San Antonio is one of the strongest mandatory spay-neuter cities in Texas. SAMC Section 5-26 requires all dogs and cats over six months to be sterilized unless owners hold an Intact Animal Permit. ACS enforces with citations and impoundment of unaltered animals.
San Antonio Municipal Code Section 5-26 imposes a citywide mandate that all dogs and cats six months or older be sterilized. Owners who wish to keep an intact animal must apply for an annual Intact Animal Permit from Animal Care Services, satisfy housing and identification standards, and pay a higher fee. Show animals, working dogs, breed-registered dogs used for legitimate breeding, and animals with veterinary medical exemptions can qualify, but the bar is strict and ACS audits permit holders. Adopted shelter animals are altered before release. Repeat violators face escalating penalties and may be ordered to surrender or sterilize the animal under court order.
Owning an intact dog or cat over six months without a permit is a Class C misdemeanor under SAMC 5-26, with fines up to 500 dollars per violation. ACS may also impound unaltered animals and revoke permits.
San Antonio, TX
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San Antonio, TX
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See how San Antonio's mandatory spay/neuter rules stack up against other locations.
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