Deer Park discourages feeding wildlife that may create nuisance conditions on residential property. The city's nuisance provisions address conditions that attract feral animals, rodents, or wildlife to residential areas. Residents must secure trash containers and avoid leaving pet food outdoors that attracts wildlife including coyotes, raccoons, feral cats, and opossums.
Deer Park addresses wildlife feeding indirectly through its nuisance and sanitation provisions in the Code of Ordinances. Conditions that attract rodents, vermin, or wildlife to residential areas may be declared a public nuisance subject to abatement. This includes leaving pet food or water bowls outdoors overnight, accumulating bird seed on the ground in quantities that attract rodents, and failing to secure garbage containers with tight-fitting lids. Feeding feral cats is not expressly prohibited but may trigger nuisance complaints if it results in a colony of feral cats congregating on the property. The city coordinates with Harris County regarding coyote management, as coyotes have been reported in the Deer Park area. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department manages all native wildlife and prohibits keeping wildlife as pets without proper permits. Alligators found in residential areas should be reported to TPWD or the city's non-emergency police line. The city encourages residents to remove attractants rather than directly feeding or interacting with wildlife. Code Enforcement handles complaints about wildlife nuisance conditions at (281) 478-7243.
Creating conditions that attract wildlife in a manner constituting a public nuisance may result in a notice to abate from Code Enforcement. Failure to abate within the specified timeframe can result in fines up to $500 per offense. Feeding or harassing protected wildlife species may violate Texas Parks and Wildlife regulations with separate state-level penalties.
Deer Park, TX
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Deer Park, TX
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Deer Park, TX
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Deer Park, TX
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Deer Park, TX
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Deer Park, TX
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