Spay/Neuter
Gwinnett County, Georgia
Sec. 10-13. – Unlicensed breeders.
It is unlawful for any person who does not hold a license from the Georgia Department of Agriculture to:
(1) Breed, sell, offer to sell, exchange, or offer for adoption more than one litter of animals they have produced in any 12-month period; or
(2) Breed, sell, offer to sell, exchange, or offer for adoption more than 30 adult animals in any 12-month period.
(c) Any person adopting an animal from the county animal welfare facility shall pay an adoption fee in an amount stated in the county animal welfare schedule of fees. Charges may also include all or part of the costs of an examination and rabies inoculation and all or part of the costs associated with neutering or spaying dogs and cats.
(d) Any person adopting an intact animal shall cause to have the animal spayed or neutered (sterilized) within a period specified as follows: within 30 days from the date of adoption for animals over the age of six months or within the first six months of age for sexually immature animals. Any adopted animal not sterilized within the time specified may be reclaimed by the animal welfare division. If an animal becomes pregnant after the time specified for the animal to be spayed, the owner may receive a citation for violating this chapter.
Sec. 10-47. – Reclaim of impounded animals.
(a) Any animal, seized or impounded by an animal control officer, or any officer empowered to act by law shall be detained at the animal welfare facility or at a location approved by the animal welfare division. If an owner contacts the facility by phone, mail or electronic mail to notify that their animal has been detained at the shelter, the animal will become unavailable for adoption or rescue for a period often calendar days from the time of the owner’s first contact with the animal shelter. If the animal is not picked up from the facility and taken by the owner or the owner’s agent by the end of the ten-day period, the animal will be considered to be voluntarily relinquished to the shelter, and will be immediately available for disposition. If animal control officers learn of an owner, they will make notification in person by posting a notice on the owner’s door if the owner lives within the county or notification by mail to the owner of such animal, if an address is known or can be reasonably ascertained. The same ten-calendar-day hold period and pick up rules will apply from the date of the door posting or mailing. The owner of any animal impounded may not reclaim the animal until they pay an impoundment fee plus a boarding fee for each day the animal was impounded; the cost of rabies vaccination if the animal has not been vaccinated within the prescribed time period; and all or part of the costs for an examination and veterinary care. For dogs or cats only, these fees will also include a mandatory microchip to be inserted into the animal by qualified personnel at the animal welfare facility. If qualified personnel are not available, it will be the owner’s responsibility to have the animal microchipped and proof returned to the facility within 30 days that the microchip has been inserted. These fees, as applicable, shall also apply to biting animals held for rabies observation at the animal welfare facility. Absent exigent circumstances, in no event shall any animal be reclaimed unless fees are paid. Any unaltered animal that has been impounded two times within any 12-month period or a total of four times over any time period, shall be spayed or neutered at the owner’s expense prior to release from the shelter.
