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State law reference—Registration of dogs and cats, Texas Health and Safety Code § 826.031 et seq.
No person shall own, possess, or harbor a dog or cat 16 weeks of age or over without obtaining a license for each animal.
(1) 
Pet owners shall provide proof of an animal's current city license when requested by an animal care officer. Proof shall be provided by showing a current city license to the officer, or providing a receipt from the veterinarian or authorized location where the license was purchased.
(2) 
City license must be renewed and shall run concurrently with rabies vaccination.
(Ordinance 58-2024 adopted 11/5/2024)
It is a defense to prosecution under section 14-71 that:
(1) 
The owner of the dog or cat resides outside the city limits;
(2) 
The cat is a member of a permitted feral cat colony or a permitted noncolony member;
(3) 
The dog or cat is a fostered animal; or
(4) 
The dog is a governmental agency police/fire dog.
(Ordinance 58-2024 adopted 11/5/2024)
Animal services staff, upon presentation of proper credentials, may inspect the dog or cat and the premises of the dog or cat to ensure compliance with this chapter as a condition for issuing and maintaining a dog or cat license.
(Ordinance 58-2024 adopted 11/5/2024)
The fee for the license shall be set by the health district and approved by the city council, and the fee schedule will be posted at the ASC. Animal license tags are not transferable from one animal to another. It shall be unlawful to alter a tag or to issue one without current rabies vaccination. If a tag is lost, a duplicate tag may be issued by the health district, and a replacement fee charged. The health district will monetarily compensate authorized veterinary clinics that participate in selling animal licenses. Each authorized veterinary clinic shall submit the rabies certificate and tag number monthly to the ASC. The ASC will invoice the veterinarian clinics monthly for each certificate sold minus the set aside amount for selling the license.
(Ordinance 58-2024 adopted 11/5/2024)
(a) 
No dog or cat license shall be issued if the applicant falsifies information or fails to comply with any section of this chapter.
(b) 
No dog or cat license shall be issued if the applicant has been convicted of inhumane or cruel treatment to animals or has three or more convictions for violating any section of this chapter.
(Ordinance 58-2024 adopted 11/5/2024)
Upon approval of the application for a dog or cat license, a certificate and license tag will be issued. The tag shall be of durable material, designed to be easily fastened or riveted to the animal's collar or harness, and shall bear a number corresponding to the number on the certificate, showing the month and year of expiration. The ASC shall maintain a record of identifying tag numbers.
(Ordinance 58-2024 adopted 11/5/2024)
Failure of a dog or cat to wear the license tag at all times shall be prima facie evidence that no animal license has been issued and constitutes a violation of this section by the dog's owner, possessor, or harborer and subjects the dog to impoundment by ASC.
(Ordinance 58-2024 adopted 11/5/2024)
(a) 
It shall be unlawful for any dog owner to fail to provide the dog with a strong and serviceable collar or harness to which a city license and rabies tag described under this section are securely attached. The collar or harness with the city license must be worn at all times, except during the time the dog is:
(1) 
Performing at shows, obedience trials, tracking tests, field trials, schools, or other events sanctioned and supervised by a recognized organization; or
(2) 
Is engaged in hunting or some other activity in which a collar might endanger the safety of the dog.
(b) 
It shall be unlawful for any cat owner to fail to provide the cat with a collar or harness to which a current city license and rabies tag described under this section are securely attached. The collar provided for a cat may be a breakaway collar to prevent the strangulation of the animal. The collar with the city license must be worn at all times. It is a defense to prosecution that a cat is permitted as a member of a feral cat colony, a feral nonmember cat or a designated barn cat.
(Ordinance 58-2024 adopted 11/5/2024)
(a) 
If the person holding the dog or cat license refuses or fails to comply with this chapter or any law governing the protection of animals, official notice shall be given of the intention to suspend the license. The license shall be revoked if evidence shows the person is not in compliance within (7) seven days after official notice is given.
(b) 
A dog or cat license is automatically revoked upon receipt of official notice for any one or more of the following reasons:
(1) 
Impoundment by the city two or more times during a 36-month period.
(2) 
Two or more convictions of a person for violating any section of this chapter.
(3) 
Any combination of impoundments and convictions totaling two incidents.
(c) 
Notice as required in this section is properly served when it is delivered to the owner, caregiver, harborer, or possessor of the animal; or when it is sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the last known address of the owner, caregiver, harborer, or possessor of the animal. A copy of the notice shall be filed in the records of the regulatory authority.
(Ordinance 58-2024 adopted 11/5/2024)
If a dog or cat is unlicensed due to nonissuance or revocation of the license after official notice, the owner/harborer must either immediately rehome the animal or transfer possession of the animal to the ASC, or it will be seized by and become the property of the ASC.
(Ordinance 58-2024 adopted 11/5/2024)
Persons with a denied or revoked dog or cat license shall wait at least 60 days before making reapplication. The application will not be accepted unless the health director or his or her designee is satisfied that there will be compliance with this chapter. The fee for reapplication shall be set by the health district and approved by the city council. The fee schedule will be posted at the ASC.
(Ordinance 58-2024 adopted 11/5/2024)