Want to Know About Pets and What’s Legal in Humboldt? The Animal Control Officer Has Answers
Information from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s YouTube Channel answers questions about leash law, when it is legal to shoot an animal, what to do about a free roaming cat that is annoying and etc.:
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🕯🌳Thank you Kym for that video.
Don’t call animal control unless it’s an absurd out of control situation, call the owner of the dog or speak with your neighbor directly, no need to call the cops on your neighbors or people unless it’s an absolute must. Don’t be a hater rat.
Totally right, people are way to quick to be norks these days.
Unless you’re homeless then none of these rules apply or are enforced. Oh and you won’t have to pay that license fee that animals control will send your hard working ass to collections for either. No pesky poop bags needed or proper vaccinations involved. Sorry to be the downer today but I lost a lot of respect for them when they required me to get a special certificate to prove my animal had passed and didn’t simply call the vets number attached to the license bill. Because sending another letter requesting a certificate is much more expedient then calling to confirm an animals passing ???. long story short my bill went to collections by the time I got them the certification they required . making an already sad situation worse.
When I contacted Humboldt county animal control regarding free-roaming cats, I was told not to contact my neighbors regarding the issue because once the cat finally disappears The neighbors will suspect that I was involved.
I was told that there is no law against people’s cats freely roaming on to other people’s property, or killing native wildlife, but in the opinion of the officer I spoke with, there should be a law forbidding free-roaming cats.
It was suggested to me that I trap the cat and bring it to the animal shelter. I was told that over half the time people don’t even bother to check if their cat is in the shelter.
Turns out there is no good solution to this problem. Sometimes if you have rude neighbors the only thing you can do is move away. In a rural setting I would absolutely shoot the cats. I’ve heard people using cat traps and throwing the entire cat trap in a garbage can filled with water to drown it. It’s a horrible thing to have to do but the law leaves us with basically no recourse.
I’ve had problems with free-roaming cats -shiting in my strawberriesand other vegetables.
– killing all of the goldfish in my pond (caught in the act multiple times)
-spraying on items I’ve left out to dry such as kayaks and tents
-bringing fleas into my yard or on my outdoor dog bed (as well as sleeping on my outdoor dog bed and getting cat hair all over it that which I’m allergic to)
-and hunting (in one case killing) the hummingbirds that visit my feeder. (I should be legally able to kill the cat once I witnessed it killing the hummingbird.)
Currently one of my neighbors cats has the habit of shiting on top of my shed. I have to remove the cat shit from the top of the shed weekly. I really don’t want the harm the cat because I like cats but there’s nothing else I can do. It’s really a huge problem caused by inconsiderate people.
And I love my neighbors. They’re very good people. But sometimes the appeal to tradition is so powerful that reason cannot shine through. telling people that cats should not be allowed to freely roam is similar to telling people in the South during slavery that you shouldn’t keep humans as slaves. Sometimes people just can’t see the absurdity of a practice that is traditional.
If something is pooping on top of an item such as a shed, it’s probably a fox.
No, it’s a cat. There is no mystery. Caught in the act.
Cats are repelled by anything that smells citrus-y.
Make a strong spray of an orange scent and spritz it wherever you don’t want a cat to go.
Put orange peels on top of your shed.
I am rural and have a very different outlook than you. NO animals including cats are free for you to kill simply because they are ‘bothering’ you. A person who enjoys that is very disturbed.
I agree! I understand frustration over animal nuisances but that response made me nauseous! Suggesting that while it’s “horrible” to throw a trapped cat in a garbage can and drown it, there are few other options is just disgusting!!! In a situation where a person claims to love their neighbors, they should be able to have a conversation about the issue and discuss humane, decent options.
If a cat, fox or whatever in Shitting on top of your shed, stop by any pet store and invest in a bottle of spray such as Nature’s Miracle. Do your weekly de-shitting and pour/spray each spot with it. It might take a few tries, but is should work. I have to side with “Just saying” as cats seek out spots where they can bury their poop. If not, I wouldn’t be forking out $$$ for kitty litter for our indoor only cats.
The law absolutely leaves a person with other recourse than drowning a cat in a trap. As the officer told you, trapped cats should be turned over to animal control. Intentionally drowning an animal is a FELONY. There are many ways to deter cats from coming on to your property that are not harmful to them.
I’m sorry your neighbors’ cats are wreaking havoc in your yard.
I am a cat advocate & even I find this unacceptable. Feral cats have a definite place in the ecosystem in taking care of small rodents & pests. But they become a nuisance & need some intervention when mismanaged or when allowed to reproduce.
1st question: are her cats fixed? That is the very 1st issue to handle here so the problem doesn’t get worse. Hopefully your community animal shelter has a no-/low-cost spay/neuter program for outdoor/community cats (sorry I’m a resident in New Orleans & was just researching info about a dog to update an adoption post that I shared). Ask them if they can help with that if the animals are not ear tipped (the point of 1 ear will be cut to be flat instead of pointed). Hopefully they will help you talk to her about having that done. They might even have a program to provide you with man-made deterrents & show you how to use them.
2nd advice: Plant cat-deterring plants in that extravagant garden that you have. Look this up online for suggestions, but definitely MINT & CITRUS….they don’t like that. You can spread orange peels under your plants as well while waiting for your new vegetation to grow.
3rd advice: physical deterrents can be used in your garden.
You can cut chicken wire to lay under your plants. They hate walking on that.
You can stick chopsticks in the ground around your plants.
Both these suggestions prevent them from walking, digging, pooping around your plants.
4th advice: purchase some professional deterrents from your local pet store or feed store. There is usually someone there who can suggest things for your particular problem areas. There are granules to spread or sprays or you could do an essential oil thing. Tons of products & advice online.
I’m sorry everything I suggests puts the work on your shoulders, but it’s very risky to talk to your neighbor if you don’t have an existing best friend relationship with them (not saying you don’t have a good relationship with them..I don’t know how good it is) because people tend to get defensive when others APPEAR to be correcting them on their habits & in this case they might quickly interpret your problems with his/her cats to mean that you are calling them a bad pet owner. Even if this is true, they don’t ever see it that way.
But who knows, maybe they think their cats are pooping in their back yard & have no idea of your burden. I would want to help my neighbors if my cats were causing problems (mine live inside only). If you do talk to them, maybe just approach them from the standpoint of asking them to help you financially with purchasing deterrents to get them to do their business elsewhere. If you do, provide them with documentation claiming the deterrents work (do your research & print!) & prices. Then maybe they won’t feel threatened knowing you want to work with them on this problem & not against them.
Good luck!
Anyone who can make a cat do anything has my respect! Good luck keeping them on your own property! I have indoor cat and they destroy everything and I can’t even keep them off my cupboards!
My cat listens to me and I take it outside fir about 1p min every day it will stay by my side and if I tell it no it gets closer to me
First of all dogs have fleas too idiot… cat hater. Your allergy is just in your head. And lastly cats just like any other animal have every right to live and prosper in this world just as every other living does. A single minded, full of hate person as you should be confined to a room and locked in. The world does not need people like you. Those such as yourself are the reason this beautiful planet is in such a poor state… you should be ashamed of yourself putting such nasty comments…
From the perspective of cat health and well being;
https://www.wesavepets.com/info/file?file=s982m2257.pdf
https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/indoor-cats-vs-outdoor-cats/
Indoor Cats – What Do They Miss?
Fights with other cats
Attacks by free-roaming dogs
Infections from puncture wounds
Gunshot wounds
Fleas, ticks, worms
Pesticide poisoning
Feline Leukemia
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
Being hit by a car
Encounters with sick and possibly rabid animals
Being sprayed by skunks
Being stolen
Being trapped or killed by humans
Steel jaw traps
Sickness or death from eating spoiled foods or poison
The ecological perspective;
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2380
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-ed-feral-cats-031413-20130313-story.html
https://www.audubon.org/news/how-stop-cats-killing-birds
https://www.audubon.org/news/cat-owners-turn-blind-eye-pets-violence
https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/cats-responsible-for-driving-many-species-to-extinction/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/feral-cats-kill-billions-of-small-critters-each-year-7814590/
MANY peer reviewed published papers are available for those with access. There is nothing natural about an exotic predator being allowed to devastate local ecology. es IF the term was applicable to humans, we are also non-native, actually invasive. One of the ways that we significantly harm the environment is by allowing cats to free roam.
There is also the issue of being a courteous neighbor.
Enriched indoor environments and catios;
https://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/what-is-environmental-enrichment-and-why-does-your-cat-need-it/
https://www.riverstonevetgroup.com/services/cats/blog/indoor-cats-keys-enriched-life-0
https://catiospaces.com/
https://catiospaces.com/catios-cat-enclosures/
https://www.pinterest.com/js627/catios/
Hey Willard, meet Ben. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxv0ZNXvmqk
Creepy not crawly.
Feral cats have been shown to prey on native rodents preferentially over invasive rodents. Native rodents do not normally move into human structures. So cats are better at killing native rodent that do us no harm than they are at killing invasive rodents which we want them to kill. They also kill other animals that maybe better at killing rodents.
Of course most rodents problems are solved by taking care of you animals feed or garbage appropriately.
For the past 50+ years, each and every cat we have had is a total indoor kitty. Plenty of windows to look out of. Plenty of shelves and other perches to stare down on you from. And the biggest bonus – you always know where they’re at and they live MUCH longer (one hit 17, most hit 13).
Thank you that was great information I didn’t know about a dog being off leash and if they come back right away but that’s okay I’m glad to know that. My dog never goes outside for yard or her car without a leash on but she’s a house dog thank you again that was great information
How is it legal for the county to send one to collections for a dog license?
What was the original contract that was broken?
Collection agencies and debt buyers
No reporting of debts that didn’t arise from a contract or agreement to pay (i.e. traffic tickets, court fines).
June 15, 2016
Read California State Food and Agriculture Code Sec.30951[a] Collar and Tag in the California Constitution.
It is unlawful for any person to own, harbor, or keep any dog over the age of 4 months, or to permit such a dog which is owned, harbored, or controlled by him to run at large, unless the dog has attached to its neck or leg a substantial collar which one or the other is fastened:
[a] A metallic tag which gives the name and post office address of the owner. or
[b] A metal license which is issued by the authority of a county, city and county, or any municipal corporation for the purpose of identifying the dog and designating the owner.
Choose option [a], go to Pet-Co and purchase such tag and you have complied with California State Law. Do vaccinate your dog for rabies.
Every second Tuesday of the month there is a meeting @ 7 p.m. @ Riverwalk, Fortuna. Join us and learn your Constitutional rights.
This law is often misinterpreted, it states that you must have an identification tag or a license tag on your dog’s collar, it does not provide an exemption from licensing.
When you get your dogs rabies vaccine the animal control is notified then a bill comes in the mail. An intact dog will cost you more because animal control claims an intact dog causes more problem then a fix dog and none of this applies to cat owners as far as I know anyways. If you don’t pay it you’re sent to collections. My dad’s been going thru this crap for 10 years over a dead dog he had put down himself. He refuses to pay and doesn’t have anything nice to say about the ordeal or animal control .
The simple solution to when a dog dies either naturally or by euthanasia is to notify the license agency that the dog is deceased. It is easy, make a phone call or send the license letter back with a note that the dog has passed. Problem solved. No need for arguments or for collections to get involved. BUT if you fail to notify and it does go to collections, you will be held responsible for any service fees attached, the license fee is waived.
More government extortionists and theives,every which way you turn these days !!!! Land of the free that’s a laugh !!!!!!
this lady isn’t as nice as she seems on video!! She’s super rude.
So it is legal for me to shoot and kill a dog that is attacking my livestock but if a dog is attacking my child all I can do is call animal control? I am sorry, but I am going to do whatever it takes to protect my child and if the only option is to kill the dog that is what I am doing.
I believe it said that there are no laws regarding attacking a human, so believe me if a dog is attacking any human including your child you are able to do whatever is necessary to stop that situation. It’s not even up for debate. They had to make the law for livestock because dog owners thought they had more of a grey area. For example “my dog would be attack a cow” but it’s almost impossible to argue when it attacks a child. If you don’t shoot the dog and the owner refuses to animal control will put it down for you.
There are laws that specifically give a livestock owner the right to shoot a dog that is attacking their livestock. There aren’t any laws that give this specific right in other situations, just like there isn’t a specific law that says that you can shoot and kill a person under certain circumstances. Every person has the right to defend themselves to the extent necessary when confronted. This may mean removing yourself from the situation (going indoors or into a vehicle) or more lethal means. If you take lethal action you must be able to explain why that was your only recourse. And you must never take retribution on an animal, such as finding the dog that bit your child 20 minutes earlier and shooting it while it is posing no direct threat to any person or animal.
Two cents . . . i’ve always had cats from the time i lived at home w/parents. I’ve had great dogs too.
I would try sprinkling cayenne pepper around – in garden, yard, top of shed. Don’t spray any mad-made toxic brew. There’s something that won’t cause devistation to everything it comes in contact with. Vinegar for weeds – hold the “Safe” glyphosate Round-up.
I am glad the sheriff has taken time to clarify the law to us the public.
Thank and
Keep the good work
Megan Nims. Billy Honsal. Two different people. One is the Sheriff. The other one, Animal Control in Sheriff’s Office, answered FAQs.
~good info., yes.
Seriously?? WOW…just wow. It’s considered being a narc to call animal control when MOST people these days don’t know how to control themselves much less their annoying dogs, cats whatever the situation and/OR animal?? Yeah… that’s hilarious!! First off you sound like a real fine law abiding citizen using the term “Narc” in relation to calling animal control! LMFAO!!😂 Secondly, Clearly you don’t live in the real world much less Humboldt county do you? Not only do People NOT CARE and are NOT considerate of their neighbors these days but someone is more likely to end up with their ass beat or a bullet in them depending on the level of self control & the level of intelligence the individual (s) their dealing with have or unfortunately, in most cases a lack thereof. Especially if their already clearly ignorant of how neighbors and/or polite society is supposed to behave and work, like most people I encounter anymore, they just won’t/refuse to get it OR give a flying F#C%!!! MUCH less care to listen to their neighbors side and rectify the situation. Just let the people who are paid to handle the situation,handle it. With most people there’s going to be drama over it no matter how you slice it sadly because people have NO ACCOUNTABILITY anymore not just poor manners and selfish ignorance. Frustratingly, most folks have no ability to admit they’re wrong & they or their animal screwed up… so with that being said, calling animal control is the smartest thing to do and IS NOT the same AT ALL as being a narc!! It’s pretty darn simple, if you don’t want animal control called, don’t let your animals do things they shouldn’t & destroy property, bite, run loose& chase cars or cats or livestock or be rude & let them be a total annoyance to your neighbors/neighborhood! You don’t have that right. If you don’t want animal control called and your neighbors don’t want to be annoyed constantly, Compromise and do what you already should have and be RESPONSIBLE OWNER& TRAIN your damn animals& people wouldn’t have to as you put it, “Narc”!! Avoid ANY potential problems by not being THAT neighbor who only selfishly cares about themselves& doesn’t use common sense &use a little old fashioned thing called foresight for crying out loud. Like I said it’s pretty simple….Use your brain& use common sense, but like my husband says unfortunately Common Sense isn’t so common anymore!!! 🤔🧐 Sorry for the novel, but this is a really sore subject for me and my family!! Enjoy your Memorial Weekend everyone& drive safe! 🙂
You’ve certainly summed it up for us. Thanks.
Weed money is drying up. You all got rid of it. Now you can expect extortion and the use of courts to impose fines to get the money they need. There are no good industries at the moment but the wheel needs to be fed still. Good luck dumboldt I’m glad to have moved to a county that understands where the dollar comes from
What’s a nork? Are you changing the subject?
I’m trying to move back home to cali any body know if it’s legal to have pitbulls in eureka?
I’m curious about pooper scoop laws in the county. Are there any?
I have a cat in the neighborhood that keeps kill our little chickens and we don’t know what to do and the cat has no tag so we don’t know who to contact so we don’t know what to do
Is it legal to have Bangal cats here. I believe it is but someone told me they changed the law in California