Animal Ordinances in Denton, TX (2026)

Tex. Agriculture Code Sec. 142.001 (Estrays - 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 governmental age...

Tex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 822.041 (Dangerous Dogs - Definitions)

Sec. 822.041. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:(1) "Animal control authority" means a municipal or county animal control office with authority over the area where the dog is kept or a county sheriff in an area with no animal control office.(2) "Dangerous dog" means a dog that:(A) makes an unprovoked attack on a person that causes bodily injury and occurs in a place other than an enclosure in whi...

City Code § 6-2 (definitions); § 6-38 (requirements for owning a dangerous dog)

Dangerous dog means a dog that: (a) Makes an unprovoked attack on a person or legally restrained domestic animal or livestock that causes bodily injury and occurs in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog was being kept... (b) Commits unprovoked acts... that cause a person to reasonably believe that the dog will attack and cause bodily injury to that person.

Tex. Agriculture Code Sec. 131.001 (Beekeeping - Definitions)

Sec. 131.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:(1) "Abandoned apiary, equipment, or bees" means an apiary, equipment, or a colony of bees that is not regularly maintained or attended in accordance with this chapter or rules or quarantines adopted under this chapter.(2) "Apiary" means a place where colonies of bees or nuclei of bees are kept.(3) "Beekeeper" means a person who owns, leases, possesses...

Tex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 822.101-822.116 (Dangerous Wild Animals)

Sec. 822.101. (4) "Dangerous wild animal" means: (A) a lion; (B) a tiger; (C) an ocelot; (D) a cougar; (E) a leopard; (F) a cheetah; (G) a jaguar; (H) a bobcat; (I) a lynx; (J) a serval; (K) a caracal; (L) a hyena; (M) a bear; (N) a coyote; (O) a jackal; (P) a baboon; (Q) a chimpanzee; (R) an orangutan; (S) a gorilla; or (T) any hybrid... Sec. 822.103(a). A person may not own, harbor, or have c...

Sec. 6-25.

Feral cat colonies shall be permitted, and feral cat colony caretakers shall be entitled to maintain and care for feral cats by providing food, water, appropriate shelter, and other forms of sustenance providing that doing so does not create a nuisance nor provide sustenance for wildlife.(b)Feral cats that are trapped and brought to the animal services center shall be sterilized, microchipped, ...

Sec. 6-17(c)

An owner, or their designee, who redeems an animal, six (6) months of age or older, for a second or subsequent impound shall provide proof that the animal has been sterilized prior to the release of the animal. If the owner cannot provide proof that the animal is sterilized, the owner shall pay the animal services center a fee for the sterilization of the animal, as established by the city coun...

Sec. 6-14.

Every owner of a cat or dog, which is four (4) or more months of age and is kept in the city, shall have their pet microchipped and registered with the corresponding microchip company.(b)Every cat or dog impounded at the animal services center, that is not microchipped upon intake, will be implanted with a microchip before release.(c)Animal services center will offer microchip implanting and re...

Denton Development Code § 5.3.5 (Commercial Animal Service, Use-Specific Standards)

When located inside of or within one thousand feet of a Residential Zoning District: Outdoor play/exercise areas shall not be located within 150 feet of any adjacent property unless such property is owned by the operator of the business. The outdoor play/exercise areas for all commercial animal service uses shall not be used after ...

Denton Development Code § 5.3.5 (Veterinary Clinic)

In the MD zoning district, veterinary clinics are limited to no more than 5,000 square feet per lot. No livestock veterinary care shall be proposed on-site in MN, MD, or MR zoning districts. If livestock veterinary care proposed on-site in SC, HC, LI, or PF zoning districts an SUP shall be required. RV Parks Generally Occupa...