Animal Control

The mission of the Animal Control Division is to provide enforcement of municipal and state laws regarding animal control and to provide temporary care and housing for impounded animals; to respond effectively and efficiently to all animal bite cases and to test for rabies when warranted; to provide for the registration of all dogs and cats within the City of Missouri City and to assure that all proper vaccinations have been administered in order to preclude a canine disease outbreak.

1919 Scanlin Road
Missouri City, TX 77489
Phone:

Mon-Fri
7am-4pm
281.403.8970
After 4pm
281.403.8707

Sat-Sun
281.403.8707

Animal Control Supervisor
Juan Acevedo

Hours of Operation

Animal Control officers work seven days a week and are on call after normal business hours. If you need Animal Control services to report dogs running at large or an animal bite, you may contact Animal Control at the numbers above.

If you are reporting a bite case and the injury is serious in nature, you may call 911 to obtain medical assistance and, at the same time, Animal Control will be sent to your location.

If you have an animal that has been impounded, or wish to adopt an animal, you may do so by contacting an Animal Control officer. Viewing of animals at the shelter is by appointment only.

Did You Know?

• Missouri City city ordinance requires all dogs and cats over the age of four (4) months to be vaccinated every year for rabies.
• City ordinance requires all dogs and cats over the age of four (4) months to be registered with Missouri City Animal Control.
• City ordinance allows for any dog or cat not showing evidence of being vaccinated or city registration to be subject to impound by the Animal Control Division.
• Any person in Missouri City who owns and houses a dog that has received "guard dog training" must register the animal with the Animal Control Division.
• It is unlawful for any person to allow their dog to run at large.
• There is no park within the Missouri City city limits that permits dogs to run at large.
• Missouri City ordinance limits the number of dogs and cats to be kept in an owners possession at one time. You may have 4 animals per household.

Lost Pets

Every year thousands of cats and dogs are reported as lost to local animal control agencies. Of those reported lost, occasionally an animal may be impounded, while others remain lost or are destroyed. You can help control this by registering your cats and dogs with Animal Control. To do this, your animal must first have the necessary vaccinations. Simply bring the receipt of vaccination to the Police Department and pay a minimal fee of $2.00 for an animal that has been spayed or neutered (or $5.00 for any animal that has not been spayed or neutered).

Licenses are valid for a one-year period from the date of vaccination.

If you have lost a pet, you may contact the Animal Control Division to ascertain if it is impounded or to make the officers aware.

Dangerous Dogs

Missouri City Animal Control handles issues related to dangerous dogs within the City limits. Dangerous dogs are defined in the Missouri City Code of Ordinances, Chapter 10-1, and means a dog that:

• Makes an unprovoked attack on a person that causes bodily injury and occurs in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog was being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the dog from leaving the enclosure on its own; or
• Commits unprovoked acts in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog was being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the dog from leaving the enclosure on its own and those acts cause a person to reasonably believe that the dog will attack and cause bodily injury to that person; or
• Commits unprovoked acts at any location within the city that causes a person to reasonably believe that the dog will attack and cause bodily injury to that person even though the dog was being kept in an enclosure or otherwise was restrained by a leash or other mechanism that is not reasonably certain to prevent the dogs escape.

Disposition of Dangerous Dogs

If a person reports an incident with a dog that may meet the definition of a dangerous dog, it is the responsibility of the animal control officer to investigate the incident.The animal control officer will investigate the location and obtain statements from any witnesses available to him to aid him in determining if the dog is a dangerous dog.If the animal control officer makes such determination, the animal's owner will be notified of that fact.

If a dangerous dog has been so determined, the owner may be ordered to:

• Register the dangerous dog with Animal Control;
• Restrain the dangerous dogs at all times by muzzling the dog and keeping the dog on a leash in the immediate control of a person or by keeping the dog in a secure enclosure;
• Obtain liability insurance coverage or show proof of financial responsibility and to provide such proof to Animal Control;
• Ensure that the dangerous dog properly wears the collar issued by Animal Control at all times;
• Immediately notify Animal Control of any attacks made by the dangerous dog on people or domestic animals; and,
• Follow any other requirements of Animal Control that will prevent the likelihood of future acts by the dangerous dog that would characterize the dog as a dangerous dog.

If you wish to report a "dangerous dog," you may contact Animal Control or the Police department at any time.

Cruelty to Animals

Section 42.09 of the Texas Penal Code makes it a crime to be cruel to animals. The law makes it a Class A misdemeanor for those persons who intentionally or knowingly tortures, fails to provide food or shelter, unreasonably abandons, kills or injures any animal.

If you have knowledge of animal cruelty, you are encouraged to report it to the Police Department. Or, you may remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward by calling CRIME STOPPERS at 281.342.8477 or 713.222.8477.