(a) 
No person shall own, keep or harbor a dog or cat over the age of four (4) months within the city limits unless the dog or cat shall have been vaccinated with an antirabies vaccine by a licensed veterinarian. The dog or cat must receive a booster vaccination within the 12-month interval following the initial vaccination. After the first vaccinations, all such animals shall be vaccinated at least once every three years as provided in Texas Administrative Code title 25, part 1, chapter 169, section 169.29.
(b) 
A veterinarian who vaccinates a dog or cat against rabies shall issue to the owner of the animal a vaccination certificate in a form which meets the minimum standards approved by the state board of health.
(c) 
The city may not register an animal that has not been vaccinated in accordance with this section.
(1987 Code, sec. 4-26; Ordinance adopting Code)
(a) 
It shall be unlawful for the owner or harborer of any dog or cat to harbor or permit the dog or cat within the city limits without having registered the dog or cat with the animal control officer and having paid an annual fee of three dollars ($3.00) upon each male and female dog or cat four (4) months of age or over. The fees required by this section shall be due and payable on the first day of March of each year and shall be good for the year ending on the last day of February.
(b) 
Upon payment of the fee required by this section, it shall be the duty of the animal control officer to furnish the owner of the dog or cat a metal tag of a distinctive design on one (1) side of which is stamped the year for which same is paid and the serial number of the tag, which tag at all times shall be securely attached to a collar around the neck of the dog or cat, or harness around the neck and body of the dog or cat, upon which the fee has been paid.
(c) 
If the tag issued the owner or harborer of the dog or cat should be lost, a replacement tag is required, and such tag will be issued in accordance with the procedures required in the issuance of the original tag. There shall be a charge of one dollar ($1.00) for the replacement of such tag.
(1987 Code, sec. 4-27; Ordinance adopting Code)
Dangerous dogs, as defined in V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code, section 822.041, shall be regulated in accordance with the provisions of V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code, chapter 822, subchapter D, section 822.041 et seq.
(Ordinance adopting Code)
(a) 
If any person shall make affidavit before the city manager that any dog has bitten, or attempted to bite, any person in this city, and it shall appear that the person so bitten, or attacked, was not at the time trespassing upon the person or property of the owner or keeper of such dog, the city manager may cause the dog to be destroyed or to be confined for determination of rabies infection, and thereafter disposed of as provided by law.
(b) 
Any person violating this section shall be fined a sum of seventy-five dollars ($75.00), and each day shall constitute a separate violation.
(1987 Code, sec. 4-29)
Animal control officers and police officers are hereby authorized to trap animals at large by means of live traps and to issue live traps to citizens for the purpose of trapping animals at large. Any person tampering with a live trap or releasing an animal confined in a live trap is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(1987 Code, sec. 4-30)
(a) 
An owner may not leave a dog outside and unattended by use of a restraint that unreasonably limits the dog’s movement:
(1) 
Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.;
(2) 
Within 500 feet of the premises of a school; or
(3) 
In the case of extreme weather conditions, including conditions in which:
(A) 
The actual or effective outdoor temperature is below 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.
(b) 
In this section, a restraint unreasonably limits a dog’s movement if the restraint:
(1) 
Uses a collar that is pinch-type, prong-type, or choke-type or that is not properly fitted to the dog;
(2) 
Is a length shorter than the greater of:
(A) 
Five times the length of the dog, as measured from the tip of the dog’s nose to the base of the dog’s tail; or
(B) 
10 feet;
(3) 
Is in an unsafe condition; or
(4) 
Causes injury to the dog.
(Ordinance 19-02, sec. 2, adopted 1/28/19)
Section 2.02.006 does not apply to:
(1) 
A dog restrained to a running line, pulley, or trolley system and that is not restrained to the running line, pulley, or trolley system by means of a pinch-type, prong-type, choke-type, or improperly fitted collar;
(2) 
A dog restrained in compliance with the requirements of a camping or recreational area as defined by a federal, state, or local authority or jurisdiction;
(3) 
A dog restrained for a reasonable period, not to exceed three hours in a 24-hour period, and no longer than is necessary for the owner to complete a temporary task that requires the dog to be restrained;
(4) 
A dog restrained while the owner is engaged in, or actively training for, an activity that is conducted pursuant to a valid license issued by this state if the activity for which the license is issued is associated with the use or presence of a dog;
(5) 
A dog restrained while the owner is engaged in conduct directly related to the business of shepherding or herding cattle or livestock; or
(6) 
A dog restrained while the owner is engaged in conduct directly related to the business of cultivating agricultural products, if the restraint is reasonably necessary for the safety of the dog.
(Ordinance 19-02, sec. 2, adopted 1/28/19)
(a) 
A person commits an offense under section 2.02.006 if the person knowingly violates section 2.02.006.
(b) 
A peace officer or animal control officer who has probable cause to believe that an owner is violating section 2.02.006 shall provide the owner with a written statement of that fact. The statement must be signed by the officer and plainly state the date on which and the time at which the statement is provided to the owner.
(c) 
A person commits an offense if the person is provided a statement described by subsection (b) and fails to comply with this subchapter within 24 hours of the time the owner is provided the statement. An offense under this subsection is a class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of $500.00.
(d) 
A person commits an offense if the person violates section 2.02.006 and previously has been convicted of an offense under section 2.02.006. An offense under this subsection is a class B misdemeanor.
(e) 
If a person fails to comply with section 2.02.006 with respect to more than one dog, the person’s conduct with respect to each dog constitutes a separate offense.
(f) 
If conduct constituting an offense under section 2.02.006 also constitutes an offense under any other law, the actor may be prosecuted under this section, the other law, or both.
(Ordinance 19-02, sec. 2, adopted 1/28/19)