Gretna, LA Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)
Key Facts
- General spay/neuter mandate
- None in Gretna's code
- Governing section
- § 8-53(i)(2)
- Trigger
- 3rd+ verified nuisance complaint in 12 months
- Ordered by
- Mayor's Court administrative hearing officer
- Paired remedy
- Microchipping, animal-count limits, contempt
- Noncompliance
- Contempt under § 8-53(i)(4)
Summary
Gretna's code sets no blanket spay-or-neuter mandate for pet owners. The only reference is discretionary: under Code section 8-53(i)(2), a Mayor's Court hearing officer may order an animal neutered or spayed only after a third or subsequent verified nuisance complaint against it within twelve months, as one remedy among several.
(f)Any person issued a citation for a nuisance shall be fined as follows: $100.00 for a first offense, $200.00 for a second offense and for a third or subsequent offense within a 12 month period, a fine of $500.00. ... (i)In cases where a violation notice has been issued upon a third or subsequent verified nuisance complaint and a public nuisance is found to exist, the administrative hearing officer may order: ... (2)Neutering/spaying of the animal;
Full Breakdown
The neutering and spaying option sits in the same escalation ladder as Gretna's microchipping remedy. 00 fine if the nuisance is upheld. Only once a public nuisance is found at that hearing can the officer order neutering or spaying under subsection (i)(2), alongside or instead of reducing the number of animals kept, imposing other keeping restrictions, ordering microchipping, or holding the owner in contempt for noncompliance. The animal can be impounded pending the hearing, with the owner paying the Gretna Animal Shelter's impoundment fees. Nothing in Chapter 8 requires spaying or neutering of a pet that has never been the subject of a verified nuisance complaint; this is a case-by-case remedy adopted by Ordinance No.
4984 on July 12, 2023, applying only to animals already found to be a repeat public nuisance, not a general mandate reaching every pet owner in the city.
Violations & Fines
A spay-or-neuter order is not itself a fine; it can only follow a third or subsequent verified nuisance complaint within twelve months and a hearing at which the nuisance is upheld. Failure to comply with the order can be enforced as contempt under Section 8-53(i)(4), and the owner pays the hearing's cost if found in violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the City of Gretna require pet owners to spay or neuter their pets?
When could Gretna order my pet spayed or neutered?
What happens if I don't comply with a spay/neuter order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gretna
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