I've been taking my dogs to the vet for the last 11 years for their shots. I've never been told I have to also register with the county and pay for an annual pet license. I thought that was for Houston only? Took one of my dogs in November for her rabies & other shots....not a word about requiring a license.

Just took my 15 month old pup for her yearly shots....and they gave me a form to register her.

Did my previous vet just never mention it, or is this a new thing?

I don't think it's new. I remember hearing about it before, but I have two indoor only cats so I ignored it.

My BF just got "reminded" about it when he took his dog to the vet a couple of weeks ago. I wonder if they are putting pressure on the vets to do their dirty work.

It's state law and not new.

I could've sworn it was recently only applicable to those inside Houston city limits. I even asked the receptionist this afternoon when that started, and she said she heard they were slowly pushing it out into unincorporated Harris County.

So either it's always been a thing and it's never been enforced in the last 11 years of me going to the vet regularly, or they just snuck this out to everyone on 1/1/2025 and we didn't notice.

HoustonAg9999 said:

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LOL nothing but a money grab how the hell they are going to enforce it

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On the back end with $500 fines for lost animals.

But one of the reasons it gave for the fee was to be able to "locate and return lost pets to owners".

Yet it's also a requirement to get your animal microchipped according to the form she gave me. And a microchip's sole purpose is to be able to reunite lost pets with owners.

Soooo....if I have a microchip, why do I also need to register the pet? Seems like they're double-dipping basically. Obviously nothing but a money grab.

And maybe that's how they eventually enforce it? Get their hands on the microchip data and find out which owners didn't register their pets? Wouldn't put it past Lina and her cronies.

Jugstore Cowboy said:

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It's state law and not new.

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Definitely not state law, because it was only enacted in Austin last year from what I could find. Unless you're saying a state law was passed that took effect on 1/1/2025 that I wasn't aware of?

TXTransplant said:

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I don't think it's new. I remember hearing about it before, but I have two indoor only cats so I ignored it.

My BF just got "reminded" about it when he took his dog to the vet a couple of weeks ago. I wonder if they are putting pressure on the vets to do their dirty work.

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Maybe that's what it is. Just the county now putting pressure and sending reminders to vets to make sure they push it. But I'm almost 99.9% sure it was, at least until recently, only for people inside Houston city limits. Because I remember thinking "thank god I'm outside Houston" when I first heard about the licensing. This was a few years ago.

OP just get your pets annual shots at tractor supply and stop overpaying for a 2 second job.

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Definitely not state law, because

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Definitely is, because Texas counties do not have ordinance-making authority like home-rule cities. Everything the county enforces is found in state law, enacted by the legislature. And you can find that statute with a minute or two of googling. Home-rule cities can enact local ordinances, which is why you find different rules within and without the city limits.

Whether the county recently adopted provisions or decided to step up enforcement, I don't know. I don't live in unincorporated Harris County.

You are correct RE: Austin. I mis-read it. Austin just started requiring MICROCHIPS for all pets last year.

How have I lived in Texas for 40+ years, and owned pets for more than half of them, and NEVER knew we were required to get pet licenses?

Shocking to me that this wouldn't be a courtesy form provided by vets when they give rabies shots, or shelters when you adopt animals. I just adopted an animal from Rockwall animal shelter a couple of years ago, and she came home with a folder full of forms and info...but nothing about a pet license. Gotten rabies shots faithfully every year, never a single mention about licenses.

So I wonder if this is a concerted effort by the county now to push vets to hand out the forms, to try to increase revenue? Either that, or our new vet is incredibly thorough beyond any other vet I've ever been to.

State law leaves it up to the city or county as to whether require registration.

https://www.animallaw.info/statute/tx-licenses-%C2%A7-826031-registration-dogs-and-cats-local-governments#:~:text=Summary%3A%20This%20Texas%20statute%20provides,of%20the%20municipality%20or%20county.

I don't often read legislative crap and state laws, rules, and regulations. Does this mean the licensing fees should only be used to defray the cost of the program itself? "The program" essentially the administrative part of maintaining the actual registry itself?

Spring isn't a city so who exactly is a spring resident?

****ing gov't.

You already know.

So what happens if one doesn't pay the City of Houston pet ransom?

No idea. Will they refuse to release your dog or cat to you if picked up by animal control?

MAS444 said:

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So what happens if one doesn't pay the City of Houston pet ransom?

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We're in the Houston ETJ and haven't heard of this and nor has our vet said anything.