Texas — dangerous-dog law (Health & Safety Code Chapter 822); no breed-specific local bans

Texas — dangerous-dog law (Health & Safety Code Chapter 822); no breed-specific local bans

Source: Texas Statutes — Health and Safety Code Chapter 822 (Regulation of Animals), statutes.capitol.texas.gov, extracted 2026-07-23. First-hand Texas statute text; C1 substring-verified against pdf-raw/banned-dog-breeds/tx_hsc_822_dangerous_dogs.txt. This is the state statutory framework for dangerous dogs (the LAW), relevant to the BSL / banned-breed global matrix: Texas regulates dogs by *behavior*, not breed, and restricts local breed-specific ordinances.

Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 822 is the "REGULATION OF ANIMALS" chapter. It defines a "dangerous dog" by conduct, not breed: "means a dog that: (A) makes an unprovoked attack on a person that causes bodily injury" (Sec. 822.001). Owners are liable where a dog attacks: Sec. 822.005 provides that "A person commits an offense if the person is the owner of a dog and the person:" fails to secure the dog and it makes an unprovoked attack causing serious bodily injury.

Critically for the BSL matrix, Texas limits local breed-specific bans. Sec. 822.047 (LOCAL REGULATION OF DANGEROUS DOGS) allows a county or municipality to add restrictions on dangerous dogs only if "the requirements or restrictions: (1) are not specific to one breed or several breeds of dogs; and (2) are more stringent than restrictions provided by this subchapter." Sec. 822.007 separately confirms localities "may adopt leash or registration requirements applicable to dogs." So Texas state law permits local dangerous-dog regulation but bars ordinances keyed to a specific breed — i.e., Texas has no breed-specific (BSL) ban at the state level and preempts local breed-specific bans.

Verbatim C1 claims (each a substring of the source file + this body):

1. "CHAPTER 822. REGULATION OF ANIMALS"
2. "means a dog that: (A) makes an unprovoked attack on a person that causes bodily injury"
3. "A person commits an offense if the person is the owner of a dog and the person:"
4. "This subchapter does not prohibit a municipality or county from adopting leash or registration requirements applicable to dogs."
5. "A county or municipality may place additional requirements or restrictions on dangerous dogs if the requirements or restrictions: (1) are not specific to one breed or several breeds of dogs; and (2) are more stringent than restrictions provided by this subchapter."