Sandy, UT Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing state law
- Utah Community Cat Act, § 11-46-303
- Pre-release steps
- Sterilize, ear-tip, rabies-vaccinate
- Release location
- Near original trap/pickup site
- Legal treatment of return
- Not considered abandonment
Summary
Sandy Code § 12-1-25 runs a trap-neuter-return program for feral and community cats: impounded cats that are healthy and pose no threat must be sterilized, ear-tipped, and rabies-vaccinated, then released near where they were trapped instead of held or euthanized.
Sandy City hereby establishes a community cat program pursuant to U.C.A. 1953, § 11-46-303. Notwithstanding the minimum holding period identified in Section 12-1-23, the Sandy City Animal Shelter and Adoption Center shall operate a trap-neuter-return program. Impounded cats identified as feral or community cats which are in good health and which do not pose a threat to the health or safety of persons or other domesticated animals shall be released within a reasonable proximity to the place where they were trapped or picked up. Each feral or community cat trapped or picked up under this Subsection (b) which is delivered to the Division shall be sterilized, identified by ear-tipping and rabies-vaccinated prior to return.
Full Breakdown
§ 11-46-303. Notwithstanding the minimum holding period that otherwise applies to impounded animals under § 12-1-23, the Sandy City Animal Shelter and Adoption Center must operate a trap-neuter-return program: any impounded cat identified as feral or a community cat, if in good health and not a threat to people or other domesticated animals, is released within reasonable proximity to where it was originally trapped or picked up. Before release, each cat delivered to the Division must be sterilized, ear-tipped, and rabies-vaccinated, and the return of the cat under this section is explicitly not treated as abandonment under § 12-1-21.
The Director retains discretion to refuse release if the cat is reasonably believed to carry disease or pose a threat. The chapter's definitions reinforce this framework: § 12-1-2 defines a 'community cat' as a feral or free-roaming cat with no owner and no visible or microchip identification that has been sterilized, vaccinated, and ear-tipped, and defines 'feral cat' as a wild or untamed cat, or one without owner identification, whose consistent temperament is extreme fear and avoidance of people. Separately, § 12-1-10's ban on harboring stray or feral animals expressly does not apply to feral or community cats, and the citywide 'running at large twice in 12 months' nuisance trigger in § 12-1-17 likewise carves out feral or community cats that have been trapped, ear-tipped, and vaccinated.
Every cat still needs a City license under § 12-1-7, though a cat proven to carry an implanted microchip is exempt from wearing a tag under § 12-1-8.
Violations & Fines
There is no violation for participating in or being subject to the trap-neuter-return program itself; the Director may decline to release a specific cat found to carry disease or pose a threat to people, property, or other animals, in which case the cat is handled under the chapter's standard impoundment and disposition provisions in §§ 12-1-23 and 12-1-24.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to a feral cat picked up by Sandy Animal Services?
Does releasing a trapped cat count as abandonment in Sandy?
Can Sandy refuse to release a trapped cat?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sandy
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Cat Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle cat rules.