Animal Control
Animal Bites
All animal bites to humans MUST be reported to Animal Protection & Control! Rabies continues to be a serious threat to animals and people in our area, so any possible exposure to rabies must be reported. If the animal that bit someone is not currently vaccinated against rabies, or if the rabies vaccination status is unknown, the animal will have to be placed under quarantine for a set period of time and observed for signs of rabies.
If a person has been attacked, bitten or scratched by a pet or wild animal and they need emergency care, call 911 immediately.
If a person has been attacked, bitten or scratched by a pet or wild animal but emergency care is NOT required, call 311 to report the incident.
Animal Ordinances
Animal Protection & Control officers enforce the Animal Control Ordinances (laws) of Austin and Travis County and work to protect both pets and people when animal problems arise.
Call 3-1-1 to report an animal problem or emergency to Animal Protection & Control.
On June 7th, 2007 the Austin City Council passed an ordinance to eliminate the chaining or tethering of dogs. It’s anticipated that this new law will improve living conditions for many dogs in Austin.
Because the City wants to give pet owners an opportunity to prepare for the new containment requirements--the new law does not take effect until October 1, 2007. This will give pet owners, who are tethering their dogs, ample time to make appropriate arrangements.
Here are more details about the new ordinance and suggestions for its compliance.
Existing ordinances you should be aware of
- 10/05/06 --- Proper Care of Animals (Austin City Code 3-2-5)
- 10/05/06 --- Safety of Animals in Motor Vehicles (Austin City Code 3-2-6)
- 10/05/06 --- Safety of Animals in Enclosed Spaces (Austin City Code 3-2-6)
Please keep in mind that our officers must cover a large geographical area and must battle the same traffic we all face. They will respond as quickly as possible to your request, based on the number of calls already received. Please also be aware that not all animal problems can be solved by a simple visit from an officer.
Cruelty Investigation
Animal cruelty is a serious crime and should be reported to law enforcement. Animal cruelty can be prosecuted and requires a full police investigation. For more information on Texas animal cruelty laws, visit http://www.animallaw.info/topics/spustexascruelty.htm.
If you live in Austin and witness an act of animal cruelty or suspect that an animal has been a victim of cruel or inhumane treatment, Call 3-1-1 to file a report with the Austin Police Department.
Call 9-1-1 in case of an animal cruelty emergency.
Injured Animals
If the injured animal is a stray, call 311 to make a report to Animal Protection & Control.
If the injured animal belongs to you, Town Lake Animal Center cannot provide veterinary care. Take your pet to your own veterinarian, or, if it is after hours, take your injured pet to an Emergency Clinic. The North Emergency Clinic is located at 12034 Research Boulevard in Austin (331-6121) and the South Emergency Clinic is located at 4434 Frontier Trail in Austin (899-0955).
Be aware that failing to provide needed veterinary care to your pet can be considered Animal Cruelty.
Injured deer should be reported to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Game Warden at 389-4848.
To report other injured wild animals, call Wildlife Rescue at 472-WILD.
Stray Pets
Dogs and livestock in the City of Austin and Travis County are required by law to be safely leashed or confined on the owners’ property at all times, except when a dog is in a designated leash-free area. Cats are not required to be confined or leashed, so our officers do not pick up roaming cats.
If a pet or livestock is wandering, unsupervised and unleashed, in your area, please call 3-1-1 to make a report. If possible, but without putting yourself at risk, please try to confine a stray animal in a fenced yard or other enclosure to keep the animal safe while an officer makes his/her way to the area.
Wildlife
Skunks, opossums, raccoons, squirrels, etc
Wild animals should be left alone. Please do not trap healthy raccoons, skunks, opossum or other wild animals. If you are concerned about wildlife that are active on or near your property, be sure all garbage containers are securely sealed, do not feed pets outdoors, remove bird and squirrel feeders, and seal up any holes that might allow a wild animal to access your garage, shed, attic, or under your porch for shelter. You can also trim back or remove shrubs and trees from your fence lines and any that touch your home or other structures.
Animal Protection & Control Officers will NOT pick up healthy wild animals that have been trapped in private traps. If you bring a trapped, healthy wild animal to the shelter, it will not be relocated, but, in accordance with State Law, simply returned to the area where it was trapped. Relocating a healthy wild animal only ensures that it will be an unhealthy wild animal wherever it is released, because it will not be familiar with sources of food, water or shelter.
For more information on preventing problems with wildlife, call Animal Damage Control at 854-9613.
If you see a raccoon, skunk or opossum during daylight hours, especially if it appears to be sick, disoriented, or injured, or if such an animal has been touched or handled by a person or a pet, call 3-1-1.
If you have a wild animal in a living area of your home, call 3-1-1 to reach Animal Protection & Control.
Coyotes
For problems with coyotes, call Animal Damage Control at 854-9613.Following is a list of previous reports in reverse chronological order. Many of the reports are actually cumulative and contain more information than just quarterly totals.
- Coyote Progress Report April - June 2006
- Coyote Progess Report -January 2005 - March 2006 - Annual Report
- May 2005 - September 2005 - PDF and map showing sightings - PDF for the same period of time
- Coyote Management Report - January 20005 - March 2005
- November 2004 - February 2005 progress report on coyote management in the 78731 and 78759 zip code areas of Travis County
Deer
For problems with deer, call the Texas Parks & Wildlife Game Warden at 389-4848.
Wild birds
If you have found a dead blue jay, crow, or hawk, call 3-1-1 to be connected to Animal Protection and Control. For more information about West Nile Virus, contact the Health Department at 1-888-883-9997.
