Animal Ordinances in Bellaire, TX (2026)
8 verified animal ordinances for Bellaire, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Bellaire Code Chapter 6 (Animals and Fowl) heavily restricts the keeping of livestock and poultry in residential areas. The city's zoning as a densely developed residential enclave within Houston means chickens, roosters, goats, and other livestock are generally prohibited on standard residential lots.
Bellaire Chickens & Livestock Rules
Heavy RestrictionsTex. Agriculture Code Sec. 161.001 (Livestock Disease Control - Definitions)
Sec. 161.001. DEFINITIONS. (a) In this chapter:(1) "Animal" includes livestock, exotic livestock, domestic fowl, and exotic fowl.(2) "Commission" means the Texas Animal Health Commission.(3) Repealed by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 604, Sec. 5.(4) "Exotic livestock" means grass-eating or plant-eating, single-hooved or cloven-hooved mammals that are not indigenous to this state and are known...
Dog Leash Laws
Bellaire Code Chapter 6 requires dogs to be restrained or under the owner's control at all times when off the owner's property. Dogs running at large within city limits are subject to impoundment. Bellaire PD handles animal control services and responds to loose dog complaints.
Bellaire Dog Leash Laws
Some RestrictionsTex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 822.042 (Requirements for Owner of Dangerous Dog)
Sec. 822.042. REQUIREMENTS FOR OWNER OF DANGEROUS DOG. (a) Not later than the 30th day after a person learns that the person is the owner of a dangerous dog, the person shall:(1) register the dangerous dog with the animal control authority for the area in which the dog is kept;(2) restrain the dangerous dog at all times on a leash in the immediate control of a person or in a secure enclosu...
Breed Restrictions
Bellaire does not impose breed-specific legislation (BSL) banning or restricting particular dog breeds. Texas state law under HB 4111 prohibits municipalities from enacting breed-specific bans. All dogs in Bellaire are subject to the same leash, vaccination, and dangerous dog provisions regardless of breed.
Bellaire Dog Breed Restrictions
Few RestrictionsBeekeeping
Bellaire does not have a specific beekeeping ordinance. Texas law generally permits beekeeping statewide, but Bellaire's animal nuisance provisions under Chapter 6 apply to bees if they create a disturbance to neighbors. The city's small residential lots require careful hive placement to avoid neighbor conflicts.
Bellaire Beekeeping Regulations
Some RestrictionsTex. Agric. Code Sec. 131.045 (Beekeeper Registration)
Sec. 131.045. BEEKEEPER REGISTRATION. (a) Each beekeeper in this state may register on an annual basis with the chief apiary inspector. A registration under this section expires August 31 following the date the registration is issued.(b) A registration must include:(1) information required by the chief apiary inspector; and(2) the county or counties in which the beekeeper operates.(c) T...
Exotic Pets
Bellaire restricts keeping wild, dangerous, or exotic animals on residential property. Animals such as venomous snakes, primates, large cats, bears, and wolves are prohibited. Texas state law also regulates dangerous wild animals under Health and Safety Code Chapter 822.
Bellaire Exotic and Wild Animal Restrictions
Heavy RestrictionsWildlife Feeding
Bellaire prohibits feeding wildlife in a manner that creates a public nuisance or attracts vermin under its nuisance abatement provisions. While no standalone wildlife feeding ordinance exists, residents who attract coyotes, feral cats, raccoons, or other wildlife through deliberate feeding may face code enforcement action and fines up to $500.
Bellaire Wildlife Feeding Restrictions
Some RestrictionsLivestock
Bellaire prohibits keeping livestock on residential property. Goats, sheep, horses, cattle, pigs, and other farm animals are not permitted in any residential zoning district regardless of lot size. This reflects the city's character as a densely developed urban residential community.
Bellaire Livestock Regulations
Heavy RestrictionsTex. Agric. Code Sec. 142.001 (Estray Livestock - Definitions)
Sec. 142.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:(1) "Estray" means stray livestock, stray exotic livestock, stray bison, or stray exotic fowl.(2) "Perilous condition" means a circumstance or condition in which capture and impoundment of an estray presents an immediate threat to law enforcement personnel or to the health of the estray.(3) "Person" does not include the government or a governmenta...
Animal Hoarding
Bellaire limits the number of dogs and cats to a combined total of four per household under Chapter 14 (Animals) of the city code. Keeping animals in unsanitary conditions or in numbers that create a nuisance is a code violation subject to fines up to $500 per offense and potential animal seizure by Bellaire Animal Control.
Bellaire Animal Hoarding & Excessive Animals Rules
Heavy RestrictionsLooking for Harris County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Bellaire city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Harris County →