Animal population, animal control, prohibition, and exceptions for keeping wild or exotic animals, rabies vaccinations, rabies eradication, permits, fees, revocation of permits, quarantining, impoundment, nuisances, kennels, etc., shall be accomplished and regulated in accordance and conformance with this chapter, Rabies, V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code, chapter 826, and Regulation of Animals, V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code chapter 822, and the rabies control and eradication rules, 25 Texas Administrative Code chapter 169, or the current or latest addition and/or revision of said rule or law which are made part hereof.
(Ordinance 2014-05, sec. 1, adopted 7/15/2014)
The purpose of this chapter is to promote the health, safety, convenience, order, prosperity and welfare of the present and future inhabitants of the city. This chapter sets forth necessary controls on the unrestrained activities of animals which threaten the safety and pleasantness of streets, parks, sidewalks, yards, and all areas of the city.
(Ordinance 2014-05, sec. 2, adopted 7/15/2014; Ordinance adopting 2025 Code)
For the purpose of this chapter, the definitions as stated in the current or latest rabies control and eradication rules in 25 Texas Administrative Code chapter 169, V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code chapter 826, and other definitions as stated in V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code chapter 822 shall also apply with the following additions:
Animal
means a warm- or cold-blooded animal.
At large
means any dog or cat located off the premises of its owner or keeper and not under the physical restraint of its owner.
Director
means the current mayor or his designee.
DSHS
means the Texas department of state health services.
High risk animals
means those animals which have a high probability of transmitting rabies; they include skunks, bats, foxes, coyotes, and raccoons.
Kennel
means any building, establishment, place, or premises wherein any person engages in the boarding, breeding, buying, selling, letting for hire, or training for a fee any canine or feline animal.
Low risk animals
means all animals which have a low probability of transmitting rabies; they include all animals of the orders Didelphimorphia, Insectivora, Rodentia, Lagomorpha, and Xenarthra.
Owner
means any person, partnership, or corporation owning, keeping or harboring one or more animals. An animal shall be deemed to be harbored if it is fed, sheltered, or allowed or permitted to remain on a person's property or property under control of said person for three or more days without said person notifying the office of the director. If the owner/keeper of an animal is a minor, the parent or guardian of that minor shall be responsible for compliance with the specifications of this chapter.
Quarantine
means complete and total isolation in such a place and in such a manner and for a period of time as may be prescribed by the director.
Regulatory authority
means the director of the city or his duly authorized representative.
Veterinary hospital
means any establishment maintained and operated by a licensed veterinarian for surgery, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and injuries of animals.
Wild animal
means and includes any mammal, amphibian, reptile, or fowl which is of a species which is wild by nature, and of a species which, due to size, dangerous nature, or other characteristic, is or may be dangerous to human beings. Such animals shall include, but not be limited to, lions, tigers, leopards, panthers, lynx, wolves, raccoons, ferrets, skunks (whether deodorized or not), monkeys whose average weight as an adult exceeds 20 pounds, foxes, elephants, rhinoceroses, alligators, crocodiles, and all forms of venomous reptiles. The term "wild animal," as used in this chapter, shall not include gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, mice or rabbits, nonvenomous reptiles, parakeets, parrots or other caged birds.
(Ordinance 2014-05, sec. 3, adopted 7/15/2014; Ordinance adopting 2025 Code)
(a) 
At large generally.
No owner or keeper of any dog shall permit or allow such dog to run at large within the limits of the city. The owner or keeper of any dog running at large shall be in violation of this chapter. Dogs in vehicles shall be restrained in a manner which will not cause injury and will prevent the dog from reaching the outside of the vehicle. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog or any person having a dog in his custody, to allow it to run at large unattended on or about the streets and highways of the city, or the property of another person without permission of the owner of that property or of the person in possession of that property. It shall be the duty of the owner of any dog or any person having a dog in his possession to keep that dog under control at all times while the dog is off the real property limits of the owner, possessor or custodian. The term "under control" means confined within a vehicle, parked or in motion, secured by a leash or other device held by a competent person, or properly confined within an enclosure with the permission of the owner of the property where the enclosure is located.
(b) 
At large on private property.
Any dog found at large upon private property other than the property of its owner or keeper may be taken up by the person upon whose private property the dog is at large on or the director, or by county animal control and delivered to the county animal control. It shall be the duty of every owner of any dog, or any person having any dog in his possession or custody, to ensure that the dog is enclosed by a fence or other enclosure or is restrained by a leash or in some other physical manner or under control by a competent person so that it cannot wander off the real property limits of its owner, possessor or custodian except as provided in this chapter. It is the intent of this chapter that all dogs be prevented from leaving while unattended the real property limits of their owners, possessors or custodians thereof.
(c) 
Notice.
Any person other than the director who takes up any dog under the provisions of this chapter or otherwise shall immediately thereafter give notice thereof to the director. Every such person, or any person in whose custody such dog may in the meantime be placed, shall upon demand deliver such dog to the director. The dog shall be delivered to a place designated by the director, without fee or charge, and the director shall thereupon hold and dispose of such dog as though such dog had been found running at large and impounded by the director.
(Ordinance 2014-05, sec. 6, adopted 7/15/2014)
(a) 
Declaration of a dangerous dog or animal.
The director may find and declare a dog or other animal to be a dangerous dog or other animal if the director has cause to believe that a dog or animal has dangerous tendencies as defined in subsection (b) of this section.
(b) 
Dangerous tendencies.
For the purposes of this chapter the following are hereby declared to possess dangerous tendencies:
(1) 
Any dog or animal that inflicts severe injury or death to a person, or bites a person on public or private property;
(2) 
Any dog or animal that has attacked, injured or killed a domestic animal or livestock without provocation while off the owner's property;
(3) 
Any dog or animal which chases or approaches a person upon the streets, sidewalks, or any public or private property in a menacing fashion or apparent attitude of attack such that a person of ordinary sensibilities would reasonably believe that the dog or animal would cause physical injury to that person;
(4) 
Any individual dog or animal with known propensity, tendency, or disposition to attack unprovoked, to cause injury, or to otherwise threaten the safety of persons or domestic animals; or
(5) 
"Dangerous dogs" and "dangerous wild animals" defined in V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code sections 822.041(2) and 822.101(4), respectively.
(c) 
Notification and requirements for owner of dangerous dog or animal.
The director shall notify the owner of a dog or animal of its designation as dangerous and the requirements for owners of dangerous dogs or animals as set forth in this chapter and V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code chapter 822. The notice required herein shall be served as stated in section 6-109(c).
(d) 
Possession prohibited.
It shall be unlawful for any person to buy, sell, possess, keep, permit, suffer, cause, or allow any dangerous dog or animal upon or within any premises within the city. If a dog or animal is declared dangerous, the owner must remove the dog or animal from the city within ten days and provide proof that such dog or animal has been removed, or the owner will be in violation of this chapter.
(e) 
Dangerous dog or animal at large.
Any dangerous dog or animal found at large, after the owner thereof has been issued notice that such dog or animal is dangerous, may be destroyed by the director or his designee, or by any peace officer, without the officer having to catch or impound such dog or animal, or notify its owner.
(f) 
Appeal from decision of director.
If a dog or animal is declared to be dangerous under this chapter, the owner may appeal such declaration in accordance with section 6-42. Any dog or animal that is declared to be dangerous under this article shall be impounded, and remain impounded, during any appeal of such declaration.
(g) 
Defense to declaration of dangerous dog or animal.
It is a defense to the determination that a dog or animal is dangerous and to the prosecution of the owner of a dog or animal previously declared to be dangerous:
(1) 
If the person killed, injured, bitten, or in fear of injury was teasing, tormenting, abusing, or assaulting the animal or has, in the past, teased, tormented, abused, or assaulted the animal;
(2) 
If the person killed, injured, bitten, or in fear of injury was committing or attempting to commit a crime;
(3) 
If the domestic animal killed was at the time teasing, tormenting, abusing, or assaulting the animal;
(4) 
If the animal was protecting or defending a person within the immediate vicinity of the animal from an unjustified attack or assault;
(5) 
If the animal was injured and responding to pain;
(6) 
If the animal was protecting its offspring, itself, or its kennelmates; or
(7) 
If the owner or other responsible person is eligible for an exemption as a veterinarian, a peace officer, a person employed by a recognized animal shelter, or a person employed by the state or a political subdivision of the state to deal with stray animals and has temporary ownership, custody, or control of the dangerous animal in connection with that position. Prior to being eligible for an exemption under this section, a person must notify the city and apply for such exemption. All applications shall be determined by hearing, in accordance with section 6-110.
(Ordinance 2014-05, sec. 7, adopted 7/15/2014)
Bitch dogs in heat shall be securely confined by the owner to the premises of the owner in such a manner as shall not create or cause to be created a nuisance of any kind to any person.
(Ordinance 2014-05, sec. 8, adopted 7/15/2014)
Any person having knowledge of a dog or other animal bite or scratch or other attack on an individual or of a dog or other animal that the person suspects is rabid, shall report the incident to the director of the city. The report shall include the name and address of any victim and of the owner of the dog or other animal, if known, and any other data which may aid in the locating of the victim or the dog or other animal. The person shall make said report as soon as possible, but not later than 24 hours from the time of the incident.
(Ordinance 2014-05, sec. 9, adopted 7/15/2014)
(a) 
Purpose.
The primary purpose and intent of this section is to protect the public's health, safety, and welfare. It is also the purpose and intent of this section to prevent the owning, keeping, or harboring of wild animals as pets within the city.
(b) 
Possession prohibited.
It shall be unlawful for any person to buy, sell, possess, keep, permit, suffer, cause, or allow any wild or exotic animal upon or within any premises within the city.
(Ordinance 2014-05, sec. 15, adopted 7/15/2014)
(a) 
Violation to dump.
It shall be a violation of this chapter for any person to dump, release, or abandon any dog or other animal on any property, whether public or private, within the city. A dog or other animal shall be considered abandoned if the owner has not provided care, including food, water, or shelter, for three or more consecutive days.
(b) 
Person having knowledge of dumping.
Any person having knowledge of any dog or other animal which has been or is believed to have been dumped, released, or abandoned shall so notify the director and shall give all pertinent information, including description and location of the dog or other animal and the name, address, car license number, or any other information or description of the person who dumped, released, or abandoned the dog or other animal, if known.
(c) 
Keeping, harboring, or feeding strays.
Any person who keeps, harbors, feeds, shelters, or otherwise allows any stray dog or other animal, or any dog or other animal which has been dumped, released, or abandoned, to remain on the person's property for three or more consecutive days without notifying the city, shall hereby be deemed the owner of said dog or other animal.
(Ordinance 2014-05, sec. 16, adopted 7/15/2014)
(a) 
Failure to exercise proper care.
Every owner shall exercise proper care and control of his dog or other animal and the premises where said dog or other animal is kept to prevent them from becoming a public nuisance.
(b) 
Conditions constituting nuisance.
All of the following conditions, situations, or occurrences are hereby declared to be a public nuisance and constitutes failure of the owner to exercise proper care and control of his dog or other animal and/or the premises where said dog or other animal has been kept:
(1) 
Any dog or other animal which turns over garbage containers or scatters garbage or which otherwise damages private or public property;
(2) 
Any dog or other animal at large or free-roaming off of private property owned or controlled by the owner thereof;
(3) 
Any dog or other animal which barks, whines, howls, or makes other sounds or noises in an excessive, continuous, or untimely fashion; or
(4) 
Any building, room, cage, kennel, yard, run, or any other place or facility where dogs or other animals are kept or harbored which is not maintained in a clean and sanitary condition so as to prevent obnoxious odors, the attraction, breeding, or potential breeding of flies, the attraction, harboring, or breeding of rodents, or potential breeding of rodents or the creation of any other public health nuisances.
(Ordinance 2014-05, sec. 17, adopted 7/15/2014)