§ 5-4.502. Animal Ownership.

(a)

Animal Owner. For purpose of this article, shall mean any person harboring, keeping or providing care or sustenance to a domestic animal for fourteen (14) days on property within the jurisdiction of the City of Modesto. Such a person shall be subject to the requirements of this chapter. This definition does not apply to government agencies, animal rescue organizations which have demonstrated to the Stanislaus County Department of Animal Services Director that they have implemented an ongoing spay/neuter program as well as an adoption program, or humane societies or societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals if such societies are incorporated under the provisions of California Corporations Code Section 10400 and the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law in Part 2 of the California Corporations Code, beginning at Section 5110 and successor sections, or persons who provide licensed boarding, kennel, training, or veterinarian services for the owners of dogs and cats.

(b)

Subsection (a) of this section shall not be interpreted to apply to a person caring for barn cats or a colony of feral cats if such person:

(1)

Registers with the Stanislaus County Department of Animal Services as a caretaker for barn cats or feral cats;

(2)

Regularly feeds or arranges for the feeding of the cats, including on weekends and holidays;

(3)

Traps or makes a reasonable effort to trap all barn or feral cats over the age of seven (7) weeks in his/her care, and has them spayed or neutered;

(4)

Makes a reasonable effort to test all trapped cats for feline leukemia and FIV and has those who test positive humanely euthanized or isolated indoors;

(5)

Identifies barn or feral cats that have been spayed or neutered by means of ear notching, ear tipping, or ear tagging; and

(6)

Has all trapped cats vaccinated according to State and local laws.

(Added by Ord. 3398-C.S., § 1, effective 12-01-05)