For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms are defined as follows:
Abandonment.
To desert or leave without care.
Africanized bees.
“wild” bees that are overly aggressive and are more likely to sting in greater numbers.
Animal.
Any living creature, except human, being classified as a member of the Kingdom Animalia and including, but not limited to, mammals, birds, reptiles and fish.
Animal control authority.
Any employee or contractor appointed by the city manager for the purpose of the enforcement of this chapter or any other law or ordinance relating to the licensure of animals, control of animals, or seizure and impoundment of animals. These individuals are given the authority to issue citations for any violation of this chapter.
Animal establishment.
Any facility or business that has custody or control of any animal within the city, including, but not limited to, pet shops, grooming and boarding facilities, animal auction facilities or kennels. This term does not include veterinary or medical facilities, research or other facilities licensed by government agencies.
Animal shelter.
The facility operated by the City of Brenham for the temporary confinement, safekeeping and control of animals that come into the custody of the City of Brenham.
Apiary.
A place where one (1) or more bee colonies are kept.
At large.
An animal that meets at least one (1) of the following criteria:
(1) 
An animal that is not confined to the premises of the owner by substantial physical means of restraint of sufficient height, strength, and/or manner of construction to preclude the animal from leaving the premises of the owner or being able to come within six (6) feet of any public area;
(2) 
An animal that is not under direct physical control of a person by means of a restraint of sufficient strength and of a length of not more than six (6) feet.
Bee.
Any stage of the common domestic honey bee, Apis Mellifera species.
Beekeeper.
A person who owns or has charge of one (1) or more colonies of bees.
Cat.
Any member of the family Felis domestica.
City.
The City of Brenham, Texas, an incorporated municipality located in Washington County, Texas.
Colony.
A hive and its equipment and appurtenances, including bees, comb, honey, pollen and brood.
Community cat.
A feral cat that has been ear-tipped, vaccinated and sterilized through trap-neuter-return.
Community cat caregiver.
A person who participates in trap-neuter-return and/or provides care, including food, shelter, and/or medical care to community cats. A community cat caregiver shall not be considered the owner, caretaker, custodian, harbor, or keeper of a community cat.
Community cat colony.
A group of community cats that congregate, more or less, together as a unit and may share a common food source.
Currently vaccinated.
An animal that is considered to have a current anti-rabies vaccination according to the Texas State Rabies Control Act, as amended, and the minimum standards established by the appropriate state agency or rule-making board.
Dangerous animal.
(1) 
An animal that makes an unprovoked attack on a person that causes bodily injury and occurs in a place other than the enclosure in which the animal was being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the animal from leaving the enclosure on its own; or
(2) 
An animal that commits unprovoked acts in a place other than an enclosure in which the animal was being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the animal from leaving the enclosure on its own and those acts cause a person to reasonably believe that the animal will attack and cause bodily injury to that person; or
(3) 
An animal that commits an unprovoked attack on human being that causes serious bodily injury or death and occurs in an enclosure for which the animal was being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the animal from leaving the enclosure on its own unless the person who was attacked was trespassing or otherwise violating the law by being within the enclosure; or
(4) 
An animal that is at large and commits an unprovoked attack on a domestic animal that causes the death of the attacked animal; or
(5) 
An animal that is at large and commits an unprovoked attack on a domestic animal that causes serious bodily injury to the attacked animal and the attacking animal has already committed at least one (1) unprovoked attack on a previous occasion against a human being or domestic animal.
The term “dangerous animal” does not include an animal that commits an unprovoked attack on a human being in an enclosure in which the animal was being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the animal from leaving the enclosure where the person who was attacked was trespassing or otherwise violating the law by entering the enclosure.
Dog.
Any member of the family Canis familaris.
Domestic animal.
Any animal whose physiology has been determined or manipulated through selective breeding and which does not occur naturally in the wild and which may be vaccinated against rabies with an approved rabies vaccine and which has an established rabies quarantine observation period.
Ear-tipping.
The removal of the three-eighths (3/8) inch tip of a cat's ear, performed by a licensed veterinarian while the cat is under anesthesia, to identify the cat as being a community cat that has been sterilized and lawfully vaccinated for rabies.
Enclosure.
Shall mean pens, hutches, cages or some other physical means of sufficient height, strength, length, or manner of construction to preclude an animal from escaping. Such enclosure shall be securely enclosed and designed with secure sides, top and bottom.
Exotic animal.
Shall mean the same as a wild animal.
Feral cat.
Any member of the species felis domestica that is undomesticated, wild, homeless, untamed, or otherwise unaccustomed to human interaction. Other common names include stray cat or barn cat.
Fowl or birds.
All animals belonging to the class of Avies, including all game birds such as, but not limited to: doves, quail, ducks, geese, pigeons, cardinals, blue jays, sparrows, crows.
Guard dog.
Any dog which:
(1) 
Has been trained as security or guard dog by a certified canine training professional; and
(2) 
Is kept for the protection of persons and/or property, whether residential, commercial or personal.
Hive.
A structure intended for the housing of a bee colony.
Horse.
Any member of the family Equidae domestica.
Humane manner.
Care of an animal to include, but not be limited to, ventilation and sanitary shelter, wholesome food and water, consistent veterinarian care, and normal feeding habit in relation to the animal’s size, species and breed.
Impound(ing).
The placing of an animal in the city’s animal shelter, or, the taking into custody of any animal for the purposes of transporting to the city’s animal shelter.
Inhumane treatment of animals.
Includes tortured, seriously overworked, unreasonably abandoned, unreasonably deprived of necessary food, veterinarian care, shelter, cruelly confined, or caused to fight with another animal.
Kennel.
An establishment where a person, partnership, or corporation keeps dogs and/or cats for the purposes of breeding, buying, selling, trading, showing, training or boarding such animals for profit.
Licensing authority.
The agency or department of the city or any designated representative, charged with administering the issuance and/or revocation of permits and licenses under the provisions of this chapter as designated by the city manager.
Livestock.
Domestic animals generally used or raised on a farm for profit or use, including, but not limited to: cattle, cows, bulls, sheep, goats, pigs, hogs, sows, horses, stallions, mares and jacks.
Local rabies control authority.
The person designated by the Texas Department of Health as the official in charge of rabies control investigations and enforcement for the city.
Multi-animal permit.
The license required to house, own, harbor, control, or have custody of four (4) dogs and/or cats over the age of four (4) months.
Neutered.
Permanently incapable of reproduction.
Owner.
Any person or persons, association, or entity, including any member of owner’s immediate family, employee or agent, having the right of property, care, custody, or control of an animal, who possesses, harbors, or maintains an animal, or who knowingly permits an animal to remain on or about any premises occupied by such person or persons, firm, association, or corporation for a period of three (3) days or more.
Pedestrian.
A person who is walking on a street, alley, sidewalk, or other developed area.
Person.
Any individual, corporation, partnership, organization, or any institute commonly recognized by law as a legally accountable unit.
Public nuisance.
Shall mean the conduct of any owner in allowing an animal to:
(1) 
Engage in conduct which establishes such animal as a “dangerous animal”;
(2) 
Damage, soil, defile or defecate on private property other than the owner’s or on public property unless such waste is immediately removed and properly disposed of by the owner of the animal;
(3) 
Be “at large”;
(4) 
Cause a disturbance by excessive barking or noise making, near the private residence of another or to the extent that the barking or noise disturbs the peace or quiet of any neighborhood or can be heard from within the neighboring residence of another;
(5) 
Produce odors or unclean conditions sufficient to offend a person of normal sensibilities or which creates a condition conducive to the breeding of flies or other pests;
(6) 
Chase vehicles or molest, attack or interfere with other animals or persons, or is at large on public or private property; or
(7) 
Create a condition that is dangerous to human life or health, renders the ground, the water, the air or food a hazard or injurious to human life or health or that is offensive to the senses or that is detrimental to public health.
Restrain.
To control an animal by means of a chain, rope, tether, leash, cable, or other device that attaches an animal to a stationary object or trolley system.
Sanitary conditions.
Space free from health hazards including excessive animal waste, overcrowding or animals, or other conditions that endanger the animal’s health.
Service animal.
Any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability.
Severe weather event.
Weather conditions in which:
(1) 
The actual or effective outdoor temperature is below thirty-two (32) degrees Fahrenheit;
(2) 
A heat advisory has been issued by a local or state authority or jurisdiction; or
(3) 
A hurricane, tropical storm or tornado warning has been issued for Washington County by the National Weather Service.
Shelter.
A structure that is capable of adequately providing cover and protection from heat, cold, and other environmental conditions. At minimum, a shelter must have three (3) sides, a top, and a bottom and be adequately ventilated. It must have bedding material. It must be large enough so that the animal can enter, stand, turn around, and lie down but small enough to prevent the loss of body heat during cold weather.
Sterilized.
An animal is rendered incapable of reproduction.
Structure.
Any man-made object having a stationary location on or in land, whether or not affixed to the land, including, but not limited to: residential buildings, detached garages, temporary/out buildings, workshops, gazebos, pergolas, and swimming pools.
Tract.
A contiguous parcel of land under common ownership.
Trap-neuter-return.
A nonlethal approach to feral cat population control where feral cats are humanely trapped, sterilized and vaccinated, ear-tipped, and then returned to the location where they were originally trapped or to another community cat colony.
Undeveloped property.
Any land that is not improved or actually in the process of being improved with residential, commercial, industrial, church, park, school, or governmental facilities or other structures or improvements intended for human use [or] occupancy and the grounds maintained in association therewith. The term shall be deemed to include property developed exclusively as a street or highway or property used for commercial agricultural purposes.
Vaccination.
Inoculation of an animal with a rabies vaccine that is licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture for use in that species and which is administered by a state-licensed veterinarian for the purpose of immunizing the animal against rabies.
Veterinary hospital.
Any establishment maintained and operated by a licensed veterinarian for surgery, diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries in animals.
Wild animals.
Any animal not normally considered domesticated which, because of its size, vicious nature or other natural characteristics would constitute a dangerous threat to human life, property or domestic animals including but not limited to:
(1) 
Reptiles venomous reptiles, crocodile or alligator;
(2) 
Birds, eagles, owl or any species illegal to own under federal or state law;
(3) 
Mammals including ocelots, lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards, cougars, wolves, dingoes, coyotes, jackals, weasels, martins, minks, badgers, raccoons, pandas, bears, kangaroos, opossums, sloth, anteaters, armadillos, monkeys, chimpanzee, gorillas, orangutans, porcupines, antelope, deer, bison and camels.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere with, hinder, or molest the city’s animal control authority in the performance of any duty delegated under this chapter, or seek to release any animal taken and held in custody under the provisions of this chapter. Additionally, it shall be unlawful to tamper with or release an animal from any trap or device set by the animal control authority or a police officer.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
All fees required under this chapter shall be set by the city council. A schedule of fees shall be kept on file for public inspection in the city secretary’s office and the office of the animal control authority.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
The keeping of any animal in accordance with this chapter shall not be construed to authorize the keeping of the animal in violation of any rules or restrictions set forth in the city’s land development or zoning ordinances.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
A person commits an offense if he allows or permits an animal owned by him, other than a cat, to run at large. Animals, other than cats, running at large are subject to impoundment by the animal control authority. It shall be the duty of the city’s animal control authority to apprehend any animal found running at large and make every attempt to return said animal to its owner. If the owner cannot be located, the animal shall be impounded at the city’s animal shelter.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
It shall be unlawful for any person to restrain, tie or tether any animal to a stationary object for a period of time or in a location so as to create an unhealthy situation for the animal, unreasonably limit the animal’s movement or create a potentially dangerous situation for a pedestrian as determined by the animal control authority. The terms “unhealthy situation” and “potentially dangerous situation” shall include, but not be limited to the following:
(1) 
To restrain any animal in such a manner as to permit the animal access upon any public right-of-way;
(2) 
To restrain any animal in such a manner as to cause the animal injury or pain or not to permit the animal to reach shelter, food or water;
(3) 
To restrain any animal in such a manner as to permit the animal to leave the owner’s property;
(4) 
To restrain any animal between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. CST (Central Standard Time);
(5) 
To restrain any animal within five hundred (500) feet of the premises of a school;
(6) 
To restrain any animal in a manner whereby the animal is subject to harassment, stings or bites from outdoor insects, or attacks by other animals;
(7) 
To restrain any animal with a rope, chain or leash that is shorter than the greater of ten (10) feet or five (5) times the length of the dog, as measured from the tip of the dog’s nose to the base of the dog’s tail;
(8) 
To restrain any animal with a rope, chain or leash that is not equipped with swivel ends;
(9) 
To restrain any animal in such a manner that does not prevent the animal from becoming entangled with any object, from partially or totally jumping any fence, or from leaving any part of its owner’s property;
(10) 
To fail to remove waste, on a daily bases, from the area in which an animal is restrained;
(11) 
To restrain any animal without using a properly fitted collar or harness;
(12) 
To use choke-type collars to restrain any animal;
(13) 
To use a restraint that weighs more than one-fifth (1/5) of the animal’s total body weight; or
(14) 
To allow an animal to remain restrained during a extreme weather conditions in which:
a. 
The actual or effective outdoor temperature is below thirty-two (32) degrees Fahrenheit;
b. 
A heat advisory has been issued by a local or state authority or jurisdiction; or
c. 
A hurricane, tropical storm or tornado warning has been issued for the jurisdiction by the National Weather Service.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
Animals which are part of a youth project, such as FFA, 4-H or the Washington County Fair, may be considered an exception to the provisions listed in this chapter, as approved by and under the direction of the animal control authority.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
(a) 
A “continuing public nuisance” is defined as a public nuisance that, after notice as described in subsection (c) to the owner of an animal(s) or person in control of an animal(s), continues unabated as determined by the animal control authority.
(b) 
The animal control authority may determine that a public nuisance exists through an investigation of any reported or perceived public nuisance, and may interview witnesses or conduct such hearings as he may determine are necessary, formally or informally. He shall make a determination based on the necessity to preserve the public health, safety and welfare of the community.
(c) 
Upon such determination, the animal control authority shall notify the animal owner or the person in control of the animal(s). This notice shall be in writing and shall contain a statement that such person has a right to appeal. The notice shall set forth the noncompliance and order the owner to abate the public nuisance described in such notice within seven (7) days. Notice of a public nuisance shall include, but not be limited to, written notice of the existence of a public nuisance delivered by personal service, certified mail, return receipt requested, or left at the entrance to the premises where the animal(s) is harbored. A notice that is mailed is deemed received five (5) days after it is placed in a mail receptacle of the United States Postal Service.
(d) 
If such owner fails or refuses to comply with the demand for compliance in the notice within seven (7) days of such notice or publication the animal control authority may order the abatement of the public nuisance by one (1) of the following means:
(1) 
Impoundment of the animal(s) that is the source of the continuing public nuisance and the adoption of the animal(s) as provided in this chapter, except that the owner, his agents or representatives, or family members may not adopt the animal(s) adjudged a continuing public nuisance;
(2) 
Impoundment and humane destruction of the animal(s) that is the source of the continuing public nuisance; or
(3) 
Exclusion from the city limits of any animal(s) determined to be a continuing public nuisance.
(e) 
An owner or person in control of the animal(s), not later than seven (7) days after the date such person is notified that an animal is a continuing public nuisance, may appeal the determination of the animal control authority to the city’s municipal court. Upon receiving an appeal, the municipal court shall hold a hearing. Based upon the record evidence of such hearing, the court shall make a final finding.
(f) 
The owner or person in control of the animal(s) determined to be a continuing public nuisance shall remove such animal(s) from the city within forty-eight (48) hours of an unsuccessful appeal. The failure to remove such animal(s) shall be an offense and each day thereafter that such person fails to remove such animal(s) shall constitute a separate offense. If the owner or person in control of such animal(s) fails to remove such animal(s) as provided for by order of the municipal court, such animal(s) may, as outlined in this chapter, be impounded, put up for adoption, or humanely destroyed.
(g) 
The owner or person in control of such animal(s) must report the disposition and exact address or relocation of such animal(s) to the animal control authority in writing within ten (10) days after the expiration date for removal of such animal(s) from the city. Failure to report the disposition and address of such animal is an offense, and each day thereafter that such information is not provided shall constitute a separate offense.
(h) 
The animal control authority shall be authorized, after due process, to obtain a search and seizure warrant for the purposes of enforcing this section.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
It shall be unlawful for a person to confine an animal in a parked or standing vehicle or enclosed trailer in such a way as to endanger the animal’s health, safety or welfare due to heat, lack of food or water, or other such circumstances that may cause injury or death to the animal. It is presumed that an animal’s health, safety or welfare is endangered when the animal is confined in a parked or standing vehicle or enclosed trailer for a period of five (5) minutes when the ambient outside air temperature measures at or above seventy (70) degrees Fahrenheit or below thirty-two (32) degrees Fahrenheit.
The city’s animal control authority or any licensed peace officer, finding an animal being held in violation of this provision may cite the owner for violating this chapter, obtain a search warrant pursuant to state or federal law, or use reasonable force to remove an animal from a vehicle whenever it appears the animal’s health or safety is, or soon will be, endangered. Said neglected or endangered animal shall be impounded. It shall be the responsibility of the animal’s owner to repair any damage caused by the removal of the animal from the dangerous situation by the animal control authority or peace officer.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
It shall be unlawful for a person to transport an animal on a public street or highway while the animal occupies the open bed of a truck, the open bed of a flatbed truck, or an open flatbed trailer unless the animal is:
(1) 
Secured in a kennel or other secured, vented enclosure;
(2) 
Restrained by a harness manufactured for the purpose of restraining animals; or
(3) 
Restrained using a chain, rope or other device cross-tied to prevent the animal from falling or jumping from the motor vehicle or from strangling on a single leash.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
Animals shall be cared for, treated, maintained, and transported in a humane manner and not in violation of any provisions of law, including federal and state.
If the city’s animal control authority has reason to believe that an animal has been, or is being cruelly treated, the animal control authority may apply to a justice court or magistrate in Washington County or to the City of Brenham Municipal Court for a warrant to seize the animal, pending a hearing before any justice of the peace or municipal court judge of the City of
Brenham Municipal Court on the issue of cruelty and disposition of the animal.
A person commits an offense if with reckless intent:
(1) 
A person, other than a licensed veterinarian, docks an animal’s tail, removes the dew claws of a puppy, or crops an animal’s ears;
(2) 
A person physically removes from its mother by selling, giving away, delivering, trading, or bartering any dog, cat, ferret, rabbit less than six (6) weeks old or any other animal that is not yet weaned, except as advised by a licensed veterinarian;
(3) 
A person dies or colors chicks, ducks or rabbits;
(4) 
A person sells, gives away, delivers, trades or barters, chickens, ducks or rabbits within two (2) weeks prior to Christmas or Easter;
(5) 
A person abandons or dumps any animal, or leaves an animal in a dwelling that has had no running water or electricity for a period of twenty-four (24) hours or more;
(6) 
A person overdrives, overloads, drives when overloaded, or overworks any animal;
(7) 
A person tortures, cruelly beats, mutilates, clubs, shoots or attempts to shoot with any air rifle, bow and arrow, slingshot, or firearm, or by any other means needlessly kills or injures any animal, wild or owned, within the city limits;
(8) 
A person forces, allows or permits any animal to remain in its own filth;
(9) 
A person keeps, shelters or harbors any animal having a potentially life threatening infestation of ticks, fleas, or other parasites, any other obvious life threatening illness, or injury, or any other communicable illness transmissible to animal or human without having sought and obtained proper treatment from a licensed veterinarian for such infestation or illness;
(10) 
A person causes an animal to fight another animal or person;
(11) 
A person fails to provide at all times, their animal with adequate food and potable water, proper shelter and protection from inclement weather, and veterinary care when needed to prevent suffering;
(12) 
A person raises and kills a doe or cat for the skin or fur;
(13) 
A person mutilates any animal, whether such animal is dead or alive (medical or veterinary medical research, medical of veterinary medical necropsy, and biology class use of animals shall not be considered mutilation);
(14) 
A person attaches a collar or harness to an animal that is of an inadequate size so that it restricts the animal’s growth or causes damage to the animal’s skin; or
(15) 
A person engages or allows another to engage in any sexual act with an animal.
This section shall not be interpreted to restrict the extermination of rats, mice, insects, other vermin, or any such animal deemed a nuisance by state law, through the use of traps, poisons, or other commercially available means when used in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions as long as reasonable precautions are taken to ensure that no human, pet, or wild animal, other than the targeted species comes into contact with the traps, poisons, or other means and that such use does not violate any other section of this chapter.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
It shall be a violation for any person to offer, sell, trade, barter, lease, rent, or give away any live animal, on any roadside, public right-of-way, or commercial parking lot. This provision does not prohibit the sale or purchase of animals from inside a person’s private residence.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
Prohibited animals in the city limits shall include any animal not normally born and raised in captivity, including but not limited to the following:
(1) 
Class Reptilia: Family Helodermatidae (venomous lizards) and Family Hydophiidae (venomous marine snakes); Family Viperidae (rattlesnakes, pit vipers and true vipers); Family Elapidae (coral snakes, cobras, and mambas); Family Columbridae-Dispholidus Typus (boomslang); Bioga Dendrophilia (mangrove snake) and Kirklandii (twig snake only); and Order Crocodilia (such as crocodiles and alligators);
(2) 
Class Mammalia: Order Carnivores.
a. 
Family Felidea (such as lions, tigers, bobcats, jaguars, leopards and cougars), except commonly domesticated cats;
b. 
Family Canidae (such as wolves, dingos, coyotes, foxes and jackals), and any hybrid of an animal listed in this section except commonly domesticated dogs;
c. 
Family Mustelida (such as weasels, skunks, martins, minks, badgers and otters);
d. 
Family Procyonidae (such as raccoons and coati);
e. 
Family Ursidae (such as bears);
f. 
Marsupialia (such as kangaroos, opossums, koala bears, wallabies, bandicoots, and wombats);
g. 
Chiroperta (bats);
h. 
Edentata (such as sloths, anteaters, and armadillo);
i. 
Probosidea (elephant);
j. 
Primata (such as monkeys, chimpanzees, orangutans, baboons, and gorillas);
k. 
Rodentia (such as beavers and porcupines).
(3) 
Class Amphibi: Poisonous frogs. Does not include non-poisonous reptiles or non-poisonous snakes.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
It shall be unlawful for any person to bring an animal, of any kind, into a city owned or operated facility other than the animal shelter. The only other exception to this section is an animal designated as a service animal in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If admitting a service animal would fundamentally alter the nature of the service or program at a city owned or operated facility then the service animal may be prohibited.
A service animal must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered while in a city owned or operated facility unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the handler’s disability prevents use of these devices. In that case, the handler must use voice, signal, or other effective means to maintain control of the animal. A service animal that is not housebroken or that is out of control and whose handler does not take effective action to control it may be excluded from a city owned or operated facility and staff may request that the animal be removed from the premises.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this chapter that do not provide for a penalty shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and each said person shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each and every day, or portion thereof, during which any violation or any of the provisions of this chapter is committed, continued or permitted, and upon conviction of any such violation such person punished by a fine of not less than one dollar ($1.00) and not more than two thousand dollars ($2,000.00).
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)