Animal commission recommends clarifying four‑dog limit, urges removal of several spay/neuter exemptions

The Sacramento Animal Well‑Being Commission on April 15 voted to forward recommendations to City Council to clarify a proposed amendment to Sacramento City Code section 9.44.370 that would allow up to four dogs per dwelling unit and to remove several exemptions from a spay/neuter requirement.

Ryan Hinderman, who briefed the commission, said the amendment originated with the commission and law and legislation committee and that the draft permits four dogs “if each of the dogs has been spayed or neutered, has a valid unaltered license, is certified in writing by a licensed veterinarian as not suitable for sterilizing, or is eligible for a fee exemption.” He told commissioners the redline and full language were available online.

Commissioner Bagley (a member of the working group) said she had expected that the ordinance required “each of the four dogs” to meet one of the listed criteria and asked for clearer wording. “I would like the language to say if all four of the dogs — or it might even say each of the four dogs,” she said, adding that she opposed the purebred show‑dog exemption.

Several commissioners pushed to eliminate or tighten exemptions that could allow unaltered animals into additional household slots. Commissioner Morris pressed for clarity about exemptions for guide, signal and service dogs; city staff and the commission’s attorney explained the exemptions reference other code sections governing unaltered licenses and fee waivers.

City Attorney staffer Mike Banner clarified the commission’s role: it could forward recommendations and comments to City Council, but the ordinance language going to council would be the redline already reviewed by the law and legislation committee. “No language is going to be modified tonight,” he said, explaining that the staff report will include the commission’s recommendations.

After debate over whether to change the wording from “if” to “each of the four dogs” and whether to strike exemptions for show dogs and certain working animals, the commission approved a motion to forward the ordinance to City Council with those recommendations. The motion passed by voice vote; the staff report to council will note the commission’s comments.

Several commissioners also raised whether cats should be included in the spay/neuter language for multi‑animal households. Commissioners urged further study of a broader cat spay/neuter approach, and some said a separate working group or future agenda item would be appropriate to address mandatory spay/neuter questions for cats.

What happens next: staff will include the commission’s recommendations in the report to City Council and the council may accept, modify or reject the proposed ordinance when they consider it. The commission requested that staff and the law and legislation committee note the proposed clarifications.