Charles County, MD Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)

6 of the Animal Regulations. Any animal violating the article or state law may be humanely impounded at the Tri-County Animal Shelter; stray animals cannot be adopted, rescued, placed, or destroyed until 72 hours have passed after notice to the owner (or after impoundment if the owner can't be found), except for seriously diseased, severely injured, or under-three-month-old animals. Subsection F requires that all impounded dogs and cats being reclaimed by their owners are microchipped before release at the owner's expense. Then, under subsection H, the adoption side of the rule kicks in: no unclaimed dog or cat leaves the shelter for adoption unless it has already been sterilized, or the adopter signs a written agreement guaranteeing sterilization within 30 days for an adult animal, or by a specific date written into the contract for puppies and kittens.

The shelter can also deny adoption applications under its own established policy, and separately may not place unhealthy, dangerous, wild, or otherwise unfit animals for adoption, or knowingly sell or give away an animal for experimentation or research. 6M.