(a)
No
owner shall have within the town any dog or cat four months of age
or older unless such dog or cat is currently registered with the local
health authority. A current metal registration certificate issued
by the local health authority, or a veterinarian authorized by the
local health authority to issue the certificate, must be affixed to
a collar or harness that must be worn by the dog or cat at all times.
No dog or cat shall be registered until it has a current vaccination.
(b)
Application for initial issuance or renewal of each registration must be made by the owner in writing or in person and be accompanied by a fee as set forth in the fee schedule in appendix A of this code. If the cat or dog being registered has been neutered or spayed and proof of such surgical sterilization can be shown to an animal control officer or a veterinarian authorized to issue such registrations, the fee will then be discounted, as set forth in the fee schedule in appendix A of this code. Dogs and cats under the age of one year shall be registered at the sterilized fee. Animals may be exempt from the sterilization provision upon written recommendation from a veterinarian that such alteration would be harmful or dangerous to the animal.
(c)
Registration
certificates shall be renewed annually. The registration period will
be from January 1 to December 31. Certificates for the new period
shall be available for sale at least 30 days in advance of the 60
days following January 1 and shall constitute a valid registration
upon issuance.
(d)
Registration
and/or vaccination certificates (and tags) shall be valid only for
the animal for which they were originally issued.
(e)
If
there is a change in ownership of a registered dog or cat, the new
owner may have the registration transferred to his name. There shall
be no charge for said transfer. Application for such transfer shall
be made to the local health authority in writing or in person.
(f)
Fee-exempt
registrations may be issued for the following: police or sheriff’s
department dogs and dogs trained to assist audio or visually impaired
persons. Eligibility for fee-exempt registration does not relieve
the owner of his responsibility under other provisions of this chapter.
(g)
Veterinarians
authorized by the local health authority to issue animal registration
certificates may retain $1.00 of the registration fee for every animal
registered in accordance with this chapter.
(1998 Code, sec. 91.45)
(a)
The
supervisor of animal control may refuse to register a cat or dog or
revoke a permit issued to any person who has been convicted in any
duly authorized court of jurisdiction in the state or resides with
any person so convicted of any of the following:
(1)
Cruelty to animals as defined in the Tex. Penal Code section 42.11,
or negligence to an animal; and
(2)
Conviction of four or more separate and distinct violations of an
animal control ordinance of a municipality in the state within any
12-month period. Any person denied such a registration may appeal
the refusal to a municipal judge.
(b)
The
municipal judge shall uphold, overturn, or modify the local health
authority’s refusal to issue a registration certificate.
(1998 Code, sec. 91.46)
