(a) An owner of a dog or cat commits an offense if:
(1) the dog or cat is not currently vaccinated;
(2) the dog or cat is not wearing a collar or harness with a current rabies tag securely attached to it; or
(3) the owner fails to show a current certificate of vaccination and rabies tag for the dog or cat upon request by the director or a peace officer.
(b) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a) that:
(1) the dog or cat is under four months of age;
(2) the dog or cat is unable to be vaccinated due to health reasons as verified by a licensed veterinarian; or
(3) the person charged produces to the court proof of vaccination from a licensed veterinarian showing the dog or cat was vaccinated at the time the citation was issued or not later than 20 days after the citation was issued.
(c) A licensed veterinarian who vaccinates a dog or cat for rabies shall issue to the owner of the animal a current rabies tag and a certificate of vaccination and send a copy of the certificate of vaccination to the director by the 10th day of the month following the month in which the dog or cat was vaccinated. The certificate of vaccination must contain the following information:
(1) name, address, and telephone number of the owner;
(2) animal identification, including species, sex, age, size (pounds), predominant breed, and color;
(3) vaccine used (including whether it is a one-year or three-year rabies vaccine), producer, expiration date, and serial number;
(4) date vaccinated and expiration date of the certificate of vaccination;
(5) rabies tag number; and
(6) veterinarian’s signature and license number. (Ord. Nos. 26024; 30483)
(a) An owner of a dog or cat commits an offense if the dog or cat does not have a microchip.
(b) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a) that:
(1) the dog or cat was under four months of age;
(2) the dog or cat was being held for adoption by animal services or an animal welfare organization;
(3) the owner of the dog or cat has resided in the city for fewer than 30 days;
(4) the dog or cat qualifies for a medical exception from a licensed veterinarian;
(5) the dog or cat owner is not a resident of the city and is staying in the city for fewer than 60 days; or
(6) the person charged produces to the court proof of a registered microchip showing the dog or cat was implanted with a microchip at the time the citation was issued or not later than 20 days after the citation was issued.
(c) The owner of a dog or cat shall maintain his or her current contact information with a microchip registration company.
(1) If the owner's contact information changes, the owner shall update the microchip registration company not later than 30 days after the change in the contact information.
(2) If the ownership of a dog or cat changes, the new owner shall provide the microchip registration company with his or her contact information not later than 30 days after the change in ownership.
(3) It is a defense to prosecution under this subsection that the person charged produces to the court proof that the contact information was current and the correct owner was listed at the time the citation was issued or the contact information was corrected and made current not later than 20 days after the citation was issued. (Ord. Nos. 26024; 27250; 30483; 32194, eff. 11-11-22)
(a) If, within any 12-month period, a person commits two or more violations of this chapter involving a dog or cat, the director may revoke the existing registrations on all dogs and cats owned by that person and deny all applications for registration of any dog or cat by that person.
(b) If the director revokes or denies the registration of a dog or cat, a written notice of the action and of the right to an appeal must be given to the owner of the dog or cat by personal service or by certified mail, return receipt requested. The owner may appeal the decision of the director to the permit and license appeal board in accordance with Section 2-96 of this code. The filing of a request for an appeal hearing stays an action of the director in revoking or denying registration until the permit and license appeal board makes a final decision.
(c) Within 15 calendar days after receipt of a notice of revocation or denial of registration, or after a final decision of the permit and license appeal board if an appeal is filed, the owner shall remove and relocate all dogs and cats from his premises or surrender and forfeit ownership of them to the director. The director or the permit and license appeal board may extend the 15-calendar-day removal and relocation period up to an additional 15 calendar days if it is determined that all dogs and cats of the owner cannot reasonably be removed and relocated from the premises within the initial period and no immediate threat to the public health exists. The owner shall demonstrate to the director proof of removal and relocation by furnishing the director with the address to which each dog or cat was relocated and by:
(1) allowing the director to inspect the premises of the owner to determine that all dogs and cats have been removed from those premises; or
(2) providing the director with a written, sworn affidavit stating that all dogs and cats have been removed from the premises.
(d) A person who has had the registration of a dog or cat revoked or denied under this section may not apply for registration of any dog or cat until 12 consecutive months have elapsed after the date of registration revocation or denial without the person committing any violation of this chapter involving a dog or cat.
(e) A person commits an offense if he:
(1) owns any dog or cat within the city during a period when he is prohibited under Subsection (d) from applying for registration of a dog or cat; or
(2) fails to remove all dogs and cats from his premises when required by this section. (Ord. 26024)
(a) The director may, upon receipt of an application on a form provided for that purpose, designate a person as an authorized registrar to collect the annual registration fee and issue a registration receipt and registration tag for a dog or cat. The director may, at his sole discretion and without cause, deny or revoke the designation of any person to act as an authorized registrar.
(b) An authorized registrar shall not register a dog or cat without proof that the animal is currently vaccinated or proof that the dog or cat was not vaccinated due to health reasons as verified by a licensed veterinarian.
(c) An authorized registrar may, as a service charge, be paid $1 for each dog or cat registration fee collected by the authorized registrar.
(d) The director shall provide an authorized registrar with registration receipts, registration tags, and monthly report forms. An authorized registrar must at all times be able to account for all registration receipts and tags issued to the authorized registrar by the director.
(e) The director shall establish rules and procedures for the collection and payment of registration fees by authorized registrars and a format for monthly report forms to be used by authorized registrars.
(f) Registration fees collected by an authorized registrar must be sent to the director, along with a properly completed monthly report form, by the end of the month following the month in which the registration fees were collected.
(g) An authorized registrar who fails to comply with any requirement of this section or with any rule or procedure for the collection and payment of registration fees and the delivery of monthly report forms as established by the director pursuant to this section forfeits the right to be paid a service charge and may be issued a citation for a violation of this section. (Ord. 26024)
(a) A person commits an offense if the person sells, exchanges, barters, gives away, or transfers, or offers or advertises for sale, exchange, barter, give away, or transfer, a dog or cat four months of age or older unless:
(1) the dog or cat is currently vaccinated or cannot be vaccinated due to health reasons as verified by a licensed veterinarian; and
(2) the person has a current registration receipt and registration tag for the dog or cat.
(b) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a) if the person is:
(1) animal services;
(2) an animal welfare organization; or
(3) an animal adoption agency.
(c) Except as provided in this subsection, a retail pet store commits an offense if the retail pet store sells, exchanges, barters, gives away, or transfers, or offers or advertises for sale, exchange, barter, give away, or transfer, a dog or cat, regardless of age.
(1) A retail pet store may provide space for the display of dogs or cats available for adoption by an animal shelter, animal welfare organization, or animal adoption agency, if the retail pet store does not have an ownership interest in any of the displayed dogs or cats and the retail pet store does not receive any fees or compensation associated with the display of the dogs or cats.
(2) It is a defense to prosecution under this subsection, if the individual only sells, gives, or otherwise transfers dogs or cats bred by that individual. (Ord. Nos. 26024; 32194, eff. 11-11-22)
(a) In this section, DWELLING UNIT has the meaning given it in Section 51A-2.102 of the Dallas Development Code, as amended.
(b) A person commits an offense if he harbors more than four dogs, cats, or any combination of dogs and cats on the premises of a dwelling unit that shares a common wall with another dwelling unit.
(c) A person commits an offense if he harbors more than:
(1) six dogs, cats, or any combination of dogs and cats on the premises of a dwelling unit that shares no common wall with another dwelling unit and that is located on not more than one-half acre of land; or
(2) eight dogs, cats, or any combination of dogs and cats on the premises of a dwelling unit that shares no common wall with another dwelling unit and that is located on more than one-half acre of land.
(d) In determining the number of dogs or cats harbored on the premises of a dwelling unit under Subsections (b) and (c) of this section, the director shall not count any dog or cat under six months of age or any feral cat participating in a trap, neuter, and return program approved by the director.
(e) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (c) that:
(1) the person:
(A) was approved by the director as a foster care provider under a foster care program sponsored by animal services or an animal welfare organization;
(B) was not fostering more dogs, cats, or any combination of dogs and cats on the premises than approved by the director based on the type and size of the animals, the size of the premises, the location of the premises, the facilities located on the premises, and other factors established by the director; and
(C) had on file with the director a written document (on a form provided by the director for that purpose) authorizing the director to conduct unannounced inspections of the premises and all animals located on the premises to ensure that the person was complying with all applicable provisions of this chapter, which document must be signed and acknowledged before a notary public by the legal owner of the dwelling unit and at least one occupant of the dwelling unit who is 18 years of age or older; or
(2) the person:
(A) on June 25, 2008, was the owner of, and was harboring on the premises of the dwelling unit, more than six dogs, cats, or any combination of dogs and cats;
(B) before September 25, 2008, provided information to the director (on a form provided by the director for that purpose) relating to each dog or cat harbored on the premises of the dwelling unit;
(C) harbored no additional dogs or cats on the premises of the dwelling unit on or after June 25, 2008; and
(D) was in compliance with all other requirements of this chapter applicable to dogs and cats. (Ord. Nos. 26024; 27250)
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