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1. In general, what does the Spay Neuter Ordinance No. 6086 mean?

• All dogs and cats over the age of six months must be either spayed or neutered.


• Your veterinarian will document proof of spaying / neutering on your pet’s rabies vaccination certificate, although your vet may choose to furnish other proof.


• A Whelping Permit is required within ten days of the birth of each litter of puppies or kittens. Female dogs and cats are limited to one litter per year.

There are exceptions for which your dog or cat may be exempt from this requirement. For example, you can purchase an Intact Permit to exempt your dog or cat.

2. Are there exemptions to the Spay Neuter Ordinance requirement?

B. Exceptions From Spay Or Neuter: The owner of a dog or cat shall not be required to spay or neuter the animal upon compliance with any of the following exceptions:

1. Veterinarian Exemption; Permanent Medical Condition: A written and signed statement from a local licensed veterinarian stating the animal is medically unsuited to undergo the sterilization procedure and specifying the medical grounds therefor will exempt the animal from the neutering requirements of subsection A of this section.

2. Veterinarian Exemption; Temporary Medical Condition: A written and signed statement from a local licensed veterinarian stating the animal suffers from a temporary medical condition so that sterilization is unsafe or imprudent and establishing a prognosis as to a date the animal may be safely neutered will exempt the animal from the requirements of subsection A of this section until the prognosis date established therein. Upon expiration of the prognosis date, the requirements of subsection A of this section become applicable unless the veterinarian issues a further exemption statement.

3. Visiting Animal: The animal is owned, possessed, kept or harbored within the city for no more than thirty (30) days in any consecutive twelve (12) month period.

4. Service, Law Enforcement, Search And Rescue: Dogs documented as having been appropriately trained and actually being used as a service dog, such as a guide dog, hearing dog, assistance dog, seizure alert dog, or social/therapy dog; by public law enforcement agencies for law enforcement activities; or search and rescue agencies for search and rescue activities; or such dogs designated as breeding stock by an appropriate agency or organization approved by the director of animal control after consultation with knowledgeable professionals;

5. Competition Dogs Or Cats: A competition animal is one that is used to show, to compete or is designated as breeding stock, and is of a breed recognized by and registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC), United Kennel Club (UKC), American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA), or other valid registry approved by animal control, as listed in the spay and neuter licensing exception appendix (copies of which shall be available at the city clerk's office or animal control), and meets one of the following requirements:

a. The dog/cat has competed in at least one dog/cat show or sporting competition sanctioned by a national registry or other registry approved by animal control, as listed in the spay and neuter licensing exception appendix, within the last three hundred sixty five (365) days, or

b. The dog/cat has earned a conformation, obedience, agility, carting, herding, protection, rally, sporting, hunting, working or other title from a purebred dog/cat registry as referenced above or other registry or dog sport association approved by animal control, as listed in the spay and neuter licensing exception appendix, or

c. The owner of the animal is a member of an approved purebred dog/cat breed club, which maintains and enforces a code of ethics for dog/cat breeding that includes restrictions from breeding dogs/cats with genetic defects and life threatening health problems that commonly threaten the breed(s), approved by animal control, as listed in the spay and neuter licensing exception appendix.

6. Annual Intact Permit: The owner has an annual intact permit for the animal in question and is otherwise in compliance with the provisions of this chapter.

3. When do I have to purchase a Whelping Permit?

Within 10 days of the birth of each litter of puppies or kittens, you must purchase a Whelping Permit from the Office of the City Clerk or Animal Control. However, there is a limit. Your dog or cat cannot birth more than one litter per year. In addition, the ordinance prohibits the selling, displaying for commercial purposes, or giving away of animals from along roadsides, rights of way, parking lots or outdoor sales, swap meets, flea markets, or similar events. Tax-exempt, non-profit organizations founded for the purpose of providing human sanctuary or shelter for unwanted animals are not subject to the above restrictions if a 501c# certification is displayed.

C. Whelping Permit:

1. No owner shall cause, allow or suffer any female dog or cat by them owned, harbored or kept to breed or become pregnant without having a current whelping permit for said animal. The term "whelping permit" means a written authorization, issued annually by the department of animal control, giving its lawful holder permission to breed a specific female dog or a cat and for that animal to deliver not more than one litter within the twelve (12) month period encompassed by the permit.

2. Each whelping permit shall be issued in the name of the owner and for a specific named and described female animal and shall be valid for one year from the date of issuance. A separate permit must be obtained for each owned female dog or cat. The fee for each permit shall be established by resolution of the city commission.

3. In order to prevent the overbreeding of animals, each permit shall only permit the whelping of no more than one litter per female dog in any twelve (12) month period.

4. The owner shall cause his/her whelping permit number and the name of the dame which gave birth to the litter to appear in any advertisement for sale of dogs or cats born pursuant to said permit.