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Salem, OR Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)

Heavy Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Applies to
miniature swine only, not dogs/cats
Max per residence
1 miniature swine
Weight/height definition
under 100 lb, under 18 in. at shoulder
Mandate
must be spayed or neutered, SRC 50.715(c)(2)
First violation fine
$250.00
Repeat-violation penalty
10-year keeping ban after 3rd violation

Summary

Salem has no general spay/neuter mandate for dogs or cats, but SRC 50.715 requires any miniature swine kept as a residential pet to be spayed or neutered, caps ownership at one animal per residence, and defines 'miniature swine' as a pig under 100 pounds and 18 inches at the shoulder at maturity.

Miniature swine means a miniature pig that at maturity is less than 100 pounds in weight and less than 18 inches in height at the shoulder. ... (c)Standards. Except where the keeping of livestock and other animals is allowed under the UDC, miniature swine kept at a residence shall be subject to the following conditions:(1)Not more than one miniature swine may be kept per residence; and(2)The miniature swine must be spayed or neutered.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26 Update 1).

Full Breakdown

715 defines a 'miniature swine' as a miniature pig that, at maturity, weighs less than 100 pounds and stands less than 18 inches tall at the shoulder, distinguishing it from ordinary livestock hogs. 120(d). Where the general residential rule applies, a household may keep no more than one miniature swine, and subsection (c)(2) flatly requires that the miniature swine must be spayed or neutered, with no age exception or alternative compliance path stated in the section. 810. This spay/neuter mandate is specific to miniature swine: a targeted search of Salem's property maintenance chapter turns up no comparable spay/neuter requirement for dogs or cats kept as ordinary household pets.

Violations & Fines

Keeping a noncompliant miniature swine, unaltered or beyond the one-per-residence cap, is an infraction under SRC 50.715(e): $250.00 for a first violation, $500.00 for a second, and $750.00 for a third or later violation, which also bars the owner from keeping miniature swine in Salem for ten years. The animal is also a declared public nuisance the City can abate under SRC 50.800 through 50.880 after notice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Salem require pet dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered?
No. Salem's property maintenance code has no general spay/neuter mandate for dogs or cats; the only local spay/neuter requirement in SRC chapter 50 applies specifically to miniature swine kept as residential pets under SRC 50.715.
Can I keep an unaltered miniature pig in Salem?
No. SRC 50.715(c)(2) states that the miniature swine must be spayed or neutered, and a household is limited to one miniature swine regardless of whether it is altered.
What counts as a 'miniature swine' under Salem's code?
SRC 50.715(a) defines it as a miniature pig that, at full maturity, weighs less than 100 pounds and stands less than 18 inches tall at the shoulder; larger pigs fall outside this section and are treated as ordinary livestock.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Salem

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All Salem rules

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