Multnomah County, OR Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)
Key Facts
- Sterilization order
- Director/hearings officer sets the deadline
- Authority
- § 13.999(D)(5), animal infraction condition
- Dangerous-dog proof
- § 13.405(A)(3)(b) before declassification
- Class A fine range
- $200-$500, repeat within 12 months
- Late fine penalty
- +25% after 30 days, +50% after 60
- Voluntary program funding
- Pet license revenue, § 13.004
Summary
Multnomah County does not require every pet to be spayed or neutered, but Multnomah County Code § 13.999(D)(5) lets the Animal Services director or hearings officer order an owner to surgically sterilize their animal as a condition after a proven animal-law infraction, on a deadline the county itself sets.
(D) Additional conditions and restrictions. In addition to the monetary civil penalties imposed for infractions of this chapter, and the regulations applicable under § 13.404, the director and the hearings officer shall have authority to order additional restrictions and conditions upon the party in violation, including but not limited to the following: (1) Require the owner or keeper and animal to satisfactorily complete an obedience program approved by the director or hearings officer at owner's or keeper's expense; (2) Require the owner or keeper to attend a responsible pet ownership program adopted or approved by the director or hearings officer, at the owner's or keeper's expense; ... (5) Require the owner or keeper to have the animal surgically sterilized within a time period determined by the director or hearings officer; and (6) Any other condition(s) that would reasonably abate the infraction.
Full Breakdown
" The mandate exists as an enforcement tool instead. 999(D) lets the director or hearings officer stack additional conditions on top of the civil fine, and subsection (D)(5) authorizes an order to require the owner or keeper to have the animal surgically sterilized within a time period the director or hearings officer sets. The same section lets the director require obedience training, a responsible pet ownership class, confinement to the home during set hours, or suspend the person's right to own any animal in the county.
405(A)(3)(b), before the county will lift the restrictions on a Level 1 or Level 2 potentially dangerous dog, the director may demand written proof the dog has been spayed or neutered. 999(B), with late payments increased 25% after 30 days and 50% after 60. 508.
Violations & Fines
Ignoring a sterilization order compounds the underlying animal-law violation: Animal Services can add further restrictions, suspend the owner's right to keep any animal in the county under § 13.999(D)(4), and civil fines for repeat infractions reach $500, with a 25% penalty added for payment more than 30 days late and 50% after 60 days under § 13.999(E).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Multnomah County require all pets to be spayed or neutered?
When can Multnomah County force an owner to sterilize their dog?
Does a potentially dangerous dog have to be neutered to lose its restrictions?
Can an owner appeal a county sterilization order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Multnomah County
Compare Multnomah County to another location·View the Oregon animal ordinances overview
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