Cleveland, OH Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)

031 ties mandatory sterilization to the act of adopting from the City Kennel rather than to pet ownership generally. Under (a), any dog or cat over six months of age must be spayed or neutered at the Spay and Neuter Clinic before the adopter can take it home; the cost of the operation is on top of whatever adoption fee the Chief Animal Control Officer charges and is paid by the adopter, not the City. For animals adopted younger than six months, (b) lets the adopter sign an agreement committing to have the animal spayed or neutered, either at the Spay and Neuter Clinic or an outside animal hospital, within seven days of a date specified in the agreement, timed to when the animal turns between six and nine months old.

00 holding fee charged at adoption: it either goes toward the cost of the in-house procedure when the animal is brought back, or is refunded once the adopter provides proof the outside vet performed the surgery. 00 fee is forfeited outright, there's no grace period written into the section. 031(c) lets the Director of Public Safety waive any fee under this section for an adopter shown to be indigent under federal poverty guidelines, but only once per person and only when the adopted animal is the sole animal in that household. 03.