Do animals have to legally be neutered before taken from a shelter?

It depends on where you live. If you adopted the animal from a city shelter then usually they let you take the Dog home and you have a certain time limit to get the Dog spayed they should have explained it to you and given you paperwork about it. You need to call the place you adopted the Dog from and ask them.

Jessica H. is right as are others. It just depends where you live.

"It depends on the contract with your shelter and/or your local state laws and ordinances. But typically no, it is not illegal."

I volunteered at a shelter that adopted out unneutered/unspayed dogs all of the time. My complaints fell on deaf ears until they were able to secure a "shady" contract with a local vet. Even then, some dogs and cats left the shelter intact.

In the state of Texas all animals adopted from a shelter or rescue are to be spayed/neutered by law. In some cases animals that are too young to be done safely are allowed to be taken but must come back for the surgery or the animal can be taken back.

Kregan, she got the stuff done and they dropped the warrent. The only reason she found out she had one was because she got pulled over and they told her then. They took her in for a night and let her go under a promise to get the stuff done.

It depends on the contract with your shelter and/or your local state laws and ordinances. But typically no, it is not illegal. Most shelters will spay and neuter their animals before adopting though.