Dog servicesin Katy, TX

Inside Katy, TX city limits, every dog over six months old needs a city license. A city fee ordinance sets it at $2 a year, due before April 1, and the license is issued by the city animal control officer only with proof of rabies vaccination. Your dog must wear its collar and tags. The city code also allows no more than three dogs and cats over six months old per home. Texas law requires a rabies vaccine by four months of age.

For a lost dog, a bite or a loose animal inside city limits, call City of Katy Animal Services, part of the police department, at (281) 391-4740, and leave a voicemail if staff are out on calls. The shelter at 25839 I-10 East is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day, with visits by appointment. If you live in the greater Katy area outside city limits, your dog falls under Harris County, Fort Bend County or another agency instead.

Off leash, head to the city's Katy Dog Park at 5414 Franz Road, open dawn to dusk every day. It has separate small- and large-breed areas, a walking path, a dog wading pool, dog showers and an agility course. In summer, the National Weather Service warns that a pet can die of heatstroke in a parked car within 15 minutes, and cracking the windows does not make it safe.