Farmersville, TX Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code §§ 11-1, 11-70
- Examples banned
- Big cats, wolves, bears, primates, venomous snakes
- Domestic exception
- Common domestic cats, dogs, ferrets excluded
- Zoo/lab exemption
- Bona fide zoos, labs, licensed rehabilitators
- Seizure hearing
- Within 10 business days of seizure
Summary
Farmersville bans keeping, owning, selling, or possessing any 'prohibited animal', a defined list covering venomous snakes and lizards, crocodilians, birds of prey, big cats, wolves and wild canids, bears, primates, and more, with narrow exemptions for zoos and service animals.
Sec. 11-70. - Prohibited animals. (a)It shall be unlawful for a person to sell, offer for sale, barter, trade, keep, own, maintain, use or have in a person's possession or on premises under such person's control any of the following:(1)Any dangerous animal, except as provided in article VI of this chapter pursuant to a final determination that the animal is dangerous; or(2)Any prohibited animal unless that person is a person exempted by V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code § 822.102, dangerous wild animals, as amended.
Full Breakdown
Sec. A. Health and Safety Code Sec. 102 for dangerous wild animals. Sec. 11-1 defines 'prohibited animal' as any animal not normally born and raised in captivity, or a hybrid of one, listing entire taxonomic families as examples: venomous lizards and marine snakes, rattlesnakes and vipers, coral snakes and cobras, crocodilians, birds of prey such as hawks and eagles, wild cats like lions and cougars (domesticated cats excepted), wild canids like wolves and coyotes (domesticated dogs excepted), weasels and skunks (ferrets excepted), raccoons, bears, marsupials, bats, sloths and anteaters, elephants, primates, beavers and porcupines, and hoofed wild animals such as deer and bison, plus any species illegal to own under federal, state, or local law.
Two exemptions exist under Sec. 11-70(b): animals belonging to a bona fide zoo, circus, educational institution, museum, licensed laboratory, or a permitted wildlife rehabilitator (who must also comply with the city's zoning ordinance and keep animals in adequately secure caging); and registered assistance or service animals with proof of vaccination, veterinary health documentation, proper restraint, and training. The section also separately bans keeping any 'dangerous animal' except under a final dangerous-animal determination made under Article VI of the chapter.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Sec. 11-70 is enforceable through Sec. 11-71: the animal control officer may seize, impound, or quarantine any wild or exotic animal found in the city at the owner's expense where it poses a potentially serious threat to public health, safety, or welfare, or is otherwise kept in violation of the chapter, and may seek a seizure warrant from a justice, county, or municipal court upon probable cause. A post-seizure hearing on the animal's disposition must be held within ten business days, with written notice to the known owner or harborer at least five days before the hearing. Beyond seizure, keeping a prohibited animal is a misdemeanor under the Sec. 11-46 general penalty, with each day of continued possession a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I legally keep a pet wolf-dog hybrid in Farmersville?
Are pet ferrets or domestic cats banned as exotic animals?
What happens if the city finds a prohibited animal on my property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Farmersville
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Farmersville to another location·View the Texas animal ordinances overview
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