1. (a) Animal Welfare, or Welfare of the Animal. The state of an animal that is met, while being temporarily possessed by a person, by providing for its physical and behavioral needs in a manner that considers the natural life history of that species, including an animal's needs for water, food, shelter, and medical treatment and euthanasia if necessary.
2. (b) Authorized Person. A person, at least 18 years of age, with minimum of 40 hours of animal care, husbandry, and handling experience approved by the permittee, their sub-permittee, or designee at their sole discretion, to temporarily confine a rehabilitation animal, under the supervision and direction the permittee, their sub-permittee, or designee, at a location other than the wildlife rehabilitation facility or satellite facility.
3. (c) Conspecific. Individual animals of the same species.
4. (d) Designee. A person, such as a facility director or manager, who is at least 21 years of age, with a minimum of 500 hours of animal care, husbandry, and handling experience, approved by the permittee to conduct activities under the permit on behalf of the permittee.
5. (e) Eagle and Falcon Specialty Rehabilitation. Wildlife rehabilitation of any bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) or golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) of the Order Accipitriformes, or peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) or prairie falcon (Falco mexicanus) of the Order Falconiformes, as authorized under specialty rehabilitation permit conditions issued by the department.
6. (f) Enrichment. An item designed to stimulate and encourage a range of innate behaviors of a rehabilitation animal, specific to that species and the condition and welfare of the animal.
7. (g) Euthanasia. The humane induction of death with minimal pain or stress to the animal.
8. (h) Habituated. The condition of a wild animal that is repeatedly exposed to anthropogenic stimuli and, as a result, no longer has a natural negative behavioral or physical response to humans; such a condition may be reversible.
9. (i) Large Carnivore Specialty Rehabilitation. Wildlife rehabilitation of an American black bear (Ursus americanus) or mountain lion (Puma concolor) as authorized under specialty rehabilitation permit conditions issued by the department.
10. (j) Mal-imprinted. The process by which a neonate or juvenile wild animal behaviorally imprints on a human or animal of another species that permanently prevents that animal from expressing the natural life history behaviors of its species.
11. (k) Native Wildlife Rehabilitation 679 Regulations Manual (New 01/2025) (form DFW 679) hereafter called “DFW 679 Manual”. A listing of enclosure requirements and humane care standards for wildlife rehabilitation facilities, satellite facilities, and related wildlife rehabilitation activities; available on the department website at https://wildlife.ca.gov/wildliferehab. Chapters 2 and 3 of DFW 679 Manual are incorporated by reference herein.
12. (l) Neonate. A newborn or newly hatched animal that is often unable to self-feed, thermoregulate, or ambulate on its own, and usually requiring parental care to survive.
13. (m) Non-releasable Animal. A wild animal not suitable for release to the wild due to it being habituated, mal-imprinted, or having a physical or behavioral impairment that precludes the animal's ability to survive in the wild in a manner consistent with its natural life history behaviors.
14. (n) Orphan Animal. A neonate or juvenile animal still dependent on parental care for survival, that is found under conditions in which parental care is no longer available, such as permanent separation from or death of the parent.
15. (o) Permit. Privilege provided to a person authorized by the department to temporarily possess rehabilitation animals pursuant to subsection 679.3(a).
16. (p) Qualified Handler. For the purposes of specialty rehabilitation, a person, that is not a permittee, their designee, or sub-permittee, with the required experience as listed in subsection 679.3(b)(2)(A)5. A person that is a permittee, their designee, or subpermittee shall meet the required experience as listed in subsection 679.3(b)(2)(A)2.
17. (q) Rehabilitation Animal. A live wild amphibian, reptile, bird, or mammal of a species native to California, excluding any marine mammal or sea turtle, that is temporarily possessed for the purpose of rehabilitation and release to the wild pursuant to these regulations, and the following wild animals not native to California: Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), Eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), rock pigeon (Columba livia), Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto), European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), and European house sparrow (Passer domesticus).
18. (r) Required Record. Any document submitted to the department, created, or issued pursuant to these regulations, including but not limited to, any permit, sub-permit, other relevant permits, memorandum of understanding, patient record, or report.
19. (s) Satellite Facility. A facility operated by a sub-permittee authorized pursuant to Section 679.3, to intake and temporarily possess wildlife for the purpose of rehabilitation at a location other than a wildlife rehabilitation facility operated by the permittee or their designee.
20. (t) Specialty Rehabilitation Authorization. Privilege provided to a permittee or sub-permittee by the department to temporarily possess one or more of the following specialty rehabilitation animals pursuant to subsection 679.3(b): large carnivore, ungulate, venomous snake, or any species of eagle (Order Accipitriformes) or falcon (Order Falconiformes).
21. (u) Sub-permit. Privilege provided to a person authorized by both the department and a permittee, or their designee, pursuant to subsection 679.3(c) to operate a satellite facility and intake and temporarily possess rehabilitation animals without the direct supervision of the permittee or their designee at a satellite facility.
22. (v) Ungulate Specialty Rehabilitation. Wildlife rehabilitation of a deer (Odocoileus hemionus), pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), elk (Cervus canadensis), or wild sheep (Ovis canadensis) native to California of the Order Artiodactyla as authorized under specialty rehabilitation permit condition issued by the department.
23. (w) Venomous Snake Specialty Rehabilitation. Wildlife rehabilitation of any species of snake native to California of the Order Squamata that produces venom as authorized under specialty rehabilitation permit conditions issued by the department.
24. (x) Veterinarian of Record. A veterinarian, currently licensed by the State of California, who agrees in writing to provide and direct veterinary treatment for rehabilitation animals pursuant to Section 679.3.
25. (y) Wildlife Rehabilitation. The temporary possession, treatment, and care of a rehabilitation animal, for the purpose of restoring it to a condition of good health for its release to suitable habitat in the wild.
26. (z) Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility. A facility operated by a permittee or their designee, at a location approved by the department pursuant to Section 679.3 and listed on the permit, whereby wild animals are temporarily possessed for the purposes of wildlife rehabilitation.

For the purposes of Sections 679.1 through 679.9, the following definitions apply:

Note: Authority cited: Sections 200, 1050, 2081, 2120, 2121, 3005.5, 3800, 4150 and 5050, Fish and Game Code. Reference: Sections 716.3, 1801, 2118, 2126, 2190, 3511, 4800 and 4801.5, Fish and Game Code; Section 597, Penal Code; and Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 14, 16, 17, 21.29, 21.30, 21.31, 22 and 23.

History

1. New section filed 8-13-2025; operative 8-13-2025 pursuant to Fish and Game Code section 265 (Register 2025, No. 33).