Asheville, North Carolina

• Owners of fertile animals are required to pay a $100 permit fee and calls for a $200 fine if owners don’t have an animal spayed or neutered within 30 days of receiving a citation.
• It is illegal to have a fertile animal older than 6 months without purchasing a permit.
• Animal adoption in public places is prohibited unless the group conducting the adoption has a nonprofit status and unless the animals are spayed or neutered.

Sec. 3-5 (b) Spaying and neutering requirements. Any person owning, keeping, harboring, or having custody of any dog or cat 6 months of age or older is required to spay or neuter said animal unless said person holds an unaltered animal permit issued by the license-collecting agent of the City, or any successor agency authorized by law to issue said permit, except:

(1) Persons who own, keep, harbor, or have custody of registered service dogs or working police dogs;
(2) Individuals who are non-residents of the City and reside temporarily therein for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days within a 12-month period;
(3) Animal shelters and veterinary hospitals; and
(4) Persons who own, keep, harbor or have custody of a dog or cat and who are in possession of a certification signed by a licensed veterinarian stating that the animal is unfit to be spayed or neutered because the procedure would endanger the life of the animal.

Sec. 3-5 (c) Obtaining an unaltered permit. Applicants must apply for unaltered permits with the license-collecting agent of the City. The lifetime fee for an unaltered animal permit shall be $100.00.

Changes to the Animal Control Ordinance Prior to May 17, 2005:

City Council will have to decide between adopting a differential licensing or fertile animal permit scheme:

A. Differential licensing fees for fertile and unfertile dogs, Sec. 3-5 Annual Registration for Dogs

1. Annual registration for spayed/neutered dogs will be less than that for fertile dogs.
2. Owner must provide proof of sterilization when initially registering a dog.
3. The Fees and Charges Committee will set the annual fertile and unfertile license fees.

B. The Fertile Animal Permit

1. The owner of a fertile animal will have to pay the City a one-time $100.00 permit fee to keep a fertile animal within the City.
2. The City will only enforce this section if the Animal Control Officer is investigating another violation of the ordinance.
3. If the owner if found to have a fertile animal without a permit, the fine is $200.00
4. If the owner gets the animal spayed or neutered within 30 days of the issuance of the fine, the City will waive the fine.