Akron, OH Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 92.18(C), (D)
- Potbellied pig fix age
- 3 months or older
- Pygmy goat
- Must be fixed to skip permit
- Dog/cat mandate
- None citywide
- Enforcement
- Dir. of Neighborhood Assistance
Summary
Akron's only mandatory spay/neuter rule is narrow: § 92.18 requires any miniature potbellied pig kept as a pet to be spayed or neutered once it reaches three months old, and a pygmy goat can be kept without an acreage permit only if it too is spayed or neutered. There is no city-wide spay/neuter mandate for dogs and cats.
e.Miniature potbellied pigs must be spayed or neutered if three months or older... D.Other Hoofed Animals.1.No person shall keep, harbor or maintain any horse, pony, cow, calf, goat or other hoofed animal other than hogs in the city, except that the keeping, harboring or maintaining of any such animals may be authorized by the Director of Neighborhood Assistance for the City by permit duly issued therefore, provided that such animals are located on lots or parcels of one acre or more. This prohibition and conditions do not apply when not more than one spayed or neutered pygmy goat, defined as meeting the requirements of the National Pygmy Goat Association located in Mendon, Massachusetts, is kept as a pet in single-family dwelling.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
Akron does not require every dog or cat to be sterilized. 18, "Restricting certain animals," and applies only to the two small-livestock pets the code treats as house pets. " That sits alongside a companion ban on breeding potbellied pigs within the city, a 65-pound weight cap, and a rule that the pig live inside the home rather than in an outdoor pen. " Sterilization is the price of the exemption; an unaltered pygmy goat falls back under the full permit and one-acre-lot requirement that applies to cows, horses, and other livestock. 18(C)(1)(i) for potbellied pigs, and the Animal Control Warden handles field enforcement. 25 address licensing, vaccination, and dangerous-breed registration instead.
Violations & Fines
Keeping an unaltered potbellied pig past three months of age, or an unaltered pygmy goat without the acreage permit, is enforced under § 92.99 and can trigger removal of the animal by order of the Director of Neighborhood Assistance, in addition to any court-imposed fine for the underlying § 92.18 violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Akron require all pets to be spayed or neutered?
At what age must a pet potbellied pig be fixed in Akron?
Can I keep an unaltered pygmy goat in Akron?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Akron
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