Glendale, AZ Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Chapter 6 of the Glendale Code treats cats differently from dogs: Section 6-4's license-and-tag requirement applies only to dogs, and Section 6-6's at-large restriction likewise names only dogs, so a roaming cat is not itself cited for being loose. Once a stray cat is impounded, though, Section 6-7 sets a firm minimum 72-hour hold at the pound unless the owner claims it first, and the pound must give the cat proper care and maintenance under Section 6-9. Anyone, including the original owner, may buy an unclaimed cat once the 72 hours expire, but the buyer must pay all pound fees and meet the chapter's vaccinating provisions; cats destined for medical research are exempt from licensing and vaccination.

If the cat is never claimed or purchased, the enforcement agent takes possession and may place it up for sale or dispose of it humanely, and may euthanize a sick or injured impounded cat sooner if needed to prevent suffering or stop disease spread. A cat that bites someone faces its own quarantine rule: Section 6-8 requires any vaccinated or unvaccinated cat that bites a person to be confined and quarantined, at a county pound or, at the owner's expense, a veterinary hospital, for not less than seven days, and the bite must be reported to the county enforcement agent immediately.