Dog servicesin Dallas, TX

Dallas, TX limits how many dogs and cats one household may keep, counted together. Under the city's pet limits, the cap is four in an apartment, duplex, townhome or other home that shares a common wall, six in a detached single-family home on less than one-half acre and eight on more than one-half acre. Puppies and kittens under six months do not count. The city code also requires dogs and cats to be microchipped, and Texas law requires a rabies vaccine by four months of age.

At home, a Dallas dog must be restrained at all times in a fenced yard, an enclosed pen or a structure, or on a tether that meets the code's conditions, with access to water and shelter. Off-leash play is limited to designated city off-leash sites, not public spaces in general. The code also has rules on dog waste, including carrying disposal materials, and on dogs left in unattended vehicles.

Dallas Animal Services, the city's open-admission shelter at 1818 N. Westmoreland Road, handles lost pets, found animals, adoptions, owner surrenders, cruelty complaints and dog bites. Call (214) 670-6800 or use Dallas 311 for service requests. Adoption and pet-support hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.