Ordinances
On July 22, 2021 Irving City Council repealed and replaced Chapter 6 – Animal Services section of the city ordinances to protect public health and safety, and match with federal and state laws. The new updates are effective immediately.
THE TOP 5 CHANGES PET OWNERS NEED TO KNOW:
- Microchip Identification
- Proper Shelter for Pets
- Animal Vehicle Safety
- Aggressive Dog Requirements
- Keeping of Livestock, Domestic Fowl and Bees
Microchip identification and registration required for dogs and cats, Irving pet registration no longer required.
Pet owners are required to microchip all dogs and cats over four (4) months of age and register the microchip with a national registry. Animal Services Officers have microchip scanners in their vehicles and check lost animals for microchips and other identification in an effort to take the lost pets back home. Many animals are returned without being impounded at the animal shelter.
City pet registration is no longer required. Residents that have a current pet registration as of July 22 will not be required to microchip their pet until that registration has expired.
To assist residents, Irving Animal Services (IAS) offers low-cost microchipping services and hosts free, quarterly microchipping events at the Irving Animal Care Campus, 4140 Valley View Lane. The next free event is Oct. 30. Proof of residency is required. Visit Irving Animal Services Calendar for details.
For more information on microchips and the benefits, visit CityofIrving.org/Microchip.
Proper shelter now required for pets kept outdoors.
For the health and safety of pets kept outdoors, pets must have access to adequate shelter that protects them from the elements. Pet owners are required to provide a solid-sided shelter with three or more sides and a proper roof. The enclosure should be built following city code, with the following safety features:
- Provides ventilation and fresh air
- Provides shade from direct sunlight and allows the pet to maintain normal body temperature
- Is large enough for the pet to stand up, sit, turn freely or lay down
- Is cleaned regularly to prevent odors, insects, pests and diseases
- Allows the pet to enter and exit freely
In addition to proper shelters, pet owners should ensure their yard enclosures are built to code, provide natural or artificial shade from direct sunlight (not including the shelter), and a floor surface maintained to avoid injury of the animal’s feet and legs.
Animals in vehicles must be safely secured and cannot be left inside in the heat or cold.
In the City of Irving, it is now illegal to transport or carry an animal in the truck bed or trailer unless the pet is safely enclosed in a kennel or secured with a device to prevent them from falling, jumping, leaving or being thrown from the vehicle.
Additionally, pet owners are not allowed to leave an animal in a standing or parked vehicle without providing adequate air flow and protection from the heat and cold.
Aggressive dog determination, procedures and ownership requirements.
The City of Irving defines an Aggressive Dog as a dog that, while at large, displays unprovoked aggressive behavior endangering the safety of a person or domestic animal. Dogs are not determined aggressive based on their breed, size or physical appearance.
The Aggressive Dog article is a new addition to the ordinance. The article explains how a dog is determined to be aggressive, ownership requirements and compliance periods for keeping an aggressive dog in the City.
This new article does not replace or change the existing Dangerous Dog article.
Keeping Livestock
The livestock article reduces lot size and overhead shelter requirements for goats and sheep, and no longer requires a permit for keeping miniature pigs. Residents may now keep up to two (2) miniature pigs, as long as they are:
- Less than 20 inches tall,
- Weigh less than 150 pounds,
- Spayed/neutered prior to four (4) months of age, and
- Vaccinated for tetanus and erysipelas.
Keeping of Domestic Fowl
The article now includes regulations for keeping domestic fowl species, such as guineafowl, ducks, geese, turkeys and partridges in the city. The number of fowl allowed varies based on the size of the property on which they are being kept.
Keeping of Bees
The regulations for keeping bees includes a setback requirement of 25 feet and flyaway barriers to allow the bees to fly eight feet above the property lines. The number of hives allowed varies based on the size of the property on which they are being kept. Beekeepers must also monitor the hives and re-queen colonies displaying aggressive behavior or unusual tendencies toward swarming.
Additional articles included in the updated Animal Services ordinance include:
- Limits a single household to no more than eight animals, four months and older. Multipet permits no longer required.
- Restricts the sale of animals less than eight weeks of age. Additionally, limits the sale of any animal on any public property, like a parking lot.
- Individuals that find a lost pet need to notify Irving Animal Services or return the pet to its owner within 48 hours.
- Permit required for breeding dogs and cats.
- The keeping, selling of wild animals is prohibited.
- Spay/neuter requirements for pets.
- Pet owners are required to spay/neuter their dog and/or cat that bites a person, domestic animal or livestock while at large. Owners must show proof to Animal Services within 30 days from the incident.
- Animals that have been impounded at the shelter more than once in 12 consecutive months are required to be spayed/neutered.
- Limits the feeding of animals when it:
- Is a danger to public health or safety,
- Destroys public or private property, or
- Causes more than 10 animals to congregate at one time