Conway, AR Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)

Conway does not require every pet owner to spay or neuter an animal already in their home. The mandate in Section 6.04.06.G attaches only when an animal is adopted out of the Animal Welfare Unit's custody after being impounded and unclaimed for five business days under Section 6.04.06.C. Adoption fees are fifty dollars for an already-altered dog or cat and twenty-five dollars for an unaltered one, with the spay or neuter fee itself paid directly to whichever veterinarian performs the surgery. The adopter signs an agreement to have the animal altered within the thirty-day window, and that agreement is binding.

If a licensed Arkansas veterinarian determines surgery would be unsafe because the animal is medically compromised, the Unit may grant a single additional thirty-day extension. Missing the deadline without an approved extension is itself a violation of Section 6.04.06.G: the animal must be returned to the Animal Welfare Unit, title automatically reverts to the city, and the former owner cannot recover the adoption fee or any money spent feeding, housing, or caring for the animal in the meantime. Half of every adoption fee on an altered animal, twenty-five dollars, is deposited into the city's Animal Welfare Spay and Neuter account under Section 6.04.06.H, funding the separate voucher program in Chapter 6.16 for Conway and Faulkner County residents who want to sterilize a pet they already own.