How To Register A Dog In Texas

BARC Animal Shelter and Adoptions

Licensing Your Pet

A Pet License is a phone call home!

Licensing your pet is the law. The Urban center of Houston Municipal Code requires that anyone who owns, keeps, possesses, or has control of a canis familiaris or cat four months of age or older must have his or her pet licensed and vaccinated against rabies every year.

Contact Pet Licensing at 713.229.7300 Ext 1 or WayHome@houstontx.gov.

A pet license identifies and protects your pet in case it becomes lost. Fifty-fifty indoor pets can get out and become lost. You are required to renew your license yearly and to keep your license updated when you motility and/or your pet is given abroad, lost, stolen or is deceased. A pet license is not just a requirement, but it provides the post-obit benefits:

A license tells anybody that your pet is not a homeless devious.
When licensed, plant pets can be quickly reunited with their owner
BARC will phone call you lot or send you lot a letter if your pet comes to the shelter wearing a license.
Your license is proof that your pet has been vaccinated against rabies.
A license provides emergency medical intendance for your pet when in the care of BARC
When constitute, your licensed pet will be cared for at BARC for a longer holding period.
Animal licensing is an essential part of brute care and control in our community. License fees support the render of lost dogs and cats to their homes and help adopt homeless dogs and cats to new families. Other services funded by pet licensing are the prevention of animal fail or cruelty, spay/neuter programs, over-population programs, and community didactics services.

Be sure to take the license tag on your pet's collar at all times to assistance enable a quick render should they exist institute.

License your pet today! Click here to run across if you live within the City of Houston limits to buy your urban center license.

Click graphic above for full-sized version

You lot can license your pet in three means: online, via mail or in person at the BARC shelter.
Y'all will demand the following paperwork:

A rabies vaccination certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian must be submitted. An invoice or statement of services is not sufficient as proof of rabies vaccination. Check your document for right owner proper name, accost, and pet information.
A spay/neuter certificate if it is not reflected on Rabies certificate.
*To update your pet's tape at whatever time, please email WayHome@houstontx.gov.

Online License Purchase
Ready to purchase your license? Whatsoever required documents, such every bit your pet's current rabies certificate, may exist scanned and uploaded (please apply .jpg format) or submitted afterwards past fax, mail or electronic mail. The license volition exist issued later on all required documents are received. Begin at https://world wide web.licensepet.com/houston.

By Mail
Please mail all required documentation every bit listed above, along with your cheque or money club payable to "B.A.R.C." to the accost below. Please practise non send greenbacks. Delight send copies of your paperwork and retain the originals for your records. Copies will non be returned with your license receipt.

City of Houston Pet Licensing
3200 Carr Street
Houston, TX 77026

In Person
Y'all can also license and renew your pet license in person at the BARC shelter via greenbacks or cheque. Click here for shelter hours and accost.

Breeder Application
If y'all are applying for a license to be a breeder, y'all can download the application here(pdf).

For dogs, use a leather or nylon collar that buckles. Plastic snap collars can break away easily. Never put tags on a "asphyxiate concatenation" type collar. These collars should be used for training merely and should never be left on a dog. They tin strangle your dog.

For cats, employ a "release" neckband. These collars are readily available and volition allow your true cat to gratis itself should the collar go attached to something.

Remember, Collars and tags are a must, however, they can fall off or become lost. Microchipping provides another form of identification for your pet.

Pet Licensing Administrative Rules

- Change of Address or Personal Information

- Pet Transfer of Ownership

- FAQ for Recent Changes 2022