Longview, TX Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Retail sale ban
- None found in Chapter 13
- Pet shop status
- Exempt from 6-pet household cap
- Sourcing requirement
- None: no shelter-only mandate
- General nuisance fine
- Up to $2,000 (Sec. 1-4)
Summary
Longview's animal ordinance defines pet shops as lawful retail or wholesale sellers of dogs, cats, and other pet animals, with no citywide ban on commercial sales and no adoption-only mandate for stores.
Pet shop. The term “pet shop” shall mean an establishment where pet animals are kept for either retail or wholesale sale or trade by any person. ... It is a defense to this section that the private premises is: a veterinary clinic, an animal hospital, or similar facility; an animal shelter; a kennel; a pet shop; a research institution;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: June 2026: This code is current through Ordinances 4635 passed 06.25.26).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 13 defines "pet shop" as an establishment where pet animals are kept for retail or wholesale sale or trade, and Sec. 13-10(a) lists pet shops, alongside kennels, animal shelters, and research institutions, as an exempt category under the citywide six-dog/six-cat household cap. No section in the animal-control chapter requires pet stores to source stock only from shelters or rescues, bans retail sale of dogs and cats, or mandates adoption-only operations, unlike 'puppy-mill' ordinances some Texas cities have adopted. Pet shops instead operate subject to Longview's general sanitation and public-nuisance rules under Sec. 13-9(c).
Violations & Fines
No sale-related violation exists; unsanitary or nuisance conditions at a pet shop are fined up to $2,000 under the Code's general penalty provision, Sec. 1-4.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Longview ban pet stores from selling dogs and cats?
Must Longview pet stores source animals only from shelters or rescues?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Longview
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Longview to another location·View the Texas animal ordinances overview
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