Tex. Health & Safety Code § 821.102 · Subchapter E. UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT OF DOG
UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT OF DOG; OFFENSE.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) An owner may not leave a dog outside and unattended by use of a restraint unless the owner provides the dog access to:
(1) adequate shelter;
(2) an area that allows the dog to avoid standing water and exposure to excessive animal waste;
(3) shade from direct sunlight; and
(4) potable water.
(b) An owner may not restrain a dog outside and unattended by use of a restraint that:
(1) is a chain;
(2) has weights attached;
(3) is shorter in length than the greater of:
(A) five times the length of the dog, as measured from the tip of the dog's nose to the base of the dog's tail; or
(B) 10 feet; or
(4) is attached to a collar or harness not properly fitted.
(c) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly violates this section. The restraint of each dog that is in violation is a separate offense.
(d) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor, except that the offense is a Class B misdemeanor if the person has previously been convicted under this section.
(e) If conduct constituting an offense under this section also constitutes an offense under any other law, the actor may be prosecuted under this section, the other law, or both.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., 3rd C.S., Ch. 6 (S.B. 5), Sec. 1, eff. January 18, 2022.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/HS/htm/HS.821.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 675248fcb87737ee20ab04e822c9da596522e6f95d46eb31d01dcc6d2f69d565
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
Cited by 1 provision
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Health & Safety Code § 821.102. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
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