Laredo, TX Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Chapter 6 of the Laredo Code of Ordinances handles every dog labeled dangerous the same way regardless of breed, because Sec. 047 tells the city it can only add requirements that are 'not specific to one breed or several breeds of dogs' and 'more stringent than restrictions provided by' state Subchapter D. Laredo defines a dangerous dog in Sec. 6-1 as one that makes an unprovoked attack causing bodily injury outside a secure enclosure, or commits unprovoked acts that cause a person to reasonably believe it will attack and cause bodily injury, again outside a secure enclosure: language tied to conduct, not breed.

Under Sec. 6-82, the determination starts with a sworn written complaint to the animal control authority, which investigates and, if it finds the dog dangerous, notifies the owner in writing. The owner has 15 days to appeal that determination to municipal court, with further appeal following the normal municipal court process. Once a dog is declared dangerous, Sec. 6-83 requires the owner, within 30 days, to have an unsterilized dog spayed or neutered, register the dog with the animal care services director and pay a dangerous dog registration fee, keep it in a secure enclosure at all times, muzzle and leash it whenever it leaves that enclosure, and carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance or proof of financial responsibility, with the insurer required to give the city health department 30 days' notice before cancelling.

Owners must also microchip the dog and register it with a national registry, post a visible 'BEWARE DANGEROUS DOG' sign at every enclosure entrance, attend a responsible pet ownership class run by the department, and renew the registration and fee annually. A dog once declared dangerous can never be offered for adoption or sale.