DCCRs, Rules & Regulations, Governing Documents

• COUNTRYSIDE VILLAS PET POLICY

Please keep your dog safely on leash and remember to clean up their waste. Small dogs off leash can fall prey to coyotes, hawks, bobcats, who may appear suddenly without notice. Large dogs off leash can also be dangerous or nuisances. 

HOT ASPHALT - PAWS WILL BURN.  Take the 5-second test before you take your dog on a walk:

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DOG WASTE LAW: Pima County, Code of Ordinances, Title 6, Chapter 6.04  § 6.04.030.

PIMA County law requires dog owners to scoop and dispose of their dog's waste in a proper manner, or risk being charged with a Class 3 misdemeanor. If found guilty of the charge, owners could face fines of up to $500, up to a year in jail, and a year of probation.

ARIZONA LEASH LAW:  11-1012. Dogs not permitted at large; wearing licenses

• Your dog cannot be off your property unless restrained by a leash held by a person who is responsible and capable of restraining the dog if need be.
• Dogs must be on a leash not more than six feet long and directly under the owner’s control when not on the owner’s property. Dogs on public or public school property must be “restrained by a leash, [or] enclosed in a car, cage or similar enclosure.”
• Your dog must be kept in an enclosed yard when on your property     
• Tie-outs are prohibited     
• Arizona’s dog laws can be found under Title 7, Articles 6 and 6.1.  These articles cover everything from rabies, registration, and dog shelters.  
• Dogs at Large in Arizona  A.R.S. 11-2025 renders the dog’s owner or caretaker liable for the injuries their dog inflicts while it is not on a leash and is out in public. These injuries include bites and scratches. 
• Dogs On a Leash That Bite People in Arizona  A.R.S. 11-1025 imposes strict liability on an animal that bites someone in public even if the animal is on a leash. This provision applies exclusively to dog bites, not scratches. 
• Arizona Collar and License Tag Requirements  The law also states that any dog at large that is 3 months or older must have a harness or collar attached to a valid license tag. 
• Dogs must be given water and shade at all times especially in the warmer months which is 9 months out of the year.
• Don't walk your dog on the street during the heat, the asphalt can cause severe burns on their feet, test the asphalt with your own bare foot before subjecting your dog to the asphalt.  The walk can start out with cooler ground and by the end of the walk heat up to over 130F.  The surface of a Tucson road can be 45 degrees hotter than the ambient air temperature.  

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BARKING

Don't let your dog's barking become a nuisance that might disturb the peace quiet or comfort of surrounding occupants.  A dog barking to greet its owners or when someone is walking by their property or if they sense danger and bark as a warning are all normal occurrences to be expected.  However, if a homeowner leaves their dog outdoors unattended and allowed to bark for long periods of time* they are in violation of this rule.  

DCC&Rs Article II, Section 2.10 General Restrictions, Nuisances   *Long periods of time generally means barking, howling or any such noise by a dog which disturbs the peace and quiet of any person or persons for more than 15 minutes if continuous, or more than 30 minutes if intermittent.   

Such barking is also worrisome because your neighbor may become concerned your dog is in distress and could signal there's a problem that needs to be addressed immediately, such as being without water, lack of shade, a rattlesnake in the yard or any number of  number of scenarios. 

DANGEROUS DOGS

The HOA has a fiduciary duty to manage and operate the common areas and the association’s private streets, including making them safe and warning of any known dangerous conditions. Dangerous pets are not permitted and may not remain on the common areas and private streets owned and controlled by the association.  It’s not just that the dog is dangerous that makes it unsafe, it’s the combination of the dog owner’s lack of ability to control a large and/or aggressive dog even while on a leash.

A dangerous dog is any dog that aggressively attacks in a manner that causes a person to reasonably believe that the dog posed an imminent threat of serious injury to such person or another person although no such injury occurs.  

It's wise to keep your cat indoors due to attacks from coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats in the area, but cats also fall prey to humans too.  Animal Protection Services regularly receives reports from people concerned that neighbors are trapping cats and dumping them in another area which is a crime.  Trapping & Dumping Cats (or Any Animal) Is ILLEGAL!!  [Arizona Criminal Code § 13-2910]      

In Arizona, cats are considered 'free roaming animals:'  Cats are not licensed nor do they do not have to be leashed.  It is not illegal for a cat to be outdoors.

Cats are protected by law and are free to roam meaning they might go into other people's gardens or allotments.  Otherwise, cats enjoy and deserve the same protection under Arizona's laws that covers dogs -- as well as other domestic animals, including livestock and exotic pets. However, there are very specific laws in regards to what can and cannot be done by those who wish to deter pet cats from those areas.   One reasonable approach is to speak to the owner of the cat, they may not even be aware their cat visits your yard.  But you may not trap them and dump them or cause them to be separated from their identity; if you know the cat is someone's pet and especially if you who the owner is you must state so if submitting them to any animal care facility to give the owner a chance to retrieve and secure their pet.  You may not poison nor harm any protected animal, that includes cats, dogs, birds, and others as these are PROTECTED ANIMALS.

Pet cats, and even feral cats, are covered by Arizona Statute ARS 13-2910 A-1, which states that, “A person commits cruelty to animals if the person does any of the following: 1. Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly subjects any animal under the person's custody or control to cruel neglect or abandonment." 

Persons violating this Statute are guilty of animal cruelty. It's illegal to abandon an animal, whether by dumping it in a public place or leaving it anywhere without providing for its needs.  Animal Protection Laws  

One thing to seriously consider is that cats enter yards for many reasons but one reason is that your yard may have rodents for them to hunt.  Just as lizards eat the crickets that attract scorpions, cats kill and eat rodents.  So that cat may just be keeping your yard free from being overrun by rodents!  

FERAL CATS KEEP MICE AWAY, CATS EMIT CHEMICALS THAT SCARE MICE AWAY... 

Outdoor and feral cats can minimize rodent problems and are a “green” alternative to pest control. Cats keep their populations in check and discourage new rodents from moving into the area. While some people feel that cats (feral or domestic) attract rodents, the opposite is true. Cats emit chemicals that scare mice away because these chemicals are found in their saliva and trigger sensory organs in mice that spread fear and terror.

If a cat is hanging around hunting in your backyard it’s likely you have rodents, and the rodents are attracting the cat, not the other way around. 

• Animal Protection Laws

• Missing Cats

• PIMA County Animal Care (PACC) aka Animal Control

PIMA COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL (PACC)

520-724-5900

4000 Silverbell Rd, Tucson 85745