The Antelope Valley Times

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Pet compliance checks in AV starting March 22

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PALMDALE – Animal care and control field officers plan to hit the streets and parks in the Antelope Valley Wednesday to enforce pet licensing and spay/neuter laws.

The enforcement teams will fan out in the unincorporated areas of Palmdale (zip code 93591), Llano (zip code 93544), Pearblossom (zip code 93553) and Littlerock (zip code 93543), according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC).

“Field enforcement efforts are designed to ensure that residents’ dogs and cats are in compliance with mandatory licensing requirements, spay/neuter, and microchipping,” the news release states.

Dog and cat owners in unincorporated areas of the county are required to license and microchip their pets. Dogs and cats must also be spayed or neutered, with some exemptions for competition, breeding and service dogs and pets with health problems.

State law also requires that all dogs at least 4 months old be vaccinated against rabies. The county requires the same vaccination for cats.

Residents caught not complying with the pet ordinances will be charged license fees, delinquency charges and a $40 field enforcement fee, officials said in the news release.

The Department of Animal Care and Control said it receives about 70,000 unwanted animals each year and urged responsible pet owners to avoid unplanned litters by following the spay and neuter law.

The Department of Animal Care and Control offers low-cost vaccination and microchips and financial assistance for spay and neuter surgeries.

More information and license applications can be found online at www.animalcare.lacounty.gov or at any county animal care center.

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Filed Under: Littlerock

30 comments for "Pet compliance checks in AV starting March 22"

  1. Nanny laws and legal extortion rackets seem to go hand in hand. If someone has a dog, fenced safely on one’s own land, in an unincorporated area, I don’t think there’s any reason why a person should pay tribute fees and money every year to the government for some pet liscence. Rather than impose all these rules fines and fees for pet owners we should apply this policy standard to the host of irksome brats out there with less-than-stellar parents who have too many kids with too few resources. .they make more despite having too little time energy and income to cover care, obedience training, housebreaking and basic living expenses.

  2. Last thing you want is, government people prowling your neighborhood, snapping pics, snooping around your stuff. On the heels of the last time animal control did a systematic sweep though our neighborhood, a spate of burglaries and break-ins followed. We think it was animal control officers, talking it up with their pals, “… hey, check it out, ese! Auggie at Animal Control says all thee gringos over there drive Corvettes, and have really hot mamacitas with fancy clothes, and lots of jewelry! Let’s go check it out during the daytime, when only thee women are home!”

    • More likely it was posers and not actual officials. Easy to get uniforms that look like the real thing.

  3. Why blame the animal control officer for doing their job? They have no control over the county laws & fees etc. The reason they have to charge a field enforcement fee is because you neglected to pay for the license when it was due! Ignorance of the law doesn’t excuse you from fines. I hope the ones complaining are compliant with the law, and if you don’t like the laws, simply don’t have a pet.

  4. what should we do if we witness someone dumping there dog?? I have photos of there license plates ,wasnt able to get the dog because he was terrified and wouldn’t let me get close enough

    • Report it to animal control. Part of our money goes towards them responding to situations like this. Technically a sheriff could also be called since it is considered animal cruelty in California law.

  5. I have never had anyone breaking or peaking into my windows on this. One time they had a deceased dog of ours and our neighbor’s dog on our notice, when they came we explained and we had just gotten a little rescue dog that wasn’t licensed, so of course we got hit with a fine. They are just trying to keep down the animal population that just run wild in the streets. Both of my dogs I have now, are either in the house or behind our fence and licensed and spayed. It’s just responsible animal ownership………….

  6. … oh, not this again! The last time, this these animal control people were way-way-way out of control. Nitwit animal enforcement officers, sneaking around through our side gates, prowling our back yards, walking into opened garages, peeping into our bedroom windows, banging their fists on our front doors, demanding entry into our homes, we had to pick up the phone, call police, file a formal complaint against animal control officers. No small wonder homeowners are fencing off their yards, isn’t necessarily to keep out intruders so much as it is, county government. Last time animal control blew through our neighborhood, we called a neighborhood meeting to table the idea for an anti-animal enforcement referendum on the ballot –

    • Wow, sounds like an out of control office, or posers scoping things out.
      In my area the team came by left me a note saying I was delinquent on my dog tag. I called them back and explained the dog had died. An officer came by to verify and offered condolences. A little while later the county actually sent a condolences note as well.

  7. They should start citing people for failure to scoop up dog poop left on other people lawns and public parks.

    • My husband laughs at me when I take our German Shepherd to the park on weekends. I always make sure I have enough bags for at least 2 picks up. I remember playing in the park as a kid and hated stepping in dog doo. It stuck with me, lol, and I wouldn’t want anyone to step in it either. It’s disgusting.

  8. Pay the dues. If you comply I.e neuter your pet ( like a responsible pet owner) it only costs 20$ a year. Besides if you spay and neuter pets it will keep the amount of animals at the shelter down.

  9. Please remember: unless government agents have a warrant you do not have to speak to them, let them into your home, or let them inspect your personal property (your pet). Even if they obtain a search warrant to inspect your home or property (pet), you still are under no obligation to answer any of their questions. Animal control officers are not sworn law enforcement officers so they also do not have the authority to detain you on the street; the only way they can stop and talk to you and inspect your pet is if you give them consent. It is not wise to consent to speak to government agents or to let them inspect your property (pet), especially since they want to cite and fine you. Do not become a victim of our ever growing police state.

  10. People should not have to pay ANYTHING if they have an indoor pet. Animal Control is charging people for a Code, number, and info in the database of their computer that they never look at. Absolutely ridiculous.
    Hey lets get a Petition that when they stop their Nazi actions of KILLING innocent animals…..then we’ll pay a fee.

    • Hence why they want your pets spayed and neutered , to stop overpopulation in shelters, then ” innocent ” animals wouldn’t die

  12. The county needs to find another way to raise money instead of knocking on people’s doors about animals they don’t take care of. Fineing residents doesn’t solve anything. Looks like you guys don’t put any energy into educating the public about lisencing as well as spaying/neutering animals. Instead, you rather dig money out of pockets of people with a $40 “field enforcement fee” ( no one asked for you to come over) and plus some other nonsense you want to put down. I call [removed].

    • That is why they do it, that’s the only way to get lazy , irresponsible people to take care of their pets, by fining them ..They do put enough education out there for people to be aware of spaying and neutering, heck, people have no problem overbreeding themselves, so of course they are not gonna care about their own animals, or pets if that is what they deserve to be called…
      So yes , I highly agree for them to go do ” checks” on irresponsible, uneducated, people, if they can’t AFFORD to get it done, then don’t have the pet in the first place

      • Next time I take my dog for a walk I’ll make sure he wears shorts with chonies underneath. Only a pervert would try to take em off to see what my dog has.