10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Galveston County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
The county cannot zone, so it sets no chicken limit in unincorporated areas. Cities regulate fowl: Galveston restricts poultry near dwellings. A voter-adopted stock law can bar hogs or livestock from running at large.
Tex. Agric. Code Sec. 143.074(a)
If a majority of the votes cast in an election are for the proposition, this subchapter is adopted and... a person may not permit any animal of the class mentioned in the proclamation to run at large in the county or area in which the election was held.
Texas counties cannot enforce a countywide leash law in unincorporated areas. Cities set leashing: Galveston bans running at large. Statewide, the county enforces dangerous-dog restraint rules and rabies-control authority for loose dogs.
Tex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 826.033(a)
The governing body of a municipality and the commissioners court of a county may adopt ordinances or rules... requiring that: each dog or cat be restrained by its owner; each stray dog or cat be declared a public nuisance; each unrestrained dog or cat be detained or impounded by the local rabies control authority.
Texas law bars breed-specific bans. Galveston County and its cities cannot outlaw pit bulls or any breed. Dogs are regulated by behavior through the state dangerous-dog law, not by breed.
Tex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 822.047
A county or municipality may place additional requirements or restrictions on dangerous dogs if the requirements or restrictions: are not specific to one breed or several breeds of dogs; and are more stringent than restrictions provided by this subchapter.
The county cannot zone, so it sets no beehive rules in unincorporated areas. Hobby beekeeping is broadly legal. Cities may regulate hive placement; state law governs apiary registration and disease control, not backyard limits.
You cannot keep a dangerous wild animal (big cats, bears, most primates, venomous species) without a state-required certificate of registration. Galveston County's animal registration agency issues or denies these; cities may ban them entirely.
Tex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 822.103(a)
A person may not own, harbor, or have custody or control of a dangerous wild animal for any purpose unless the person holds a certificate of registration for that animal issued by an animal registration agency.
Galveston County has no ordinance banning the feeding of deer, raccoons, or feral hogs in the unincorporated area, since it cannot zone. Coastal cities may restrict shore-bird or feral feeding; state law governs game species.
The county cannot zone livestock in the unincorporated area, but state law bars letting animals roam a highway right-of-way and lets voters adopt a stock law. Right-to-farm protects established agricultural operations from nuisance suits.
Tex. Agric. Code Sec. 143.102
A person who owns or has responsibility for the control of a horse, mule, donkey, cow, bull, steer, hog, sheep, or goat may not knowingly permit the animal to traverse or roam at large, unattended, on the right-of-way of a highway.
Texas treats animal hoarding through criminal cruelty law: unreasonably failing to provide food, water, care, or shelter is a Class A misdemeanor. The county can also abate the resulting unsanitary conditions as a public nuisance.
Tex. Penal Code Sec. 42.092(b)
A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly... fails unreasonably to provide necessary food, water, care, or shelter for an animal in the person's custody.
Texas sets no statewide pet limit, and the county cannot zone, so there is no cap on dogs or cats in unincorporated Galveston County. Cities set their own limits: check the Galveston or League City code.
The county has no cat leash or roaming ordinance in the unincorporated area, but state rabies law lets it require restraint and impound strays. Cities may require registration and address free-roaming cats.
Tex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 826.033(a)
The governing body of a municipality and the commissioners court of a county may adopt ordinances or rules... requiring that: each dog or cat be restrained by its owner; each stray dog or cat be declared a public nuisance; each unrestrained dog or cat be detained or impounded by the local rabies control authority.
1 cities in Galveston County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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