Stockton requires all dogs and cats over four months old to be spayed or neutered, with limited intact-permit exceptions, as part of efforts to reduce shelter intake at Stockton Animal Services.
Under SMC Title 6, dogs and cats four months and older must be sterilized unless the owner holds an intact-animal permit, qualifies as a registered breeder, or documents a medical exemption signed by a licensed veterinarian. Stockton Animal Services partners with low-cost clinics and SPCA outreach for free or reduced fixes for low-income residents. Unaltered animals impounded at the shelter are sterilized before release at owner expense, mirroring the broader San Joaquin County approach to overpopulation.
Owners of unaltered dogs or cats without a permit face fines starting around $100, escalating per offense, plus mandatory surgery before impounded animals are returned.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Stockton, CA
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Stockton, CA
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Stockton, CA
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Stockton, CA
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Stockton, CA
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Stockton, CA
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See how Stockton's mandatory spay/neuter rules stack up against other locations.
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