Watsonville, CA Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)

Section 6-1.1001 of the Watsonville Municipal Code says no person shall own, harbor or keep within the limits of the City of Watsonville a dog or cat over the age of six months that has not been spayed or neutered, unless the person holds an unaltered animal certification issued under the next section. The text cites that section as 6.1-1002, which is how the code prints it. Subsection (b) closes the feeder loophole: any person intentionally providing care or sustenance for a dog or cat is deemed the owner and must comply.

The exemptions in subsection (c) cover trained law enforcement dogs, service dogs such as guide, hearing, assistance, seizure alert and social or therapy dogs, search and rescue dogs, herding and livestock guardian dogs, dogs designated as breeding stock by an agency or organization the director of animal control services approves, dogs or cats certified by a licensed veterinarian as having a health reason for not being spayed or neutered, and dogs or cats boarded in a licensed kennel or a business that boards them for professional training or resale.

Section 6-1.1002 sets the certification path for owners who keep an animal unaltered. The Director of Animal Control Services runs the program, an annual one for dogs over six months, and requires an annual veterinary examination, no more than two violations of Chapter 1 of Title 6 in the preceding twenty-four months, proper housing and care, and a signed statement. By that statement a female has no more than one litter per year unless a veterinarian recommends up to two, offspring are not sold or adopted until at least seven weeks old, and records show how many offspring were produced and who took them. Advertisements must display the certification number. A citation can be dismissed if the animal is spayed or neutered within thirty days of the citation. A denial or revocation can be appealed to the City Manager within ten calendar days, and that decision is final.