Terms Used In Texas Health and Safety Code 822.101

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005

In this subchapter:
(1) “Animal registration agency” means the municipal or county animal control office with authority over the area where a dangerous wild animal is kept or a county sheriff in an area that does not have an animal control office.
(2) Repealed by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1, Sec. 3.1639(119), eff. April 2, 2015.
(3) “Commercial activity” means:
(A) an activity involving a dangerous wild animal conducted for profit that is not inherent to the animal’s nature;
(B) an activity for which a fee is charged and that is entertainment using or an exhibition of the animal; or
(C) the selling, trading, bartering, or auctioning of a dangerous wild animal or a dangerous wild animal’s body parts.
(4) “Dangerous wild animal” means:
(A) a lion;
(B) a tiger;
(C) an ocelot;
(D) a cougar;
(E) a leopard;
(F) a cheetah;
(G) a jaguar;
(H) a bobcat;
(I) a lynx;
(J) a serval;
(K) a caracal;
(L) a hyena;
(M) a bear;
(N) a coyote;
(O) a jackal;
(P) a baboon;
(Q) a chimpanzee;
(R) an orangutan;
(S) a gorilla; or
(T) any hybrid of an animal listed in this subdivision.
(4-a) “Executive commissioner” means the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission.
(5) “Owner” means any person who owns, harbors, or has custody or control of a dangerous wild animal.
(6) “Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, trust, estate, joint stock company, foundation, or association of individuals.
(7) “Primary enclosure” means any structure used to immediately restrict an animal to a limited amount of space, including a cage, pen, run, room, compartment, or hutch.