Peoria, AZ Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)

Chapter 16's pound provisions run from Sec. 16-31(a) through (f). A stray dog must be impounded, and any impounded dog or cat is held at the pound for a minimum of 72 hours before the owner can reclaim it, under Sec. 16-31(a)-(b). If nobody reclaims the animal and it is instead sold to a new owner, Sec. 16-31(c) requires one of two things first: the dog or cat must already be surgically spayed or neutered, or the buyer must sign an agreement with the pound to have it done within thirty days after purchase or before the dog or cat is sexually mature, backed by a deposit the pound sets to assure sterilization.

The deposit is refunded once the buyer produces a veterinarian's statement confirming the surgery was done. S. Sec. 11-1022(C), the state statute governing pound sterilization funds. There is a narrow carve-out in Sec. 16-31(e): if the dog or cat is transferred for medical research instead of adopted, no license, vaccination, or sterilization condition applies. Section 16-31(e) also lets the enforcement agent destroy an impounded dog or cat that is sick or injured, or is needed to prevent disease spread, without waiting out the sterilization or reclaim process.