Bothell, WA Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)

Section 6.08.025 of the Bothell Municipal Code sets the City of Bothell's spay and neuter rule. A cat or dog over the age of six months must be spayed or neutered, unless the owner holds an unaltered animal license for that animal under BMC 6.08.030. Guide dog puppies in training and police service dogs are exempt. Any dog or cat over six months old adopted from an animal shelter must be spayed or neutered before it is transferred to the new owner.

The unaltered license is the route for owners who keep intact animals. Pet licenses for unaltered dogs and cats are valid for one year from issuance, expiring on the last day of the twelfth month, with no proration of fees, and renewals keep the original expiration period (6.08.030(A)). Fee amounts are set by city council resolution. Juvenile licenses are available from four weeks to six months of age. Altered animals are favored: residents 65 and older can buy a special permanent license for neutered or spayed cats and dogs they own, up to three permanent licenses per person (6.08.030(C)).

The wider licensing rule requires every dog and cat eight weeks and over that is harbored, kept or maintained in the city to be licensed and registered annually (6.08.010). The chapter does not apply to police work dogs, to animals in the custody of a veterinarian, animal shelter or animal rescuer, or to animals of nonresidents temporarily in the city for no more than 30 days (6.08.020). An animal rescuer is someone who routinely obtains unwanted dogs or cats and places them within 90 days in an adoptive home as a spayed or neutered animal (6.04.020).

Section 6.08.026 separately makes it a violation to sell or give away unaltered dogs and cats in any public place, or to auction off or raffle unaltered dogs and cats as prizes or gifts. A late license penalty applies to applications received more than 30 days after the due date, with exceptions for new owners and new residents (6.08.040).