TX HB471

Requires all animal shelters (including municipal shelters) and releasing agencies in Texas to prepare and maintain monthly records on animal intake and disposition, categorized by species (dog, cat, or other) and age (up to five months or adult)

Mandates tracking of intake reasons including owner surrender, owner-requested euthanasia, stray/at-large impoundment, confiscation, in-state transfers, out-of-state transfers, and animals born at the facility

Requires documentation of disposition outcomes including adoption, owner reclaim, death in custody, transfer out, shelter-decided euthanasia, owner-requested euthanasia, return-to-field sterilization programs, and lost/stolen animals

Records must be maintained for at least three years and made publicly available either on the shelter's website or through in-person inspection and copying for facilities without websites

Changes the executive commissioner's authority from permissive ("may") to mandatory ("shall") for requiring shelters and releasing agencies to keep these records, with the law taking effect September 1, 2025