Tex. Health & Safety Code § 822.001 · Subchapter A. GENERAL PROVISIONS; DOGS THAT ATTACK PERSONS OR ARE A DANGER TO PERSONS
DEFINITIONS.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
In this subchapter:
(1) "Animal control authority" means a municipal or county animal control office with authority over the area in which the dog is kept or the county sheriff in an area that does not have an animal control office.
(2) "Serious bodily injury" means an injury characterized by severe bite wounds or severe ripping and tearing of muscle that would cause a reasonably prudent person to seek treatment from a medical professional and would require hospitalization without regard to whether the person actually sought medical treatment.
(3) "Dangerous dog," "dog," "owner," and "secure enclosure" have the meanings assigned by Section 822.041.
(4) "Secure" means to take steps that a reasonable person would take to ensure a dog remains on the owner's property, including confining the dog in an enclosure that is capable of preventing the escape or release of the dog.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 99, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by:
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 669 (H.B. 1355), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2007.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/HS/htm/HS.822.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 242abb958a0e80167b083531b1b54354b2eb930c198ab77edf18efbb0565d588
- 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
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Health and Safety Code
Cited by 2 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Health & Safety Code § 822.001. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.