MICROCHIPPING AND VACCINATION

Houston Code of Ordinances ch. 6, art. IV, div. 2

in effect

Houston Code of Ordinances § 6-85 Microchip required.

Sec. 6-85. - Microchip required. No person shall own, possess or have control over any dog or cat that is four months of age or older unless the dog or cat has been implanted with a microchip. (Ord. No. 2022-44, § 2(Exh. A), 1-19-2022)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 6-86 Registration required.

Sec. 6-86. - Registration required. (a) The owner or custodian of any dog or cat must register the animal by providing to BARC animal services the identification number of the implanted chip and a physical description of the animal before the animal attains four months of age, for an amount set in the city fee schedule. It is the duty of the owner or custodian of the animal to ensure that the animal's implanted microchip identification number is registered with the manufacturer of the microchip in addition to being registered with BARC animal services. If there is a change in contact information for the owner or custodian of the microchipped animal, the owner or custodian shall update the contact information with BARC animal services and the microchip manufacturer within 30 days after the date of the change in contact information. If there is a change in ownership of a microchipped animal, the initial owner or custodian shall be responsible for notifying BARC animal services and the microchip manufacturer of the change within 30 days after the date of change in ownership. The new owner or custodian shall be responsible for providing BARC animal services with the new owner's or custodian's name, address and telephone number within 30 days after the change in ownership. (b) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that: (1) The animal owner is a nonresident of this city and is keeping the subject animal in the city for fewer than 30 days; (2) The animal owner has been a resident of this city for fewer than 30 days; or (3) The animal had been abandoned or lost and the temporary owner has had the dog or cat for fewer than 30 days. (Ord. No. 2022-44, § 2(Exh. A), 1-19-2022)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 6-87 Fees.

Sec. 6-87. - Fees. (a) The following terms shall be applicable for microchip registrations for dogs and cats: (1) If the cat or dog has been sterilized, the owner shall obtain a sterilized pet registration for each animal for an initial registration fee and the regular payment of a renewal fee. (2) If a dog or cat has not been sterilized, the owner shall obtain an unsterilized pet registration for the animal for an initial registration fee and the regular payment of a renewal fee. (3) Senior citizens 60 years of age or older shall obtain a sterilized pet registration for each sterilized dog or cat for an initial registration fee and the regular payment of a renewal fee. (4) A person who uses a service animal, as defined by federal or state law, that has been sterilized may, upon application, obtain a sterilized pet registration without paying any fee therefor except a registration renewal fee. (b) The amounts of the fees described in this section are stated in the city fee schedule. (Ord. No. 2022-44, § 2(Exh. A), 1-19-2022)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 6-88 Special clinics; fees.

Sec. 6-88. - Special clinics; fees. (a) From time to time, the department may conduct special clinics for the vaccination, microchip implantation and registration of dogs and cats in cooperation with any group or association of veterinarians at the times and places designated by the director. Prior to each special clinic, the director shall provide a notice to the city secretary to be posted in a conspicuous place in City Hall. (b) The following provisions shall be applicable to any special clinic held pursuant to this section: (1) The veterinarians shall agree to reduce their charges below the usual and customary fees for vaccinating a dog or cat at the clinic; and (2) The city's registration fee for each dog or cat vaccinated and registered at the clinic shall be the applicable fee set out in the city fee schedule, provided, however, that the director may establish a lesser fee amount in connection with periodic special programs designed to promote the adoption of dogs or cats. (Ord. No. 2022-44, § 2(Exh. A), 1-19-2022)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 6-89 Duration; transfer.

Sec. 6-89. - Duration; transfer. (a) Each sterilized pet registration and unsterilized pet registration shall expire upon the first occurrence of any of the following events: (1) The expiration of the current rabies vaccination that was evidenced in the documentation furnished to obtain the registration; (2) The death of the animal; (3) The 30th calendar day following any change of ownership of the animal, unless the registration has been amended by that date; (4) The 30th calendar day following any change of the address of the animal's owner unless the registration has been amended by that date; (5) The anniversary of the issuance of the dog or cat's registration if the rabies vaccination is documented by a licensed veterinarian to be medically inadvisable for the dog or cat; or (6) In order to partially defray the city's additional costs associated with late issuance and renewal of licenses, a late processing fee shall be added to the cost of the dog or cat license fees if the applicant fails to obtain both a current rabies vaccination and a renewed registration upon the expiration of the current vaccination and registration. (b) In the event of a change of ownership of the registered animal or in the event of a change of address of the registered animal's owner, the owner must submit an application for amendment to reflect the change of owner or address within 30 calendar days following the date of the change. The director may promulgate forms and administrative rules as required for the orderly administration of registration amendments and applications. The director shall post a copy of the administrative rules on BARC animal services' website and maintain a copy for public inspection in the offices of the director and the city secretary. No fee shall be imposed for an amendment. (c) An expired registration is of no force and effect. A new registration must be obtained on or before expiration if the animal remains subject to registration by the city hereunder. (Ord. No. 2022-44, § 2(Exh. A), 1-19-2022)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 6-90 Rabies vaccination required prior to issuance; certification of sterilization.

Sec. 6-90. - Rabies vaccination required prior to issuance; certification of sterilization. (a) Subject to the affirmative defenses provided in section 6-94 of this Code, the director shall not issue any animal registration unless there is exhibited to him a certificate by a veterinarian showing that the animal to be registered has been inoculated with a rabies vaccine approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Veterinary Biologics Division in accordance with the recommendations of the manufacturer, and that the vaccination will not expire prior to the issuance of the registration. (b) The director shall not issue any animal registration for an animal as being a spayed or neutered animal unless there is also exhibited to him: (1) A certificate by a veterinarian indicating that the animal has been spayed or neutered; or (2) Other clear and convincing evidence that the animal has, in fact, been spayed or neutered. (Ord. No. 2022-44, § 2(Exh. A), 1-19-2022)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 6-91 Records.

Sec. 6-91. - Records. The department shall maintain a record of all registrations issued under this article, which shall show the name and address of each person issued a registration, a description of the dog or cat for which the registration is issued, the date of issuance, the fee paid, the place of issuance, the type of rabies vaccine administered and the date of inoculation, if applicable. (Ord. No. 2022-44, § 2(Exh. A), 1-19-2022)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 6-94 When rabies vaccination required; evidence.

Sec. 6-94. - When rabies vaccination required; evidence. (a) No person shall own, possess or have control over any dog or cat that is four months of age or older unless the dog or cat has a current rabies vaccination. (b) In any prosecution under this section, the burden shall be upon the defendant to prove that the animal is not required to be vaccinated because: (1) The animal is less than four months of age; (2) The animal was in fact vaccinated and such vaccination is not expired; or (3) The vaccination against rabies is medically inadvisable for the animal. A certificate duly signed by a veterinarian attesting either that he administered the vaccination required by this section, bearing the date and type of vaccine or that the vaccination against rabies is medically inadvisable shall be accepted as valid proof, provided that the certificate contains the identification of the dog or cat by breed, color, and sex, the vaccination tag number, if applicable, and the name and address of the owner. (Ord. No. 2022-44, § 2(Exh. A), 1-19-2022)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 6-95 Duty of veterinarian.

Sec. 6-95. - Duty of veterinarian. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings: Information bulletin shall mean the informational bulletin that is described in subsection (b) of this section. Registration application form shall mean the form prescribed by the city for a dog or cat registration application. Vaccination tag shall mean any tag, disk or other item designed or intended to be attached to a dog or cat as evidence that the animal has received a vaccination for rabies. For purposes of this section, a veterinarian shall be deemed to vaccinate an animal whether he personally administers vaccine to the animal or causes or allows the vaccine to be administered under his supervision or his control. (b) The director shall print information bulletins and microchip registration application forms. The information bulletins shall contain any information concerning the ordinances regulating dogs and cats that the director finds will aid in enforcement of the city's requirements for registering animals. The director shall make copies, without charge, of the information bulletin and the registration application form available for distribution to veterinarians and their employees in quantities sufficient to meet their needs. Copies of the information bulletin and registration application form shall also be available at the BARC animal shelter during regular business hours. (c) Each time a veterinarian vaccinates a dog or cat for rabies, the veterinarian is encouraged to furnish a copy of the information bulletin to the person presenting the animal for vaccination. (d) It shall be the duty of each veterinarian who vaccinates any dog or cat for rabies to furnish to the director, on or before the 30 th calendar day following the administration of the vaccination, a copy of the veterinarian's rabies vaccination information for the animal, setting forth: (1) A description of the dog or cat, including its breed, age, color and sex; (2) Whether the animal has been neutered (if known or determinable by the veterinarian); (3) The rabies vaccine manufacturer name and serial number; (4) The vaccination date and expiration (one or three years); (5) The serial number of the vaccination tag furnished; and (6) The name and the current address of the person owning or keeping the animal. Any information required to be provided above may be furnished to the office of the director by personal delivery, electronic transmission or by United States Mail properly addressed to the director. Mailed notices shall be deemed received upon their deposit with the United States Postal Service as evidenced by the postmark date, if legible, provided that they are in fact received by BARC animal services. (e) Each veterinarian, or his agent or employee, shall inform each person to whom he furnishes a vaccination tag that the vaccination tag does not constitute a city registration. The veterinarian shall provide this information in writing and in a manner that the information is clearly conspicuous to the reader of the writing. (Ord. No. 2022-44, § 2(Exh. A), 1-19-2022)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 6-96 Unsterilized pet registration revocation; mandatory sterilization.

Sec. 6-96. - Unsterilized pet registration revocation; mandatory sterilization. Any owner of an animal with an unsterilized pet registration whose animal is impounded for running at large in violation of this chapter two or more times shall have the unsterilized pet registration immediately revoked and shall be required to have the animal sterilized prior to redemption of the animal from the BARC animal shelter. Upon redemption of the animal from the BARC animal shelter: (1) The owner shall purchase a sterilized pet registration for the animal; (2) The owner shall pay the fee for the performance of sterilization at the BARC animal shelter; and (3) The owner shall pay any other applicable fees as set forth in section 6-137 of this Code. (Ord. No. 2022-44, § 2(Exh. A), 1-19-2022)

Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH6ANFO_ARTIVDOCA_DIV2MIVAFetched: 10/26/2026