Lee's Summit, MO Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)

Lee's Summit's mandatory spay/neuter program, enacted by Ordinance No. 6497 in 2007, applies to every dog over six months of age kept within city limits. Under Sec. 5-141, an owner or custodial keeper of an unaltered dog must either have it surgically sterilized or obtain an annual unaltered dog license through Sec. 5-142. The license is granted only to specific categories: competition dogs, law-enforcement dogs, qualified assistance dogs, dogs a veterinarian certifies cannot safely be altered due to age or infirmity, and dogs kept for breeding by a permit holder under Sec.

5-89 or an individual breeder under Sec. 5-88. A veterinarian's letter for a medically unfit dog must state the date by which the dog can safely be altered; if that date is more than thirty days out, the owner still must apply for the license in the meantime. The Codes Administration Department can deny or revoke an unaltered dog license under Sec. 5-143 if the owner has a prior conviction for an animal-care violation, the dog is declared dangerous, a female has produced more than one litter a year or five litters in her lifetime, or the application contains a misrepresentation.

A denied or revoked license carries a written notice, and the owner has ten days under Sec. 5-144 to request a hearing before the Chief of Police or a designee, whose decision is final. When an unaltered dog is impounded, Sec. 5-147 lets the owner reclaim it only after having it spayed or neutered at the owner's expense, or by demonstrating compliance with Sec. 5-141, plus paying daily board costs.