Mesa, AZ Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Section 6-4-8, "Impounding and Disposing of Dogs and Cats; Reclaiming Impounded Dogs and Cats; Pound Fees," requires that any stray dog or cat be impounded and given proper care and maintenance while held. Each stray dog or cat must be kept at the pound for a minimum of seventy-two (72) hours unless claimed by the owner. After that period expires, any person may purchase the animal by paying all pound fees and complying with the Chapter's licensing and vaccination provisions, and the enforcement agent may otherwise place the animal for sale or dispose of it humanely; if the animal is used for medical research, no license or vaccination is required for that purpose, and sick or injured impounded animals may be destroyed by the enforcement agent when necessary to prevent suffering or the spread of disease.

Subsection (C) governs reclaiming: an impounded licensed dog or any cat may be reclaimed by its owner or the owner's agent, provided the person furnishes proof of the right to reclaim and pays all pound fees; unclaimed animals are handled the same way as under Subsection (B). Related Section 6-4-9 requires that an unlicensed or unvaccinated cat that bites a person be confined and quarantined at an authorized pound, or at the owner's request and expense at a veterinary hospital, for at least ten (10) days; a properly licensed and vaccinated cat may instead be quarantined at the owner's home with the enforcement agent's consent.

Notably, Mesa's Chapter 4 licensing scheme (Section 6-4-3) is written specifically for dogs, and no parallel individual cat-license fee appears in this chapter. Mesa's cat regulation centers on impoundment, quarantine, and reclaim rather than mandatory registration.