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

Section 94.37(B)(1) requires that any animal adopted from the local animal control agency or local humane society be spayed or neutered by a licensed veterinarian within 30 days from the date of adoption if the animal is over six months of age or older. If the animal is under six months of age upon adoption, it must be spayed or neutered by a licensed veterinarian upon reaching the age of six months. The only exception is if a licensed veterinarian certifies the animal is physically unable to undergo the procedure within those time limits.

The mandate is contractual as well as regulatory: the person adopting the animal must sign a written agreement with the adopting facility guaranteeing the animal will be spayed or neutered within the time period the section sets. The county backs the requirement with money at the point of adoption. Under § 94.37(B), a dog adoption costs $70 plus a $30 spay/neuter deposit ($100 total), and a cat adoption costs $45 plus the same $30 deposit ($75 total). Smaller animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, and birds carry a flat $20 adoption fee, and larger animals such as horses, ponies, goats, and sheep carry a $100 fee, though the spay/neuter mandate by its terms applies to the animal adopted, not solely dogs and cats.

Section 94.37(B)(4) also bars redeeming any dog or cat for sale or for use by an individual laboratory engaging in testing, research, or experimentation involving animals, reinforcing that adoption is meant to place the animal in a permanent, altered home rather than a resale or research pipeline.