Stray, Injured and Dead Animal Complaints
Animal Turn-In
Cruelty Investigations
Barking Dog Complaints
Leash Law Violations
Rabies Reports, Bite Reports and Quarantines
Potentially Dangerous, Dangerous & Vicious Dog Hearings
Dog License Inspection / Collect Fees
Kennel License Requests / Inspections
Emergency Response and Investigations

Stray, Injured, Trapped & Dead Animal Complaints
Animal Services responds to complaints concerning the pick up of animals who are running loose, injured or dead in the unincorporated areas of the County and in certain contract cities. Stray animals are captured and returned to their owner, if known, or the area animal shelter. If an animal is injured, it is transported to the area veterinarian for care. Animals that are found or reported dead are picked up and brought to the area shelter for proper disposal.

Some residents choose to rent, own or borrow a trap to catch nuisance animals on their property. Make sure to adhere to Title 6, Chapter 6.08. If a resident sets a trap to catch a nuisance animal, such as a possum or skunk, a field officer will be dispatched to pick up that animal or it can be delivered to a county animal shelter. Trapped animals will NOT be picked up on weekends. Residents with traps must disable the trap by noon on Friday through Sunday evening to prevent holding the nuisance animal for an undue and cruel length of time, unless the resident can deliver the animal to a shelter during operating hours in a reasonable length of time. Skunks will be euthanized because they are potential rabies carriers.

The trap rental fee from Riverside County shelters for small animals for 5 days is $20 with a $65 replacement fee if the trap is lost or stolen. There is no fee for dog traps, but there is a replacement fee of $235. The person requesting the trap must sign for it at time of delivery. There is usually a waiting list for traps from a few days to a few weeks. There are feed stores in the area that also rent traps.

Animal Turn-In
Animal Services provides for the turn-in of unwanted and stray animals in the field. Animals are impounded to the officer's truck and then brought to the shelter to be examined, fed and kenneled. Stray animals are held for the mandatory waiting period to allow owners to reclaim them, then put up for adoption. If animals have untreatable physical or behavior problems, they may be euthanized. The fee for an Animal Control Officer to pick up an owner turn-in of an unwanted animal is $30. The fee to pick up an owner turn-in of a pet who has died so it can be properly disposed of is $20. Owners may turn in animals through all of our Shelter Locations. The fee to turn in an unwanted animal to the shelter is $20 and the fee to turn in a deceased pet is $10.

Leash Law Violations
Animal Control Officers may be called by residents complaining of dogs or other animals running loose in the neighborhood, or an officer may encounter a loose animal while on a routine call. An officer may issue a Leash Law Violation, based on Ordinance No. 630 (Title 6, Chapter 6.08), if the owner of a loose dog can be located. If the pet owner is not located, the officer may take the dog to the shelter to prevent it from being hit by cars and other dangers. The shelter will attempt to locate the owner and a fee will be charged before the animal is returned to the owner.

Potentially Dangerous and Dangerous Animals/ Vicious Dog Hearings
When a companion animal is causing problems to other animals or people, we encourage neighbors/involved persons to work things out. However, aggressive events, animal fights, bites, injury or death should be reported immediately to Animal Services, otherwise these incidents may not be able to be considered if a second incident occurs. By law, you can take defensive action against a dog that is attacking you or your animals. By law, you cannot injure or kill an animal that has simply come onto your property, but is not showing aggression.

Reporting an incident:
An aggressive incident must be reported by phone in a timely manner. Be prepared to provide your address, the animal owner's address, an accurate description of the animal, an accurate description of the event, and the present location of the animal. If the situation is urgent, our phone system provides the option of requesting an officer be immediately dispatched. Animal Control Officers will attempt to resolve the situation through education, citations or possibly a restraint order. Multiple incidents may lead to the animal being deemed Potentially Dangerous, Dangerous or a Vicious Dog, which will lead to measures required of the owner to protect public health and safety.

Potentially Dangerous and Dangerous Animals:
The cities of Hemet, San Jacinto, Calimesa, and Cathedral City have their own definitions, ordinances, and procedures for dangerous animals. Some cities use California state law from the Food and Agriculture Code, sections 31602 - 31683, Division 14, Chapter 9. Check your city web site for additional information.

Title 6, Chapter 6.16 - County Code, Potentially Dangerous and Dangerous Animals, including definitions and corrective measures
Riverside City only - Potentially Dangerous and Vicious Dogs Defined

Hearings:
If an animal owner wants to contest the issuing of a Potentially Dangerous or Dangerous Animal Restraint Order, the owner must request a hearing in writing. Requirements and time limits apply - call for more information.
Animal Control Officers act as representatives for the County in these hearings to determine if an animal who has bitten, menaced, chased or killed a person or another animal is guilty. Animal Control Officer's work with the Hearing Clerk to gather all information needed and County Counsel to ensure that cases are handled properly, and attend court proceedings, if the matter is appealed to Superior Court. (Ordinance 771, Title 6, Chapter 6.16)

Rabies Reports, Bite Reports and Quarantines
All bites to a human or animal by a dog, cat, bat, possum, skunk, coyote, horse or any mammal should be reported to Animal Services, even if the animal has been vaccinated or you have been biten by your own animal.
The reasons are:
a) Rabies is deadly to humans and animals
b) State law requires bite reporting
c) Even if a companion animal has been vaccinated, they should be revaccinated if biten
d) Companion animals should be quarantined for the safety of all involved

If a person is bitten, they should visit or call their doctor. A companion animal will not be destroyed simply because it bit someone. It will be quarantined for 10 days at its home or at the animal shelter to make sure it doesn't show signs of rabies. An animal may be destroyed if it causes severe injury or has been deemed a Dangerous or Vicious Animal based on previous incidents. If an animal is biten by an animal that tests positive for rabies, such as a bat, the likelihood of that animal contracting rabies is high if it has not been vaccinated. An animal in this situation will most likely be removed and destroyed. If an animal has a current rabies vaccination and is biten by a rabid animal, it will only need to remain in quarantine for 30 days.

Animal Services personnel work with hospitals, bite victims and animal owners to ensure that bite reports are properly handled. Animals are tested for rabies via a Fluorescent Rabies Antibody test, or they are quarantined, and bite victims are alerted to the status.

Animal Services quarantines animals brought into Riverside County from outside the continental United States and quarantines animals who are high risk rabies carriers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, domestic animals accounted for only 6.8% of all rabid animals reported in the United States in 2001, with rabies cases in cats reported twice as numerous as dogs or cattle. Due to animal control and animal vaccinations, as well as effective human rabies vaccines, the number of human deaths in the United States attributed to rabies is an average of 1 or 2 each year. Similarily, the number of cats and dogs that contract rabies is very low.

Preventing Rabies:

• Make sure your dogs and cats are vaccinated against rabies every 3 years.
• Do not touch or feed wild animals, especially high rabies carriers such as bats, skunks, raccoons, etc.
• Do not allow your pets near wild animals.
• If you or your pet come in contact with a high rabies carrier, especially a bat, contact Animal Control and/or your doctor.

Title 6, Chapter 6.08 - Vaccinations, rabies control

Additional Information about Rabies from the Center for Disease Control

MMWR Rabies 2006 - Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the Center for Disease Control

Emergency Response and Investigations
Animal Services, in conjunction with the County Fire, Police and Sheriff, responds to emergency situations in which animals are in danger. See Riverside Emergency Animal Rescue System website. Animal Services assist the County District Attorney in the investigation of animal crimes.