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To request Animal Care field services and rescues, call the City's Customer Call Center at 826-2489 (826-CITY) between 7am - 7pm, Monday through Friday.
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For after hour non-emergencies, weekends and holidays, please call 886-2600.
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For after-hour bite and attack cases, call 911.
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Animal Care Officers are responsible for various types of animal-related matters. They are responsible not only for enforcing the local ordinance and impounding dogs that are running at large, but also for bite case investigations, animal attacks, neglect and abuse investigation, court appearances, public education, training efforts, wild animal issues, inspection of commercial facilities, and low cost spay neuter clinics and vaccination clinics. As our community grows, so does the volume of callers who need assistance from these officers. All complaints received are prioritized according to the safety issues involved for humans and animals.
Public Safety and Animals
Animal Care Services receives many calls regarding public safety. We are receiving increasing calls regarding coyotes. To help citizens know how to best protect their homes and pets from coyotes, Animal Care Services has a brochure available with information from Texas Parks and Wildlife and Texas A & M University.
Animal Bites
If an animal is an immediate threat to someone's safety, please call 911.
Any animal that scratches or bites a human or another animal must be reported to Animal Care Services. The citizen should seek medical treatment and report the incident immediately. Assistance from citizens often is needed in cases of stray animals to locate the animal that bit a person and in the case of stray cats, traps are used.
When a bite occurs, State law requires that the animal be quarantined for 10 days (240 hours). This requirement is regardless of the animal’s vaccination status. An animal that has died will be sent to a lab for more extensive testing. Animal Care Services will gather information regarding the incident and current vaccination status of the animal that bit a person or another animal. Failure of an owner to vaccinate, license and properly confine their pet will result in citation and possibly other charges.
Animal Care Services is making an aggressive effort to address the problem of animal bites by talking to citizens and identifying where these animals live and to whom they belong.
Animal Rescue
Animals hit by cars while running loose or injured in any other way are a high priority response for officers. A stray, sick, or injured animal should be reported to the Customer Call Center between 7 am and 7 pm at 826-2489. Report after-hour emergencies to 886-2600. An injured animal with a City pet license will be traced to its owner, who will be notified directly. Animals without identification are considered stray and attempts are made to locate the owner when possible. If an animal is severely injured and experiencing an unbearable level of suffering, the City may regrettably put the animal down to relieve further suffering. An owner who seeks to keep an injured animal is responsible for seeking veterinary care.
Animal Nuisances
Barking dogs and sanitation complaints are a frustration to citizens and Animal Care Officers alike. When these complaints are made to Animal Care Services, the City Attorney's Office is immediately involved. They will send a letter to the offending party. However, it is important to note that, as the complainant, you will be expected to be a part of the City’s case against the owner if it goes beyond the initial letter. These situations cannot be handled on an anonymous basis and the City cannot be the complainant.
If the problem persists after the letter has been sent and additional complaints are received, an Animal Care officer will be dispatched. Unfortunately, it is common for an officer to run high priority, safety related calls first, and find no active violation upon arrival. It is helpful if you can record the barking dog and have a log of times of barking and duration. This will further assist in prosecution, but is not required if there are other complainants willing to testify as well. To file a complaint about a barking dog or sanitation issue, call the Municipal Court at 886-2500.
Dead Animal Pick Up
For removal of dead animals, call the Customer Call Center 826-2489. All work orders for dead animal pick-up must be made before 1:30 p.m. for same day service. Dead animal pick-up is Monday through Friday, excluding weekends and holidays. An owned animal that has died may be brought to the shelter at 2626 Holly Road.
Neglect and Abuse
These calls include concerns for an animal that is in need of food, water, shelter, and medical care, or has been abandoned or needs to be rescued from a life threatening situation. Additionally, an animal that is being used in fighting contests, or has been beaten, tortured, burned, shot, etc., should be reported immediately. Caller identity is not released by the department.
Stray Animals and Live Traps
Any stray dog or cat that is picked up may be brought into the department by a citizen. Any animal that a citizen can confine without any personal danger is appreciated. However, it is important to note that Animal Care Services does not request, require or encourage any citizen to pick up or confine a dog.
City ordinance allows cats to roam free as long as they are vaccinated and licensed. Cats that are stray and a nuisance often are difficult to catch and require a cat trap. Citizens need to trap the cat and may utilize an Animal Care Services trap for a small deposit. This deposit will be returned when the trap is returned to the Animal Care facility.
If wildlife is accidentally trapped, the citizen may release the animal from the trap or may call for an Animal Care officer to assist. Trapped possums may be brought to the Animal Care facility or an Animal Care office can pick them up. Animal Care Services does euthanize possums. When neighborhood pets are accidentally trapped they may still be claimed by owners. It is the trapper’s responsibility to trap ‘humanely,’ providing food, water and shelter. Trapped animals may be taken to 2626 Holly Road during regular business hours. Animal Care Services has begun a neighborhood feral cat trapping program. If you are interested in participating in the program, please contact Animal Care Services.
