Moreno Valley, CA Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)

100(A) bars owning, keeping or harboring an unaltered dog or cat unless the owner produces a veterinarian's certificate of sterility or, for dogs only, obtains an unaltered dog license. Subsection B lists six exemptions: a dog or cat whose veterinarian confirms a "high likelihood of suffering serious bodily harm or death" if altered due to age or infirmity; animals registered with the AKC, UKC or another national registry; law enforcement or military working dogs; and qualified service dogs under Food and Agricultural Code Section 30850.

An unaltered dog license can be denied or revoked under subsection C for noncompliance, three or more verified complaints of the dog running at large or being neglected, a prior citation under animal-care law, or a court finding the dog potentially dangerous or vicious; a denied applicant gets half the fee refunded, while a revoked owner forfeits the whole fee and must wait 30 days to reapply. When an unaltered dog or cat is impounded, subsection H gives the owner four ways to satisfy the requirement before release: proof of prior sterilization, a city-contracted veterinarian at the owner's expense, an outside veterinarian after paying a spay/neuter deposit, or a signed statement under penalty of perjury promising the procedure within 10 days. Subsection M requires every adopted, unaltered dog or cat to be spayed or neutered within 60 days or forfeit the deposit.