Sonoma Valley Dog Owners & Guardians 
Laws and regulations pertaining to dogs in California can vary widely, depending on the jurisdiction. While state laws and regulations are typically applicable state-wide, they often provide counties and municipalities with leeway and descretion to promulgate and administer their own ordinances and policies under the general state scheme.
Below are Links to sources of Laws and Regulations regarding dogs and other animals that may be of interest to dog-lovers in Sonoma Valley. These links are provided for general information only and are not intended to provide legal advice. Those with specific legal questions regarding a situation pertaining to their dog, or dogs in general, should consult an attorney familiar with dog and animal law.
The following legislative update on various animal legislation activity in the
New address/phone:
www.pawpac.org. info@pawpac.org
2011
“A dog starved at his master’s gate predicts the ruin of the state.” William Blake
PASSED
AB 42 by Jared Huffman re: State Parks.
Authorizes agreements with non-profit organizations for the care and maintenance of state parks 70 of which may be closed due to budget cuts. Closing them invites trespassers and poachers.
AB 109 by Assembly Budget Committee.
Amends anti-cruelty laws, along with many other codes, to send those convicted of felonies to serve their time in county jails instead of state prisons.
AB 222 by Assembly Agriculture Committee.
Defines “business day” for the purpose of holding periods in animal control shelters to include any day the shelter is open 4 hours.
AB 258 by Curt Hagman re: Rabies.
Allows exemption of rabies shot requirement for dogs with medical conditions as determined by a vet.
AB 376 by Paul Fong and Jared Huffman re: Sharks.
Prohibits possession and sale of shark fins. Shark populations are threatened by the cruel practice of cutting off fins and throwing their amputated bodies back into the sea. Over 73 millions are killed for soup.
AB 564 by Cameron Smyth re: Spay/Neuter Tax Check-Off.
Re-authorizes the state tax check-off for spay/neuter to be distributed as grants to municipal shelters.
AB 634 by Alyson Huber re: Wildlife.
Authorizes the use of carbon monoxide for the next five years in the killing of burrowing wildlife considered “pests”, such as gophers.
AB 971 by Bill Monning re: Sea Otters.
Extends the Sea Otter tax check-off for five more years to protect sea otters.
AB 1112 by Jared Huffman re: Oil Spill Prevention.
Requires inspection of high risk oil transfers and authorizes the state to increase per barrel fee by 1 ½ cents to help pay for oil spill prevention.
AB 1117 by Cameron Smyth re: Cruelty.
Strengthens existing law on confiscation and holding of animals in cruelty cases and imposes a $1000 fine if the perpetrator violates a judge’s order not to have animals.
SB 164 by Joe Simitian re: Endangered Species Tax Check-Off.
Extends the Rare and Endangered Species Program Tax Check-Off to 2018.
SB 425 by Ron Calderon re: Animal Fighting.
Establishes minimum fines for dog/cock fighting and allows for property forfeitures for cock fighting as is currently provided for dog fighting. SB 425 by Ron Calderon re: Animal Fighting.
SB 426 by Ron Calderon re: Animal Fighting.
Allows eviction of tenants whose property is used for dog or cock fighting.
SB 769 by Jean Fuller re: Mountain Lions.
Allows exhibition of legally killed mountain lions for education or science.
AB 853 by Paul Fong and Jared Huffman re: Sharks. Oppose.
Allow sales of stockpiles until July 2013 of shark fins possessed before January 2012.
SB 917 by Ted Lieu re: Cruelty and Animal Sales.
Makes criminal penalties consistent (possible felonies) for animal abuse and prohibits sales of animals on streets, parking lots, highways, carnivals, and boardwalks.
VETOED
AB 1121 by Richard Pan re: Dog Licenses.
Would have authorized animal control agencies to require puppies to be licensed. Requires breeders (selling 20 dogs or 3 litters per year), rescue groups, humane societies, and pet shops to monthly report adopters/buyers’ names to animal control to enforce licensing requirements.
SB 168 by Ellen Corbett re: Initiatives. Oppose.
Would have prohibited signature gatherers from being paid per signature, making it more difficult for animal and other initiatives to qualify for the ballot.
SB 702 by Ted Lieu re: Microchips.
Would have required dogs/cats to be microchipped when adopted/reclaimed from animal control.
SB 752 by Tom Berryhill re: Hunting. Oppose.
Would have required Fish and Game Dept, if requested by the licensee, to release contact information to hunting organizations when selling hunting licenses.
DEFEATED/DROPPED/POSTPONED (Many of these are expected to be brought up again in 2012)
AB 88 by Jared Huffman re: Salmon.
Requires labeling of genetically engineered salmon.
AB 610 by Jose Solorio re: Spay/Neuter License Plates.
A pilot program to lower the number of license plate orders from the required 7,500 to 2,500 and allows private donations to the spay/neuter fund.
AB 606 by Mike Gatto re: Hunting. Oppose.
Requires the Fish and Game Dept to allow hunting and other “wildlife dependent activities” as a priority on land under the Wildlife Conservation Board.
AB 1046 by Bill Berryhill re: Hunting. Oppose.
Prohibits Fish & Game Commission to ban hunting.
AB 1162 by Wes Chesbro re: Poaching.
Increases the maximum fine to $40,000 for poaching wildlife or using artificial light/bait for poaching trophy deer, elk, antelope, bighorn sheep. Wild turkey fine is $2,000. Creates new crime of using “signal emitting device” when poaching bears to sell their parts (gall bladders) and fines them $10,000 per part.
AB 1279 by Nathan Fletcher re: Animal Shelters.
Amends existing law to replace “pound” with “animal shelter”, “destroy” to “euthanasia” of injured animals and “unwanted” to “surrendered.”
AB 1299 by Jared Huffman re: Fish.
Declares a policy of the state to conserve “forage fish” (herring, sardine, anchovy, squid, shrimp, plankton) upon whom marine life is dependent.
ACA 10 by Mike Gatto re: Initiatives. Oppose.
Allows the Legislature to amend an initiative after it has passed into law.
ACA 12 by Mike Gatto re: Initiatives. Oppose.
Allows the Legislature to propose amendments to an initiative. If proponents agree with amendments, it will go on the ballot. If amendments are not accepted, they must be presented in the ballot materials.
SB 241 by Anthony Cannella re:
Sidesteps the judicial review process provided in the
SB 580 by Lois Wolk re: Parks.
Prohibits land acquired for state parks from being used or sold for non-park purposes.
SB 657 by Ted Gaines re: Suction Mining. Oppose.
Repeals prohibition of equipment which sucks up river and creek bottoms for gold, killing fish and emitting mercury and noise affecting wildlife in riparian habitats
SB 697 by Bill Emmerson re: Veterinary Medicine. Oppose.
Sets up procedure to penalize non-veterinarians for treating animals.
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Legislative List compiled by: Virginia Handley, 510/222-2236.