Atlanta requires rabies vaccination and tags for owned cats and treats free-roaming felines under nuisance and cruelty provisions. Fulton and DeKalb portions follow respective county registration programs administered through Lifeline Animal Project.
Under Atlanta Code Ch. 6 cats four months and older must be vaccinated against rabies and wear a current tag. Owned cats running at large can be impounded if they create a nuisance, damage property, or are unvaccinated. Atlanta supports trap-neuter-return (TNR) for community cats through partnerships with LifeLine Animal Project; ear-tipped sterilized cats returned to managed colonies are exempt from impoundment for being at large. Owners of impounded cats must pay reclaim fees and provide proof of rabies vaccination before release from the Fulton or DeKalb shelter.
First-offense citations typically run $50 to $150 plus impound and boarding fees; failure to vaccinate exposes owners to additional fines and potential rabies-quarantine costs at owner expense.
Atlanta, GA
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Atlanta, GA
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See how Atlanta's cat rules rules stack up against other locations.
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