Philadelphia, PA Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)

Section 10-109(1) prohibits an animal shelter from releasing a dog or cat to a person for adoption unless a licensed veterinarian has sterilized the animal, subject to exceptions: a veterinarian certifies sterilization would endanger the animal's life or well-being for a medical reason, or the animal goes into foster care, defined as temporary at-home care by a private person while a permanent adopter is sought. Under subsection (1)(c), any dog or cat not sterilized under the foster-care exception may be reclaimed by the shelter without refunding any fee or deposit.

Subsection (2) extends the mandate to sales: no animal retailer shall sell a dog or cat on a retail basis unless the animal is of an appropriate age for sterilization and has been sterilized by a licensed veterinarian. A retailer that sells an unsterilized animal faces a fine plus a discretionary Animal Control Agency order to cease operations for up to one year from the violation date. Subsection (3) exempts dogs obtained by a government entity for law enforcement or public safety, guide dogs for the blind or service dogs for people with disabilities, and recognized-breed dogs or cats obtained for competition under Agency-specified rules.

Subsection (4) layers on recordkeeping: every animal retailer must keep two years of records on sales, supplying breeders, sterilization procedures, vaccinations, and veterinary certificates, and must give each purchaser the breeder's name, address and state license number, a valid rabies certificate, vaccination and veterinary records, and a sterilization certificate at the time of sale, on top of the separate disclosures required by the state Dog Purchaser Protection Act. Section 10-115(1)(a) classifies a Section 10-109 violation as a Class III offense carrying a minimum $500 fine, well above the chapter's ordinary $150-$300 range, though Section 10-109 is also excluded from the repeat-violation enhancement in subsection 10-115(2).