Farmersville, TX Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Rescue Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 11-70(b)(1)
- Zoning compliance
- required under Chapter 77 ordinance
- Cage standard
- sufficient to restrain animal/reptile
- Permit source
- TX Parks & Wildlife wildcare center permit
- Penalty
- misdemeanor, up to $500/day (§ 1-3)
Summary
Farmersville's prohibited-animal ban carries a built-in carve-out for wildlife rehabbers: anyone holding a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wildcare center permit inside the city is exempt from the general ban on possessing prohibited or dangerous animals, but Code of Ordinances Sec. 11-70 also requires that permit holder to comply with the city's zoning ordinance and cage every rescued animal securely.
(b)A prohibited animal is exempt from this section if:(1)The animal belongs to a bona fide zoological park, circus, educational institution, museum, licensed laboratory, publicly owned nature center, or animals kept by bona fide members of an educational or scientific association or society approved by the director of health, or persons holding permits from an agency of the state or the United States for the care and keeping of animals for rehabilitative purposes. If a person holds a permit from the state department of parks and wildlife to operate a wildcare center in the city, the permit holder must also comply with the city comprehensive zoning ordinance, as amended, and must keep any and all animals or reptiles in cages of sufficient size, construction and strength to restrain the animal or reptile at all times; or
Full Breakdown
Sec. A. Health and Safety Code Sec. 102, dangerous wild animals) or a "dangerous animal" without a listed exemption. Sec. 11-70(b)(1) carves out zoos, circuses, educational institutions, museums, licensed laboratories, publicly owned nature centers, members of approved educational or scientific associations, and holders of state or federal rehabilitation permits. It then singles out wildcare centers specifically: a person holding a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department permit to operate a wildcare center in the city must also comply with the city's comprehensive zoning ordinance as amended, and must keep every animal or reptile in a cage strong and secure enough to restrain it at all times.
Sec. 11-70(b)(2) separately exempts registered assistance or service animals on different terms (vaccination records, veterinary health documentation, restraint proof, and training proof), which is not the wildlife-rehab path. Enforcement of Chapter 11 runs through the animal control officer, and Sec. 11-71 authorizes impoundment, quarantine, or seizure of a prohibited animal kept out of compliance with these conditions.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a prohibited or dangerous animal without qualifying for this exemption is a misdemeanor under the Chapter 11 penalty at Sec. 11-46, fined per the Code's general penalty schedule at Sec. 1-3 up to $500.00 per offense, with each day of a continuing violation charged as a separate offense. Housing rescued wildlife in inadequate cages or ignoring the zoning-compliance condition forfeits the exemption and exposes the animals to impoundment or seizure under Sec. 11-71.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a wildlife rescue in Farmersville without any permit?
Does a state wildcare permit override city zoning?
What happens if my rescue's cages aren't secure enough?
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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Wildlife Rescue Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Collin County handle wildlife rescue permits.