Any animal that scratches or bites a human or another animal must be reported to Animal Care Services. To report an animal bite please call the Customer Call Center at 311 or contact Animal Care Services at 361-826-4634 or 361-826-4616.

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 will 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 a 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.