The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Brand
means a mark typically used with livestock made on the skin of an animal to indicate the ownership of the animal.
Estray
means stray livestock, stray exotic livestock, and stray exotic fowl or as otherwise defined in V.T.C.A., Texas Agriculture Code ch. 142, as amended.
Fowl
means and includes all birds, chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, guineas, geese, ducks, peafowl, and other domestic feathered creatures and nondomestic feathered creatures, regardless of age or sex.
Hen
means a female chicken.
Miniature livestock
means a dwarfed variety, or a species bred to be smaller than its standard counterpart. Whether a particular variety or species is miniature livestock may be validated by reference to the published breed definition for registration by a nationally recognized breeding association of a particular variety or species.
(Ordinance 1343 adopted 10/2/2024)
(a) 
It shall be unlawful for the owner of livestock and/or miniature livestock to:
(1) 
Cause or permit livestock and/or miniature livestock to be pastured, herded, staked, or tied in a roadway, park, or other public place;
(2) 
Tie, stake, pasture or permit the tying, staking, or pasturing of an animal on private property within the city without the consent of the owner or occupant of such property, or to permit livestock to trespass upon a roadway or other public place or private property; or
(3) 
Permit any livestock and/or miniature livestock to be or remain during the nighttime secured by a stake or secured in any manner other than by enclosing such animal in a pen, corral, or barn sufficient and adequate to restrain such livestock.
(b) 
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or harbor any livestock and/or miniature livestock within the city unless the property is zoned agriculture.
(c) 
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or harbor any livestock and/or miniature livestock within the city in a pen or other enclosure on property with less than one acre of area for each head of livestock and/or miniature livestock.
(d) 
A livestock and/or miniature livestock owner shall provide the animal control division with current contact information and the current locations of their livestock.
(e) 
This article does not apply to an animal that is an FFA or 4-H project and that is in good standing. The animal should be on the official list of authorized projects filed with the city by the authorized sponsor of such FFA or 4-H program. Such exemption shall be withdrawn upon the sponsor of the applicable FFA or 4-H program notifying the animal control division that the animal is not being maintained and cared for in compliance with the standards of such FFA or 4-H program, or is, otherwise, no longer an authorized FFA or 4-H project.
(Ordinance 1343 adopted 10/2/2024)
(a) 
No more than six hens and/or two other fowl and/or two rabbits may be kept at a residence.
(b) 
All hens, other fowl, and rabbits kept at a residence shall have a pen, coop, or hutch constructed and available to such animals. All hens, other fowl, and rabbits must remain on the owner's property behind a fence, on a leash, or on a tether.
(c) 
The pen, coop, or hutch shall be at least 20 feet from neighboring residences and at least ten feet from the owner's residence.
(d) 
The keeping of roosters at a residence is prohibited.
(Ordinance 1343 adopted 10/2/2024)
The animal control officer, upon receipt of a report or upon discovery of an estray within the city, shall as soon as possible notify the county sheriff's department, report the presence of the estray, and the location where the estray can be found if an owner is not located for the estray in a reasonable amount of time after a diligent search of available livestock owner information. The county sheriff's department will then notify their designee to impound the estray per V.T.C.A., Texas Agriculture Code § 142.009, as amended.
(Ordinance 1343 adopted 10/2/2024)
(a) 
Notice of impounded estray shall be governed by V.T.C.A., Texas Agriculture Code § 142.009, as amended.
(b) 
Recovery of impounded estray shall be governed by V.T.C.A., Texas Agriculture Code § 142.010, as amended.
(c) 
Disposition or sale of impounded estray shall be governed by V.T.C.A., Texas Agriculture Code § 142.013, as amended.
(d) 
Recovery by owner of sale proceeds shall be governed by section V.T.C.A., Texas Agriculture Code § 142.014, as amended.
(e) 
Use of estrays shall be governed by V.T.C.A., Texas Agriculture Code § 142.011, as amended.
(f) 
Death or escape of impounded estray shall be governed by V.T.C.A., Texas Agriculture Code § 142.012, as amended.
(Ordinance 1343 adopted 10/2/2024)
(a) 
It is unlawful for the owner or person in control of any horse, mule, jack, jenny, cattle, hog, goat, sheep, or miniature livestock (estray) to permit the animal to run at-large on land not owned or under the control of the owner, on a roadway, or other public place in the city.
(b) 
It is unlawful for the owner or person in control of any chicken or other fowl to permit the animal to run at-large on another's property, on a roadway, or other public place in the city.
(c) 
It is unlawful and constitutes a nuisance for the owner or any person in charge or control of any pigeons in the city to allow such pigeons to run or fly at-large in the city.
(Ordinance 1343 adopted 10/2/2024)
(a) 
Keeping of animals near city water supply.
It is unlawful and constitutes an offense for any person, whether for himself or as the agent of another or others, to keep or to participate in keeping any horse, hog, cattle, sheep, goat, other livestock and/or fowl in any pen or lot used to confine any such multiple animal operation within 500 feet of any water supply wells from which the city obtains its principal water supply as specified in V.T.C.A., Texas Administrative Code title. 31, § 290.41, as amended.
(b) 
Dead animals and fowl.
It shall be unlawful for a person to place, cause to be placed, or allow a dead animal to remain in or near the person's premises, the premises of another person, or on the streets or other public roadways.
(Ordinance 1343 adopted 10/2/2024)