Garland, TX Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- More than 2 article violations in 12 months (§22.21(A))
- No fixed cap
- Supervisor sets the number case-by-case
- Factors weighed
- 8 listed, incl. lot size, animal count, neighbor complaints
- Appeal body
- Administrative Review Board (§22.21(C))
- Compliance timing
- Reduction applies even while appeal is pending
Summary
Garland has no flat cap on pets. Instead, Section 22.21 lets the Supervisor of Animal Services impose a case-by-case ceiling once an owner has racked up more than two article violations in 12 months and the Supervisor traces those violations to keeping too many animals. Exceeding that individually-set number is then its own offense.
(A) If an owner has violated any provision of this article more than two times in a twelve-month period, and if the Supervisor of Animal Services determines, based upon the following criteria, that those violations are a result of excessive animals, the owner shall reduce the maximum number of animals to the number prescribed by the Supervisor of Animal Services. A person commits an offense if the person possesses, harbors, or keeps any number of animals in excess of the number prescribed by the Supervisor of Animal Services. ... (C) A person who has been ordered to reduce the number of animals to the number prescribed by the Supervisor of Animal Services may appeal the reduction to the Administrative Review Board. If so ordered, the animal number shall be reduced following receipt of the order, even if an appeal is initiated.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4862189; v40 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
" Subsection (B) lists eight factors the Supervisor must weigh before setting that number: the size of the property and any dwelling on it, how many animals are present, each animal's size, each animal's apparent physical health, the type of animal, the owner's apparent ability to provide care, the distance to neighboring properties, and the history and validity of nuisance complaints from neighbors. There is no city-wide default figure; the same three-dog household could be found excessive on a small lot with a nuisance-complaint history but left alone on an acre with none. "
Violations & Fines
Once a maximum is prescribed, "a person commits an offense if the person possesses, harbors, or keeps any number of animals in excess of the number prescribed by the Supervisor of Animal Services." An owner must comply with the reduction order immediately after receiving it, and filing an appeal to the Administrative Review Board does not pause that compliance deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Garland cap the number of pets a household can keep?
What factors decide how many pets I can keep after a Garland violation?
Can I appeal a Garland animal-count reduction order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Garland
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Garland to another location·View the Texas animal ordinances overview
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Pet Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle pet limits.