Los Angeles
Spaying and neutering is mandatory for all dogs and cats in city limits unless the guardian has obtained a $100.00 annual unaltered animal permit.
If the guardian wishes to breed the animal, they must also obtain a breeders license.
All dogs bred for sale or trade must be registered and seller must disclose permit number and name of breeder in any advertisement.
Violators will be fined $500.00 and would be considered a misdemeanor.
Exempts animal shelters that have implemented an ongoing spay/neuter program.
(1) No person shall cause or allow any dog or cat owned, harbored or kept within the City of Los Angeles to breed without first obtaining a breeding permit, as described below. The term breeding permit means a written authorization, issued annually by the General Manager, giving its lawful holder permission to breed a dog or a cat.
(2) Each breeding permit shall be valid for one year from the date of issuance, and may be renewed annually, before its expiration date. Each applicant for such a permit shall pay an annual fee of $100.00. A separate permit must be obtained for each owned dog or cat which is allowed to breed.
(3) The Department shall administer an animal breeding permit program to allow the breeding of unaltered dogs and cats consistent with criteria and according to procedures established by the General Manager pursuant to Section 53.58 of this Code. Under no circumstances shall such a permit be issued to a person who has been convicted of animal cruelty or neglect.
(4) In addition to the criteria and procedures established by the General Manager pursuant to Paragraph 3 of this subsection, all breeding permits shall contain the following terms and conditions:
a. The owner of an unaltered female dog or cat shall not allow the whelping of more than one litter in any household within the permit year. Notwithstanding this provision, the General Manager is hereby authorized, upon application of a permittee, to allow on a one time basis the whelping of up to two dog or cat litters per breeding animal within any domestic household within a permit year, if the permittee establishes, according to regulations promulgated by the General Manager, that such breeding is required to protect the health of the animal or avert a substantial economic loss to the permittee. In the event that a permittee is forced to euthanized a litter of dogs or cats, the General Manager may authorize the whelping of one additional litter of dogs or cats within the same permit year by the permittee;
b. No offspring may be sold, adopted, bartered, or otherwise transferred, whether for compensation or otherwise, until it has reached the age of at least eight weeks;
c. No offspring may be sold or adopted until immunized against common diseases. The sale or adoption of a dog or cat shall include a statement signed by the seller or adopter attesting to the signatory’s knowledge of the animal’s health, and the animal’s immunization history;
d. Any holder of a breeding permit who advertises to the public the availability of any dog or cat for sale, adoption, or transfer, whether for compensation or otherwise, must prominently display the permit number in any such advertisement. Further, the breeding permit holder must provide the permit number to any person who purchases, adopts or received any animal from the permit holder and include the permit number on any receipt of sale or transfer document;
e. Commercial establishments selling locally bred dogs or cats shall prominently display the breeding permit number(s) of the breeder(s) whose dogs and cats are sold in said establishments and any other pertinent information required by the General Manager; Commercial establishments selling dogs and cats which were not bred within the City of Los Angeles shall prominently display the name and address of the breeder(s) of such dogs and cats and any other pertinent information required by the General Manager;
f. Any breeding permit holder selling or otherwise transferring a dog or a cat, whether for compensation or otherwise, shall submit to the Los Angeles Department of Animal Regulation the name, address, and telephone number of the animal’s new owner within five days from the sale or other transfer, on a Department approved form; and
g. Any breeding permit holder or commercial establishment which sells or otherwise transfers a dog or cat, whether for compensation or otherwise, shall provide to the new animal owner City application(s) for a license and permit as well as written information regarding the license and permit requirements of the City of Los Angeles applicable to such animal.
(5) The following animals are exempt from the breeding permit requirements:
(1) Dogs documented as having been appropriately trained and actively used by law enforcement agencies for law enforcement and rescue activities;
(2) Dogs documented as guide, signal, or service dogs pursuant to California Penal Code Section 365.5(d), (e) & (f) and successor sections;
(3) Dogs and cats certified by a licensed veterinarian as not being suitable subjects for spaying and neutering due to health reasons;
(4) Dogs and cats under the care of governmental animal control agencies; animal rescue organizations which have demonstrated to the Department that they have implemented an ongoing spay/neuter plan, as well as an adoption plan; or humane societies or societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals, of such societies are incorporated under the provision 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; and
(5) Dogs documented as enrolled in a guide, signal or service dog breeding program administered by a person licensed under Chapter 9.5.
Penalties:
(1) Any cat or dog owner found by the Department to be in violation of the breeding permit provision of this section may correct the violation(s) by providing conclusive proof to the Department that the dog(s) or cat(s) have been spayed or neutered, or by obtaining the necessary permits(s) mentioned in this section, no later than forty five days from the date when the Department had first notified the owner of the violation. Should the owner fail to correct the violation(s) in the manner described above, the Department shall impose a $500.00 civil penalty on the dog or cat owner. Notice of this penalty shall be served by the Department on the dog or cat owner in the manner allowed by Section 11(i) of this Code. This penalty shall not be waived by the Department upon the transfer or abandonment of the dog or cat by the non compliant owner. This penalty shall be imposed in addition to any other applicable civil or criminal penalties.
If the civil penalty mentioned above is not paid and the owner does not spay/neuter his/her dog(s) or cat(s) or obtains the breeding permit(s) required under Subsection (c), above, within fifteen days from the date when the Department first notified the owner of the imposition of the civil penalty mentioned in Section (d)(1), the continuing violation of the breeding permit requirement of this section becomes a misdemeanor and may be prosecuted as such.
(2) The Department may revoke any permit issued.
Washington
King County
- All dogs and cats over 6 months old must be spayed or neutered unless the guardian buys an unaltered license for $55.
- The county was also very aggressive at marketing its licenses by making various grocery stores, pet supply shops, and veterinary clinics temporary sales outlets as well as operating door-to-door sales.
- It is illegal to advertise to King County residents the availability of any unaltered dog or cat.
Chap IV, Sec. 11.04.400. Mandatory Spaying and Neutering A. No person shall own or harbor any cat or dog over the age of six months that has not been spayed or neutered unless the person holds an unaltered animal license for the animal pursuant to K.C.C. 11.04.030.
Chap. IV, Sec. 11.04.510. Unaltered Dogs and Cats. Advertising requirements. No person in unincorporated King County shall publish or advertise to King County residents the availability of any unaltered cat or dog unless the publication or advertisement includes: the unaltered animal’s license number or the animal’s juvenile license number, provided, however that nothing in this chapter shall prohibit licensed breeders from advertising in national publications for sale of a planned litter or litters
