Animals adopted through Charleston Animal Society and impounded by the city must be spayed or neutered before release, supporting Charleston's no-kill goal and reducing strays in the tri-county area.
Charleston contracts animal services to Charleston Animal Society, the oldest humane organization in the South. Under their adoption protocol, every dog and cat leaving the shelter is sterilized, microchipped, and vaccinated for rabies before being released to the new owner. Animals impounded by the city for running at large are similarly altered before reclamation when not previously fixed. Charleston does not impose a blanket city-wide mandatory spay/neuter ordinance on all owned pets, but differential licensing fees and adoption rules effectively encourage sterilization across Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties.
Returning an unaltered shelter adoption contract violation can lead to reclamation of the animal and fines; failure to vaccinate against rabies is separately enforceable under SC §47-5.
Charleston, SC
Charleston encourages but does not require microchipping for owned pets; chips are mandatory for animals adopted from Charleston Animal Society and aid recov...
Charleston, SC
Charleston requires dogs to be on a leash no longer than 6 feet when in public areas. Off-leash dogs are prohibited except in designated dog parks.
Charleston, SC
Charleston does not have breed-specific legislation. No dog breeds are banned. However, dogs classified as dangerous based on behavior face additional restri...
See how Charleston's mandatory spay/neuter rules stack up against other locations.
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