Several residents and animal-welfare volunteers used the Aug. 5 Travis County Commissioners Court public-comment period to ask the court to draft a county ordinance banning roadside sales of live animals. They said sellers simply move outside city limits where local ordinances prohibit such sales and that the practice imposes safety, public-health and financial burdens on county services.

Robin Katz, a Travis County resident and longtime animal-law trainer, told the court she is “asking you to strongly consider passing a proactive ordinance, which would prohibit the sale, barter, lease, or commercial advertisement of live animals at any commercial parking lot, roadside park, or other recreational area, flea market, or other outdoor market, or similar locations.” Katz cited Texas Transportation Code 285.001 as empowering counties to regulate such sales.

Audrey Nelson, a volunteer at a northern Travis County animal shelter, described animals sold from cages near a flea market off Hillmore Drive. “The dogs for sale have no veterinary records, no vaccines and no papers,” Nelson said, and she added that sellers told her they are not licensed breeders. She said Austin Animal Center and other shelters are already at capacity.

Other on-site speakers echoed those concerns. Francesca Cellino, a county resident, said such sales “happen every weekend on road shoulders, in parking lots, and outside flea markets” and said sellers often provide no health records. Caller Andy Doyle said he has “personally seen the negative effects” of the practice, including sick animals brought to already-full shelters.

Speakers asked the court to direct staff to draft an ordinance similar to prohibitions in cities such as Austin, Dallas, Houston and counties including Harris County, which the speakers said already prohibit roadside animal sales.

No court member announced a formal motion on the item during the meeting. Court members accepted the public comments; the transcript records no action to initiate a county ordinance during the Aug. 5 session.

Ending

Speakers offered to assist county staff drafting an ordinance and requested follow-up contact; Robin Katz said she would “assist you with working on an ordinance” and asked the court to request her contact information. The court did not set a timeline or place the item on the agenda during the meeting.