Bonita Springs, FL Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)

Section 8-8 of the Bonita Springs Code, titled Sterilization of dogs and cats released from animal shelter facility, is the city's only sterilization mandate, and it attaches to animals moving through the shelter system. Subsection (a) bars releasing any unclaimed dog or cat for adoption unless it is sterilized before entering the new home, and authorizes animal control officers to issue citations for failure to sterilize any cat or dog adopted from the animal shelter. Chapter 8 prints no sterilization requirement for an owned pet that never passes through the shelter.

Subsection (b) allows sterilization to be deferred only on the recommendation of a licensed veterinarian. Subsection (c) requires anyone who adopts an unaltered animal to leave a spay/neuter deposit, fully refunded upon proof that the sterilization has been accomplished. Subsection (d) covers owners: an unsterilized animal impounded for a second or subsequent redemption and reclaimed by its owner must be sterilized at the owner's expense before domestic animal services releases it, with the same veterinarian-only deferral.

The redemption rules in Section 8-25 explain when subsection (d) applies. An impounded cat, dog or ferret not redeemed after three consecutive days becomes property of domestic animal services, and a stray with a valid county license or microchip is held five consecutive days. A person reclaiming an animal pays the impoundment, boarding and license fees, an owner whose animal has been impounded more than once is charged increasing fees, and every dog, cat and ferret must be microchipped, registered to the owner, before release.

Enforcement sits with domestic animal services under Section 8-3, whose animal control officers are appointed code enforcement officers under F.S. § 162.21(2) with authority to issue citations. The chapter text refers to the county because it carries forward County Ord. No. 98-10 through city Ord. No. 00-07 of 7-5-2000, amended by Ord. No. 09-20 on 3-24-2009. Community cat caregivers who want the exemption in Section 8-9(d) must regularly and frequently trap community cats over the age of 12 weeks for sterilization.