Decatur, AL Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)

The Code of Decatur, Alabama, ties sterilization to the city animal shelter. Sec. 4-40(c) requires that all dogs and cats adopted through the shelter be surgically altered to prevent reproduction before the animal can go home with its adopter. The spay or neuter fee is collected on the fee schedule set by the director or shelter manager, in addition to the adoption fee and any rabies vaccination fee. Decatur Animal Services personnel transport the animals to and from a local veterinarian for sterilization and rabies vaccination, so the adopter does not arrange the surgery.

The adoption process around it is strict. Under Sec. 4-40(a) and (b), a city adoption agreement must be completed and signed, the director or a representative can deny the request if the applicant cannot provide a suitable home, and refusing the agreement's terms disqualifies the adopter. Under Sec. 4-40(d), an animal not currently vaccinated needs a rabies vaccination, and the adopter must present the animal and the shelter receipt to a veterinarian within 45 days or the receipt becomes null and void.

Rescue groups follow a different track under Sec. 4-40(e). The director or shelter manager can waive the adoption fee for a legitimate 501(c)(3) rescue organization with veterinarian references. If the animal has not been altered, a sterilization fee is charged before release, along with a rabies vaccination fee, and an animal must stay on the adoption floor thirty days before a rescue can take it.

The second sterilization rule sits in Sec. 4-1(c). An owner redeeming an impounded dog, puppy, kitten, or cat without verification that it has been spayed or neutered pays a $25 unaltered animal redemption fee. The owner has 45 days to provide proof of the surgery, and the $25 is then paid to the veterinarian who performed it. If the owner declines, the city keeps the fee. The Code text on this subject reaches shelter adoptions and redemptions only.