Fulshear, TX Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Fulshear's Chapter 6 regulates dogs by what they do, not by what they are. The only dog classification in the chapter is the dangerous dog defined in § 6-1, and the definition has two prongs. The first is an unprovoked attack on a person that causes bodily injury. The second is a set of unprovoked acts that lead a person to reasonably believe the dog will attack and cause bodily injury. Both prongs apply only in a place other than an enclosure that was reasonably certain to keep the dog from leaving on its own, so an incident inside such an enclosure falls outside this definition. No breed, mix, size, or physical type appears anywhere in the chapter. Any dog can be classified after an incident, and no dog is classified in advance.

The label arrives by one of two routes. Under § 6-75, the animal control authority can investigate a reported incident, take sworn statements from witnesses, and notify the owner of its determination in writing. Under § 6-76, a person can instead report the incident to the municipal, justice, or county court, and the owner must deliver the dog to the authority by the fifth day after receiving notice of the report. A court hearing follows within ten days of the seizure or delivery (§ 6-77). An owner has 15 days from the written notice to appeal the authority's determination (§ 6-75(b)).

Once an owner learns the dog is dangerous, § 6-102 gives 30 days to register the dog with animal control, keep it on a leash in a person's immediate control or in a secure enclosure at all times, and carry liability insurance or show financial responsibility of at least $100,000. A secure enclosure must be locked, keep out the public including children, prevent the dog from escaping, be clearly marked as containing a dangerous dog, and meet the authority's enclosure requirements. Registration under § 6-103 is annual, costs $50, and requires proof of a current rabies vaccination. The dog wears its registration tag on its collar at all times.