West Virginia § 19-20B-2 Requirement for adoption

West Virginia Statutes

§ 19-20B-2 — Requirement for adoption

West Virginia § 19-20B-2

Ch. 19AGRICULTURE

Art. 20BSPAYING OR NEUTERING OF DOGS AND CATS

This text of West Virginia § 19-20B-2 (Requirement for adoption) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

W. Va. Code § 19-20B-2 (2026).

Text

(a)No person may adopt a dog or cat from an agency, including, but not limited to, an animal shelter, animal control agency or humane shelter operated by a municipality, county, or other governmental agency within the state, or a private organization operating a shelter from which animals are adopted or reclaimed, unless:

(1)The dog or cat has already been spayed or neutered;

(2)The dog or cat has been spayed or neutered by a licensed veterinarian while in the custody of the agency; or

(3)The new owner signs a written agreement with the agency stating that the new owner will have the dog or cat spayed or neutered by a licensed veterinarian:

(A)Within thirty days of the date of the adoption, if the dog or cat is sexually mature; or

(B)Within thirty days after the dog or cat reach

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(a) No person may adopt a dog or cat from an agency, including, but not limited to, an animal shelter, animal control agency or humane shelter operated by a municipality, county, or other governmental agency within the state, or a private organization operating a shelter from which animals are adopted or reclaimed, unless:

(1) The dog or cat has already been spayed or neutered;

(2) The dog or cat has been spayed or neutered by a licensed veterinarian while in the custody of the agency; or

(3) The new owner signs a written agreement with the agency stating that the new owner will have the dog or cat spayed or neutered by a licensed veterinarian:

(A) Within thirty days of the date of the adoption, if the dog or cat is sexually mature; or

(B) Within thirty days after the dog or cat reaches six months of age, if the dog or cat is not sexually mature at the time of the adoption.

(b) Any agency as set forth in subsection (a) of this section which has written policy of not permitting the adopted dog or cat from being released from the custody of the agency to the new owner until the dog or cat has been spayed or neutered, does not have to comply with the provisions of subdivision (3), subsection (a) of this section.

(c) Nothing in this section precludes the spaying or neutering of a sexually immature dog or cat at the discretion of a licensed veterinarian with the consent of the new owner.