Erie, PA Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)

14, enacted by Ordinance 50-1991, requires every dog or cat adopted or placed from a government or nonprofit organization, including the City's own shelters, to be spayed or neutered on a fixed schedule. If the animal is under six months old when placed, it must be fixed by six months of age or when a veterinarian deems it appropriate. If the animal is six months or older when placed, the surgery must happen within 30 days of the placement date. The owner must then present the nonprofit placement organization with proof of the procedure, either a veterinarian's certificate or a signed affidavit from the owner, within that same window.

99 makes clear its penalty provisions apply to violators here as well: a fine of $100 to $300 or up to 90 days in jail, or both, though the code lets a first offender avoid the fine entirely by producing proof within 15 days that the animal is now spayed or neutered, licensed, and vaccinated. The requirement applies only to animals placed through a government or nonprofit adoption channel: the code does not impose a blanket spay/neuter mandate on pets acquired by other means, such as a private sale, a gift between individuals, or a litter born to an owner's existing pet.