The humane way

Federal court rejects breeders' efforts to knock down Texas puppy mill law

Dog breeders lost a round on Thursday when a federal court in Austin rejected their efforts to block Texas' new "puppy mill law" from going into effect.

The Licensed Breeders Act was passed in 2011. It requires commercial dog and cat breeders with 11 or more female dogs or cats who sell 20 or more puppies or kittens a year to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations. Breeders must provide a minimum standard of care and submit to an inspection of their facilities.

"It is tragic that any breeder would oppose providing such minimal care for their animals," said Cile Holloway, president of Texas Humane Legislation Network.

The law was set to take effect September 1, 2012. In October, a group of breeders filed to overturn the legislation, claiming the regulations were vague and violated their constitutional rights. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Texas Humane Legislation Network (THLN) responded by filing an amicus brief asking the court to uphold the law.

"Texas is one of the top 10 puppy mill states in the country, and this law is an important first step in cleaning up this inhumane industry," said Katie Jarl, Texas state director for The HSUS. "The plaintiffs and their cohorts don’t want there to be any standards for the responsible care of dogs in commercial breeding facilities, and that’s just not acceptable to Texas pet owners who want to protect dogs from cruelty and abuse."

THLN president Cile Holloway said that these standards have already been in the federal Animal Welfare Act for years. "They should be nothing new to most breeders," she said. "It is tragic that any breeder would oppose providing such minimal care for their animals."

The minimal care standard includes basics such as humane housing, annual veterinary care and daily exercise.

Because most breeder operations are kept hidden, this law gets them on the record and allows inspectors access. There's also a hotline and a website to report breeders not on the list. Call the enforcement division at 512-539-5600 or click here to file a complaint online.

Dallas photographer Sylvia Elazafon has been capturing images of shelter dogs since 2005.

Photo by Sylvia Elzafon

Dallas photographer Sylvia Elazafon has been capturing images of shelter dogs since 2005.

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income analysis

This is the family income needed for one parent to stay home in Texas

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

With costs to raise a child soaring over $20,000 a year in Texas, some households might decide to have one parent work while the other stays at home to raise their child.

The cost of raising a child has ballooned in major metros like Dallas-Fort Worth, forcing many families to weight the choice between paying for child care or having one parent stay home full-time.

A recent analysis from SmartAsset determined the minimum income one parent needs to earn to support their partner staying at home to raise one child in all 50 states. In Texas, that amount is just under $75,000.

The study used the MIT Living Wage Calculator to compare the annual living wages needed for a household with two working adults and one child, and a household with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child. The study also calculated how much it would cost to raise a child with two working parents based on factors such as "food, housing, childcare, healthcare, transportation, incremental income taxes and other necessities."

A Texas household with one working parent would need to earn $74,734 a year to support their stay-at-home partner and their child, the report found. If both parents worked in the household, it would require an additional $10,504 in annual income to raise their child.

SmartAsset said the cost to raise a child in Texas in a two-working-parent household adds up to $23,587. Raising a child in North Texas, however, is slightly more affordable. A separate SmartAsset study from June 2025 determined it costs $22,337 to raise a child in Dallas-Fort Worth.

In the report's ranking of states with the highest minimum income needed to support a family with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child, Texas ranked 32nd on the list.

In other states like Massachusetts where raising a child can cost more than $40,000 a year, the report's author says families will look for ways to reduce any financial burdens.

"This often includes considerations around who’s going to work in the household, and whether young children will require paid daycare services while parents are occupied," the report said. "With tradeoffs abound, many parents might seek to understand the minimum income needed to keep the family afloat while allowing the other parent to stay home to raise a young child."

The top 10 states with the lowest minimum income threshold to support a three-person family on one income are:

West Virginia – $68,099
Arkansas – $68,141
Mississippi – $70,242
Kentucky – $70,408
North Dakota – $70,949
Oklahoma – $71,718
Ohio – $72,114
South Dakota – $72,218
Alabama – $72,238
Nebraska – $72,966

texas income smartasset family