Las Vegas, Nevada

7.04.120– Breeder.

“Breeder” means any person who, for pay or other compensation, causes the breeding of a male or female dog or cat or makes a dog or cat available for breeding purposes, where any of the activities related to breeding, sale or offer to sell occurs within the City. The term also includes any other person who regularly sells or offers for sale any dog or cat, to the extent not otherwise covered under this Title.

7.04.160– Commercial cattery.

“Commercial cattery” means any licensed establishment at which cats are bred, raised for sale, trained, rented, boarded, cared for, or quarantined, for profit, excluding dental, medical or surgical care. All commercial catteries shall be maintained within a completely enclosed building. This definition shall not apply to the premises of a private cat fancier and the animals raised thereon.

7.04.170– Commercial kennel.

“Commercial kennel” means any licensed establishment at which dogs are bred, raised for sale, trained, rented, boarded, cared for, or quarantined, for profit, excluding dental, medical or surgical care. This definition shall not apply to the premises of a private dog fancier and the animals raised thereon.

7.08.010– Licenses—Required—Time limits.

(A) Every person, except a professional animal handler permit holder, owning, keeping, harboring or possessing within the City, any dog, cat or ferret over the age of four months shall, within thirty days after the animal attains the age of four months or is first brought into the City, obtain for the animal a current and valid license issued by the City.

7.08.060– License fees—Designated.

Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.08.065, the following annual fees shall be paid for each license at the time of issuance of the license for each dog, cat or ferret:

Chapter 7.14– SPAYING/NEUTERING OF ANIMALS

7.14.010– Prohibition.

Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.14.020, it is unlawful for any person to harbor within the City any dog, cat, ferret, rabbit or potbellied pig over the age of four months that has not been spayed or neutered. For purposes of this Section, the term “harbor” means to have legal ownership of, or to provide, on a regular basis, care, shelter, protection, refuge, nourishment, or medical treatment.

7.14.020– Exemptions.

Section 7.14.010 does not apply to the harboring of an animal:

(A) That is incapable of breeding, as determined in accordance with Section 7.14.030;

(B) That is medically unsuited to undergo a spay or neuter procedure, as determined in accordance with Section 7.14.030;

(C) That has received appropriate training (and certification by a recognized agency, if such certification is available), and is being used:

(1) By a law enforcement agency for law enforcement activities; or

(2) By a search and rescue agency for search and rescue activities;

(D) By a pound, shelter, humane society or similar organization, whether public or private, the principal purpose of which is securing the adoption of animals, provided that such organization has a policy and rules requiring the spaying or neutering of all dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits or potbellied pigs placed for adoption by such organization; or

(E) By a person holding a valid dog fancier’s permit, cat fancier’s permit, breeder’s permit, or professional animal handler’s permit issued pursuant to this Title. The exemption provided by this Subsection (E) does not apply to a potbellied pig subject to the requirements of LVMC 7.38.041.

7.14.030– Qualification for exemption.

For purposes of the exemptions set forth in Section 7.14.020, an animal qualifies as:

(A) Incapable of breeding if a licensed veterinarian has so certified, in writing and under oath;

(B) Medically unsuited to undergo a spay or neuter procedure if a licensed veterinarian has certified, in writing and under oath, that a spay or neuter procedure would likely cause the animal’s death or substantially aggravate a physical condition of the animal. The certification shall indicate the medical basis therefor and whether the unsuitability is permanent or temporary. If temporary, the certificate shall indicate the period of time anticipated that the unsuitability will last. For an exemption to apply beyond that period, a new certificate must be obtained.

7.14.040– Offspring of unspayed/unneutered animals.

The offspring of animals that have not been spayed or neutered as required by this Chapter are subject to forfeiture, following which they may be given to the care of a local shelter for adoption.

7.14.070– Penalty.

(A) Any person who violates Section 7.14.010 is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished as follows:

(1) For the first offense, by a fine of two hundred twenty-five dollars.

(2) For a second offense, by a fine of five hundred dollars.

(3) For a third and subsequent offense, by a fine of one thousand dollars.

(B) The penalty set forth in Subsection (A) shall be reduced by eighty percent if proof of sterilization of the animal is produced within thirty days after issuance of the citation.

7.20.020– Copulating season—Confinement required—Impoundment.

It is unlawful for the owner of any unspayed female dog or cat to suffer, permit, or allow their dog or cat to run at large while the dog or cat is in its copulating season, and the owner of such female dog or cat shall keep the same secured upon the owner’s premises in an adequately enclosed area or in a boarding kennel so that other dogs or cats shall not have access thereto. Every female dog or cat which is not kept in conformance with this Section shall be immediately seized and impounded in the Animal Protection Services Center and held subject to the provisions of this Chapter.

7.20.030– Copulating season—Charges—Release to owner.

(A) The fee for impounding such dog or cat as provided in Section 7.20.020 shall be fifty dollars, plus ten dollars per day or any part thereof, twenty-five dollars of which can, at the option of the owner, be applied toward the spaying of the dog or cat at a veterinarian of the owner’s choice if the spaying is performed within ninety days. The Animal Regulation Officer shall forward the twenty-five dollars to the veterinarian upon the latter’s proof of the spaying of the dog or cat.

(B) If a dog or cat running at large in copulating season is captured by the Animal Regulation Officer for the second time within a five-year period of the first capture in copulating season, then a fine of one hundred dollars plus ten dollars per day for any time over twenty-four hours shall be levied by the City.

(C) All subsequent captures in copulating season within a five-year period of the first capture shall cause a fine of one hundred fifty dollars plus ten dollars per day for any time over twenty-four hours to be levied by the City.

7.20.090– Release—Conditions.

No dog or cat impounded under the provisions of this Chapter shall be released to any person except upon performance of the following conditions:

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(E) The dog or cat has been spayed or neutered in accordance with Chapter 7.14, if so required by that Chapter;

7.20.100– Adoption—Sterilization—Microchipping.

(A) In order for a person to adopt a dog or cat older than four months from the Animal Protection Services Center, the dog or cat must first be sterilized.

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(C) The person adopting an animal pursuant to this Section must first pay an adoption fee, plus the costs of sterilization, rabies vaccination and microchipping.

7.28.010– Establishment—Purpose.

The City Council is hereby authorized and empowered to establish or designate a clinic to perform low-cost spays, neuters and health inoculations on, and administer birth-control drugs or devices to, animals belonging to the general public. The clinic is authorized to charge reasonable fees for those services in amounts established:

(A) By the Animal Regulation Officer, if the clinic is operated by the City; or

(B) Otherwise, in accordance with an agreement between the City and the operator of the clinic.