Will my dog be neutered?

Question

Animal control picked up my dog that got out today due to strong winds blowing open the gate. Are they going to neuter him without my permission?

California, USA

Answer

A few municipalities require shelters to sterilize dogs and cats who have been impounded prior to returning them to their “parents.” The local laws I have seen in California that provide for spay/neuter prior to return of impounded animals to their "parents" are typically not applicable for the first impoundment. Local laws should be reviewed. Also, these laws should not be confused with spay/neuter laws for dogs and cats being adopted. These laws generally require spay/neuter prior to release from shelters and rescues unless the dog or cat is too sick to undergo the procedure at the time of adoption.

Also important to note is that if a dog or cat is not retrieved within the legal hold time, the shelter typically has the right to have the animal sterilized before returning the animal to his/her "parent" regardless of whether the animal had previously been impounded. The number of days a shelter must hold an animal to give the animal's "parent" an opportunity to reclaim the animal varies throughout the country and sometimes even among municipalities within the same state.

Worth noting as well is that many municipalities in California (and elsewhere) have enacted ordinances that require dogs and cats over the age of four or six months to be spayed or neutered unless the animal’s “parent” has an unaltered animal or breeding permit, or a veterinarian certifies that the procedure would jeopardize the animal’s health.

Spaying and neutering help to control the serious overpopulation of dogs, cats, and other animals and can provide health benefits. Also consider that unspayed/unneutered dogs and cats who are roaming outside (even if they got out accidentally) contribute greatly to the overpopulation problem.