Bexar County does not regulate retail pet store sourcing in unincorporated areas, deferring to Texas Occupations Code Chapter 802 licensed-breeder rules and federal USDA APHIS oversight, with no countywide ban on commercial puppy or kitten sales as some Texas cities have adopted.
Texas Occupations Code Chapter 802, the Licensed Breeder Act, requires commercial breeders with five or more intact females selling 20+ animals annually to register with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Bexar County does not impose retail pet-store sourcing restrictions, unlike Austin and El Paso which require shelter or rescue sourcing. Pet stores in unincorporated Bexar County may sell commercially bred puppies and kittens provided they comply with state breeder rules and USDA Class A or B dealer licensing. Bexar County Animal Care Services investigates cruelty at pet stores under Penal Code 42.092.
Unlicensed breeding: civil penalty up to $5,000 per Texas Occupations Code 802.155; cruelty at pet stores: Class A misdemeanor up to $4,000 fine and 1 year jail; consumer fraud claims under Texas Health and Safety Code 802 puppy lemon law.
Bexar County, TX
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Bexar County, TX
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See how Bexar County's pet store rules rules stack up against other locations.
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