Columbia County, GA Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)

Columbia County's sterilization ordinance, chapter 14, article III, is narrower than a blanket spay-neuter law: it binds the county's own animal services department and anyone acquiring a dog or cat from its shelter, not pet owners generally. A. 4-14-1 et seq. ' Section 14-102(a) then sets the mechanics: before releasing custody of a shelter dog or cat, the department must either (1) have the animal sterilized by a licensed veterinarian first, or (2) enter a written agreement guaranteeing sterilization by a licensed veterinarian within 30 days of acquisition for an adult animal, or within 30 days of sexual maturity for an immature one.

That duty does not reach a privately owned animal the shelter is merely holding if the true owner comes forward with proof of ownership. All sterilization costs fall on the person acquiring the animal, whether performed before pickup or under the 30-day agreement, and any adopter whose animal was not yet sterile at pickup must submit a signed veterinarian's statement confirming the procedure within seven days after it is done. The department must keep and hand out a current list of state-licensed veterinarians in the county willing to perform the surgery.

Section 14-103 makes noncompliance a misdemeanor, punishable under the Code's general penalty scale, and lets shelter officials issue citations directly rather than routing every case through animal control. Section 14-16(a) reinforces the same rule from the adoption side, barring any adopted animal from being used for breeding.