While Out and About with your Pet...

• Dog Leashes are required, and should be no longer than six-feet in length. Retractable leashes must also conform to this regulation.
• Tethering animals to an object is against the law, and is a safety hazard.  To ensure the safety and health of the animals and the public around them, pets must be supervised at all times.
• Walk your dog in authorized areas only. This reduces chances of injury to your pet or another person.

Dangers of Leaving Your Pet in a Parked Car

Even on mildly warm days pets can be in danger of suffering heat stroke in a matter of minutes, even when the car is left in the shade, with the windows left partially open. On warm days, the inside of a car heats up very quickly. When its 85 degrees outside, the temperatures inside a car, even with the windows left slightly open, can reach to 102 degrees in 10 minutes, and reach 120 degrees in just half an hour! On hotter days, the temperature will climb even higher. Outside temperatures in the 70's can be dangerous as well. Even leaving a pet in the car for just a minute in extreme heat can result in its death. Leaving windows open a few inches does not help.

When it comes to the body’s ability to cool itself, canine physiology is vastly different from humans. While humans have sweat glands all over our bodies that help regulate our body heat, dogs cool down mostly by panting, which is much less efficient than sweating. In only a short amount of time, a dog with a high body temperature can suffer critical damage to his nervous system, heart, liver and brain.

California law makes it illegal to leave an animal in a car if it could endanger the health of the animal, as stated in Section 597.7 (a) of the California Penal Code, Animals in Unattended Motor Vehicles - "No person shall leave or confine an animal in any unattended motor vehicle under conditions that endanger the health or well being of an animal due to heat, cold, lack of adequate ventilation, or lack of food or water, or other circumstances that could reasonably be expected to cause suffering, disability, or death to the animal."

If you're concerned about an animal in a car, please don't hesitate to call Animal Control dispatch at (310) 802-5159, and they will send an animal control officer over to assess the situation.

Pets at Large

Allowing your pet to roam freely has many adverse consequences. Pets at large are in danger of being seriously injured or killed by vehicles or other animals.  Pets at large can also be a nuisance to residents and members of the surrounding community as they choose to do their "business" wherever they please. You can help alleviate these problems by keeping a watchful "eye" on your pet and securing your place of residence so your pet is unable to escape.  It is against the law to allow dogs to roam at large or off leash.  If Animal Control picks up your pet you may have to pay a release fee and/or be issued a citation to court.

Licensing

Don’t forget to renew your dog license annually.  Per law, your dog is required to be wearing its city issued dog license tag at all times.

Tips for Cat Owners

Since cats are considered “free roaming” animals and are not required by law to be contained or restrained; Animal Control Officers do not pick up any cat unless it is injured, sick, deceased or determined (by Animal Control Officers) to be a lost pet and/or unable to care for itself.  If a cat has wandered inside your residence and does not leave on its own, Animal Control may assist in removing it and releasing it back into the neighborhood so it may return to its owner.  Here are some helpful tips to assist your cat in being reunited with you:

1. Have your cat micro chipped.  This is a great way for cats to be identified if your cat becomes lost or injured and it is picked up by Animal Control.  Animal Control Officers have microchip reader devices available to them.
   
   
2. Put a collar with a tag on your cat.  Break-away collars are available if you are concerned about your cat getting their collar caught on objects. Place your name, address, and phone number on the tag so Animal Control Officers will be able to contact you if they pick up your cat.
   
   
3. License your cat.  The City of Manhattan Beach offers Cat licenses for $5.50.  The name and description of the cat along with the owner’s information will be kept on file.  Animal Control can query the file to obtain owner information in the event that the cat is picked up.

Remember - if you own an outdoor cat, your cat may wander from neighbor to neighbor and be gone for a period of time.  Check with your neighbors to verify if they have seen your cat.  Also, consider having the backside of the cat’s tag labeled “Indoor” or “Outdoor.”  This will help Animal Control Officers determine if the cat needs to be taken into custody and the owner notified, or if it can be released back into the neighborhood.

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