Animal Ordinances in Laredo, TX (2026)
12 verified animal ordinances for Laredo, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Laredo lets residents keep small numbers of fowl, but Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-42 bans keeping five or more small animals or fowl in any combination, or any male chicken at all, within 100 feet of a neighbor's home or business, and bans any fowl within 50 feet regardless of count.
Laredo Backyard Fowl Setback and Rooster Rules
Some RestrictionsLaredo Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-42(a)(5)-(6)
(5)It is unlawful for a person to keep five (5) or more small animals or fowl, in any combination thereof, or any number of male chickens, within one hundred (100) feet of any residence, structure or building used for human habitation or any other lawful activity, other than the person's habitation or business premises.(6)It is unlawful for a person to keep any small animals or fowl, in any com...
Dog Leash Laws
Laredo requires dogs to be leashed when off the owners property. Running at large violates the municipal code and TX Health and Safety Code 822.041, with fines up to 500 dollars and possible impoundment by Animal Care Services.
Animals: Dog Leash Laws
Light RestrictionsTexas Health and Safety Code Sec. 822.007 (Local Regulation of Dogs) and Sec. 822.042 (Requirements for Owner of Dangerous Dog)
Sec. 822.007. LOCAL REGULATION OF DOGS. This subchapter does not prohibit a municipality or county from adopting leash or registration requirements applicable to dogs. 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 contro...
Breed Restrictions
Texas law bars Laredo from banning or restricting dogs by breed: Health and Safety Code Sec. 822.047 lets the city add dangerous-dog requirements only if they are breed-neutral and stricter than the state's own Subchapter D rules. Laredo's animal control division instead evaluates dogs individually under Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-82, based on documented unprovoked attacks, not breed.
Laredo Dangerous Dog Rules: No Breed-Specific Bans
Some RestrictionsTexas Health and Safety Code Sec. 822.047 (Local Regulation of Dangerous Dogs)
A county or municipality may place additional requirements or restrictions on dangerous dogs if the requirements or restrictions: (1) are not specific to one breed or several breeds of dogs; and (2) are more stringent than restrictions provided by this subchapter.
Beekeeping
Beekeeping is allowed in Laredo with common-sense setbacks. Texas registers apiaries through the Texas Apiary Inspection Service. Agricultural property with 5 to 20 acres can qualify for beekeeping ag-use valuation.
Animals: Beekeeping
Few RestrictionsTexas Agriculture Code Sec. 131.045 (Voluntary 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) The i...
Exotic Pets
Laredo bans owning, possessing, confining, transporting, or caring for a dangerous wild animal or any of thirteen categories of prohibited animal within city limits. Sec. 6-80 makes the ban absolute unless Chapter 6 provides an exception, and Sec. 6-1 lists everything from big cats and primates to venomous reptiles and skunks as prohibited.
Laredo Ban on Dangerous Wild and Prohibited Pets
Heavy RestrictionsLaredo Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-80; definitions at Sec. 6-1
The ownership, possession, confinement, transportation or care of a dangerous wild animal or prohibited animal within the city is prohibited unless otherwise provided for in this chapter. ... Prohibited animals: shall mean: (1)Any and all non-human primate;(2)Any member of the genus Canis including wolf, hybrid wolf, coyote, jackal or fox, and similar species except Canis familiaris;(3)Any memb...
Wildlife Feeding
Feeding or harboring wild or feral animals in a Laredo residential area is unlawful under Sec. 6-41, which brands the practice a nuisance and public health threat. The only carve-out is for registered community cat caregivers under the city's trap-neuter-return program; deer, geese, raccoons, coyotes and other wildlife are off-limits everywhere feeding could draw them onto residential property.
Laredo Wildlife Feeding Ban in Residential Areas
Significant RestrictionsLaredo Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-41
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, harbor, house or maintain within the city limits any prohibited animal, small animal or fowl, except under the conditions hereinafter set forth in this article. It is also unlawful, a nuisance and public health threat to feed and harbor wild or feral animals, except community cats, in residential areas.
Cat Rules
Laredo lets community cat caregivers register and manage colonies instead of facing routine impoundment. Sec. 6-48 requires any colony caregiver to obtain a one-year cat colony permit and follow department sterilization and management practices, though colonies of six or fewer cats do not need to register at all.
Laredo Community Cat Colony Registration Rules
Some RestrictionsLaredo Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-48
(a)Each cat colony shall be registered by the caregiver with the department which shall serve as a clearinghouse for information on current caregivers, education for new caregivers, and assistance for persons found in violation of this section. Cat colonies with six (6) or fewer cats are not required to be registered as a cat colony. ... (c)Community cat caregivers shall obtain a cat colony per...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Laredo does not force pet owners to sterilize their dogs and cats, but it makes intact ownership cost more and come with real conditions: Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-116 requires every unsterilized dog or cat to be registered as intact through microchip, litters need a permit under Sec. 6-117, and a $20 intact fee runs double the $10 charged for a spayed or neutered pet.
Laredo's Intact Pet Registration and Litter Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsLaredo Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-116
(a)[Sprayed of neutered cat or dog.] The owner of any dog or cat must register each spayed or neutered dog or cat before the animal attains four (4) months of age through rabies vaccination and purchase of tag. ... (b)[Intact cat or dog.] The owner of any dog or cat that is not spayed or neutered must register the dog or cat as an intact dog or cat before the animal attains four (4) months of a...
Microchipping
Laredo will not release an impounded dog or cat to its owner without proof of registration, and Sec. 6-6 spells out the fallback: if the pet is not already registered, the owner must have it microchipped before animal care services will redeem it, on top of a current rabies certificate and the pound's redemption fee.
Laredo Microchip Rule to Redeem an Impounded Pet
Light RestrictionsLaredo Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-6(a)(1)
(a)All large livestock, small animals or fowl or any other animal impounded under the provisions of this article, other than community cats, shall be held for at least seventy-two (72) hours, three (3) business days, from midnight of the day of pickup or after the observation or quarantine period during which time the owner may redeem such large livestock, small animals or fowl or any other ani...
Pet Store Rules
Laredo does not ban retail pet sales: a pet shop may sell dogs, cats and other animals as long as it holds an annual permit from the animal care services director under Sec. 6-46. Permitted stores must meet housing, sanitation, vaccination and record-keeping standards, cannot sell puppies or kittens under eight weeks old, and may never deal in a prohibited animal.
Laredo Pet Shop Permit and Sale Rules
Some RestrictionsLaredo Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-46
(a)No person shall operate a pet shop within the city without first obtaining a pet shop permit from the director... (f)... Not offer any puppy or kitten under the age of eight (8) weeks (unless otherwise approved by a veterinarian in writing but in no event shall the animal be less than six (6) weeks old for dogs and cats) for sale, trade or other compensation or for free giveaway (except a pu...
Pet Groomer Rules
Laredo requires anyone operating a grooming shop, including a mobile groomer, to hold an annual permit from the animal care services director. Sec. 6-47 conditions approval on building type, a valid mobile business permit if applicable, and the applicant's compliance history, and the shop must post the permit and submit to inspection anytime it is open.
Laredo Grooming Shop Permit Requirements
Some RestrictionsLaredo Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-47
(a)No person shall operate any grooming shop, as defined in this chapter, without first obtaining a permit from the director who shall take into consideration the type of building construction, the mobile business permit (if applicable), the regulatory compliance history of the permittee as it relates to sanitation, health, welfare of the animals, and related zoning requirements. The director s...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Small animal veterinary clinics in Laredo's B-3 community business district cannot open right up against a house. Section 24-65.14 of the Land Development Code requires any clinic that treats, displays, grooms, or boards small animals or pets to sit at least fifty feet from any residential district before it can operate.
Laredo Vet Clinic 50-Foot Residential Setback Rule
Some RestrictionsLaredo Land Development Code § 24-65.14(6)
(6)Small animal veterinary clinics which include treatment, display, grooming, or boarding of small animals or pets shall be located not less than fifty (50) feet from any residential district,