Animal Ordinances in Longview, TX (2026)
7 verified animal ordinances for Longview, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Longview lets residents keep chickens and other poultry, but the enclosure must sit at least 100 feet from any neighboring property.
Longview Backyard Chicken Setback Rule
Significant RestrictionsLongview, TX Code of Ordinances § 13-28
It shall be the duty of any person owning or having within their management or control, any chickens, turkeys, geese or other poultry, to keep same in an enclosure upon their own premises at all times... No chickens, turkeys, geese or other poultry shall be kept in any enclosure within the city, any part of which enclosure is within 100 feet of any adjoining property within the city other than ...
Dog Leash Laws
Longview makes it a public nuisance for an owner to let a dog or other animal roam at-large on public or private property, unless it's inside a designated dog park.
Longview Bans Dogs Roaming At Large
Light RestrictionsLongview, TX Code of Ordinances, Sec. 13-9(a)
It shall be unlawful and constitute a public nuisance for the owner or any person to maintain any animal which roams at-large on public or private property, except a designated dog park; which attacks another animal; or damages public or private property.
Breed Restrictions
Longview does not ban dog breeds. Instead, any dog judged fierce or dangerous by conduct faces court-ordered muzzling, confinement, and registration under Chapter 13.
Longview: No Breed Bans, Behavior-Based Rules
Light RestrictionsLongview, TX Code of Ordinances, Ch. 13, Sec. 13-22 & Sec. 13-26
No person who owns or keeps a dog shall allow the dog to engage in fierce or dangerous conduct... the owner or person harboring a dangerous dog shall have the dog... muzzled in a manner that will not cause injury to the animal or impair its vision or respiration, but shall prevent it from biting any person or animal.
Exotic Pets
Longview outright bans keeping dangerous wild animals or reptiles, lions, tigers, primates, venomous snakes, and more, as pets anywhere in the city.
Longview Bans Dangerous Wild Animals as Pets
Some RestrictionsLongview City Code § 13-13 (definitions at § 13-1)
It shall be unlawful for any person to import, offer for sale, keep, maintain, harbor, or possess within the corporate limits, any dangerous wild animal or reptile as defined in this chapter. ... "Dangerous wild animals or reptiles" ... shall include but are not limited to the following: alligators, bears, bobcats, cheetahs, coyotes, crocodiles, foxes, hyenas, jaguars, leopards, lions, monkeys ...
Pet Limits
Longview households may keep at most six dogs or cats combined, with exemptions for larger properties, kennels, shelters, and similar facilities.
Longview Caps Dogs and Cats at Six
Some RestrictionsLongview, TX Code of Ordinances, Sec. 13-10(a)
It is unlawful for any household to own or keep more than six dogs or six cats, or any combination thereof upon any private premises within the city limits. It is a defense to this section that the private premises is: a veterinary clinic, an animal hospital, or similar facility; an animal shelter; a kennel...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Longview requires every dog and cat in city limits to be sterilized unless the owner holds a paid intact pet permit.
Longview Requires Pets Sterilized
Significant RestrictionsSec. 13-41
(a) Sterilization required. Except as expressly provided otherwise in this section, all dogs and cats kept in the city limits must be sterilized. All sterilization procedures shall be administered by a duly licensed veterinarian... (b) Intact pet permit required. An animal that is the subject of a valid intact pet permit is not required to be sterilized.
Pet Store Rules
Longview's animal ordinance defines pet shops as lawful retail or wholesale sellers of dogs, cats, and other pet animals, with no citywide ban on commercial sales and no adoption-only mandate for stores.
Longview Pet Stores May Sell Dogs, Cats
Few RestrictionsLongview, TX Code of Ordinances § 13-1 (Definitions); § 13-10(a)
Pet shop. The term “pet shop” shall mean an establishment where pet animals are kept for either retail or wholesale sale or trade by any person. ... It is a defense to this section that the private premises is: a veterinary clinic, an animal hospital, or similar facility; an animal shelter; a kennel; a pet shop; a research institution;