care for neglected animals.
Amador County sets no flat household pet limit, but it regulates by kennel size. Keeping 5 to 9 dogs is a 'noncommercial kennel' requiring a county kennel license and inspection. Five or more dogs kept for pay, or 10 or more dogs total, is a 'commercial kennel.' AG-zoned parcels are exempt.
Amador County treats cats more leniently than dogs. Domestic cats are expressly excluded from the at-large and animal-nuisance prohibitions, and cats are not subject to county dog-style licensing. However, every cat over four months old must have a current rabies vaccination under County Code 8.20.040.
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