Dearborn County, IN Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)

Section 90.21 of the Dearborn County Code has two divisions with different force. Division (A) is advisory. In an effort to decrease the overpopulation of homeless, unwanted dogs and cats, it is strongly advised that each dog and cat over the age of six months kept in Dearborn County be sterilized by a licensed veterinarian. The exception is an animal for which a veterinarian has certified in writing that surgery is not in the animal's best medical interest, and even that animal should be sterilized no later than nine months of age. The wording is advice, not a command, so an owner of a pet that did not come from an adoption is not required by this division to sterilize it.

Division (B) is the mandate. Any animal adopted from any source, with the exception of breeding stock, must be spayed or neutered by a veterinarian. If the animal is an adult, the operation must be performed within one month of adoption. All adopted juvenile dogs and cats must be spayed or neutered by the age of six months unless otherwise advised by a veterinarian. The phrase any source covers shelter adoptions, rescue groups and private adoptions alike.

The county also builds a price incentive into licensing. Under § 90.36(A), the license fee is $6 for each neutered male dog or spayed female dog and $11 for each un-neutered male dog or unspayed female dog. Community cats under § 90.20 must be sterilized as a condition of that status, and the caregiver is responsible for arranging it.

Enforcement runs through Dearborn County Animal Control and the written-notice procedure in § 90.99(A). Section 90.21 does not appear in the lists of sections in § 90.99(B) and (C) that carry a stated infraction class and dollar amount, so no fixed fine is printed for it.