Friends of Gonzales Animal Shelter
Know The Law
We share the latest on Texas and local animal laws — pulling from the Texas Humane Legislation Network, official Texas statutes, and Gonzales-area sources — so you always know what's current for you and your pets.
Get an Animal-Friendly License Plate (new design, effective 2025)
Every Texas driver can help fund spay/neuter services just by choosing this plate at registration. $22 of the $30 fee goes directly into the state's Animal Friendly Fund — funds from the program have already generated over $6 million in spay/neuter grants statewide.
Texas Spay and Neuter Pilot Program (2025)
The Texas Legislature appropriated $13 million for a two-year statewide pilot program funding spay, neuter, and vaccination services through local organizations. Applications opened January 2026.
HB 3660 — TNR Is Not Abandonment (2023)
HB 3660 updates Section 42.092(a) of the Texas Penal Code by defining a "Trap-Neuter-Return Program" as a means of nonlethal population control and adding a defense to prosecution for returning T-N-R cats to their outdoor homes. As a result, the law now clearly distinguishes between abandoning an owned companion animal versus releasing a T-N-R cat." The legislature is clear - T-N-R is not cat abandonment!
Safe Outdoor Dogs Act (2022)
This law requires that dogs tethered outdoors be given access to adequate shelter, protection from extreme weather, and drinkable water, and bans the use of chains in favor of safer restraints like properly attached cable tie-outs. Violations are a Class C misdemeanor ($500 fine), rising to a Class B misdemeanor (up to 180 days in jail, $2,000 fine) for repeat offenders. Officers can now act on distressed tethered dogs immediately, rather than issuing a warning and waiting 24 hours as under the old law.
The law doesn't apply to dogs on a cable-tie/trolley system, camping or at public recreational areas, herding livestock or assisting with farm work, hunting or in field trials, or briefly in an open-air truck bed while the owner completes a task.
Local: Gonzales City & County
Animal control rules can differ depending on where you and your pet are within Gonzales County. City of Gonzales (enforced by Gonzales Police Dept. Animal Control)
In 2024, the city updated its animal ordinance — notably adding a home quarantine option for dog bites (previously, any bite required quarantine at a vet clinic, even for a well-vaccinated family pet) and adjusting rules around community cats to support local TNVR efforts.
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Community cats are legally defined as free-roaming cats cared for by area residents — known or unknown — and are not classified as wildlife.
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Community cat caregivers — people who feed, shelter, or provide medical care as part of a good-faith TNR effort — are not considered the cat's owner, harborer, or keeper under the law.
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The "stray" definition now excludes cats — they no longer need to be on the owner's property or wearing a collar/tags to avoid being picked up as strays. This means owners/caregivers should be extra diligent about spay/neuter status and current rabies vaccination.
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TNVR (Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return) now includes ear-tipping (removing 3/8 inch of the left ear) and microchipping as standard practice.Home quarantine is now approved for animals on a rabies observation hold, sparing owners the cost of mandatory boarding — the quarantine area must meet public safety standards set by the Animal Control Officer.
Unincorporated Gonzales County (enforced by the Gonzales County Sheriff's Office)
Outside city limits, animal regulations fall under Texas state law directly — including the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act and dangerous dog statutes below, since the county doesn't maintain its own separate animal ordinance.
Dangerous Dog Law (Texas Health & Safety Code §822.042)
If a dog is legally declared "dangerous" — meaning it's attacked someone without provocation, or acted in a way that would make a reasonable person believe it will — the owner has 30 days to register the dog with local animal control, keep it securely restrained at all times, and carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance. Non-compliance can result in the dog being seized.