FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. How do I adopt a dog or cat from the City animal shelter? 2. How do I obtain a City registration certificate and tag for my dog, cat, or ferret? 3. How do I get a humane animal trap? 4. How do I report a pet I have lost? 5. How do I report a pet I have found? 6. How do I report an animal bite or scratch to a person? 7. What happens after I report an animal bite or scratch to a person? 8. How do I get a dead animal picked up? 9. How do I report an after hours animal related emergency? 10. What vaccinations does my pet need? 11. Are impounded animals checked for microchips? 12. What are the restraint requirements for animals in Lewisville? 13. How do I get my pet back if it is picked up by animal servicesl? 14. How long are animals kept at the animal shelter? 15. How do I report an animal noise nuisance?

ANSWERS

1. How do I adopt a dog or cat from the City animal shelter? The City of Lewisville offers dogs and cats for adoption on a first come first served basis. However, if more than one person wants to adopt the same animal when the shelter initially opens, a drawing is held to determine who will adopt the animal. Animals adopted from the City animal shelter are required to be spayed or neutered. To adopt an animal from the City animal shelter: 1. You must be at least 18 years of age. You will need to present a valid ID such as a drivers license, Texas ID card, or military ID card at the time of the adoption 2. You may be required to purchase a rabies vaccination coupon if the dog or cat you are adopting is 4 or more months old and has not been vaccinated against rabies within the last 365 days. This coupon is to be redeemed for a rabies vaccination at a participating local veterinary clinic. 3. You may be required to purchase a city registration certificate and tag if the dog or cat being adopted is 4 or more months old and has been vaccinated against rabies within the last 365 days. However, if the animal has not been vaccinated against rabies within the last 365 days, you may be required to purchase a city registration coupon in addition to a rabies vaccination coupon. The city registration coupon is to be redeemed for a city registration certificate and tag after a veterinarian has vaccinated the animal against rabies. 4. You must pay all applicable adoption fees at the time of the adoption. These fees range from $20.00 to $33.00 per animal, depending upon whether or not you are required to purchase a rabies vaccination coupon and/or city registration. The fees which may be applicable when adopting an animal are: Basic adoption fee. $20.00 Rabies vaccination coupon. (If applicable) $ 8.00 City registration certificate and tag OR City registration coupon. (If applicable) $ 5.00 Total adoption fee: $33.00 (Maximum)

2. How do I obtain a City registration certificate and tag for my dog, cat, or ferret? City of Lewisville ordinances require all dogs, cats, and ferrets that are 4 or more months old to be registered with animal services annually. To obtain an animal registration certificate and tag: 1. You must be at least 18 years old. 2. You must provide written proof that a veterinarian has vaccinated the animal against rabies within the last 365 days. (i.e. a legible copy of the rabies vaccination certificate issued by the veterinarian) 3. You must pay the annual registration fee, which is currently $5.00 per year for each dog, cat, or ferret being registered. You may obtain your registration certificate and tag in person by going to the City Animal Shelter at 851 Treatment Plant Road during regular business hours, or you may obtain them by mail at: City of Lewisville – Animal Services P. O. Box 299002 Lewisville, TX 75029-9002 To obtain a registration certificate and tag by mail you will need to send the following: 1. Your name, address, and contact phone numbers. 2. A legible copy of your written proof that the animal being registered has been vaccinated against rabies by a veterinarian within the last 365 days. 3. A description of the animal being registered if it is not listed on your proof of rabies vaccination. 4. $5.00 for each animal to be registered. For your convenience, many local veterinary clinics have pre-addressed envelopes you can use to obtain your registration certificate and tag by mail. Check with your veterinarian for one of these envelopes, or contact us to request one.

3. How do I get a humane animal trap? Humane (live, box type) traps are available for loan to City of Lewisville residents. A $50 deposit is required to borrow a humane trap. Traps are available Monday - Friday and are available at the City animal shelter.

4. How do I report a pet I have lost? Call the animal shelter at (972) 219-3478 during regular business hours. A staff member will be happy to complete a lost pet report so you can be contacted if your pet is impounded or someone else finds and reports it to us.

5. How do I report a pet I have found? Call the animal shelter at (972) 219-3478 during regular business hours. A staff member will be happy to complete a found pet report so you can be contacted if an owner contacts us about a missing pet that matches the description of the one you have found. If you are unable to keep the found animal until a searching owner contacts us, you may make arrangements to have us pick it up from you.

6. How do I report an animal bite or scratch to a person? (Mammal bites/scratches only) Texas Department of Health regulations and City ordinances require that animal bites and scratches to a person be reported to animal control within 24 hours of their occurrence. To report a bite or scratch incident which occurs within the city limits of Lewisville, contact Lewisville Animal Services at (972) 219-3478 during regular business hours. To report after hours bites or scratch incidents, contact the on-call animal service officer through the Lewisville police non-emergency number at (972) 219-3640.

7. What happens after I report an animal bite or scratch to a person? After animal services receives an animal bite or scratch report, an animal service officer will contact the owner of the animal involved and determine the animal’s quarantine status. A dog or cat involved in a bite/scratch incident must be placed into quarantine for 10 days, where it is to be monitored to determine if it was capable of transmitting rabies at the time incident occurred. If the dog or cat was vaccinated against rabies within the 365 day period preceding the bite/scratch incident, and it was not stray at the time of the incident, quarantine at the owner’s home may be considered. Otherwise, the dog or cat will need to be placed into quarantine at the City animal shelter or a local veterinary clinic. Animals other than dogs or cats involved in a bite/scratch incident are subject to a 30 day quarantine period, or must be euthanized and processed for rabies testing.

8. How do I get a deceased animal picked up? For deceased animal pick up from your property or from a City of Lewisville maintained roadway or grounds, call Lewisville Animal Services at (972) 219-3478 during regular business hours. Deceased animal pick up is limited to small species of animals such as dogs, cats, squirrels, birds etc. Lewisville Animal Services is not equipped to pick up and dispose of large animals such as cattle or horses.

9. How do I report an after hours animal related emergency? An on-call animal service officer is available to respond to animal related emergencies during the hours that officers are not on duty. Animal related emergencies are incidents or situations in which public health or safety is in imminent danger. These include an animal bite to a person, a vicious animal running loose, a seriously injured or sick stray animal which is down, an animal displaying symptoms of rabies, livestock running loose in or near a roadway, etc. To report an after hours animal related emergency, call the Lewisville Police Department non-emergency number at (972) 219-3640. They will notify the on-call animal service officer.

10. What vaccinations does my pet need? City ordinance requires that all dogs, cats, and ferrets be vaccinated against rabies by 4 months of age, and then within each subsequent 12 month (365 day) period thereafter. Rabies vaccinations must be administered by a licensed veterinarian. There are several other vaccinations which are very beneficial for your pet, but are not required by law. They help protect your pet from serious diseases such as parvo, distemper, feline leukemia, etc. Please consult with your veterinarian about these beneficial vaccinations as well as other health issues such as heartworms, internal parasites, and flea control.

11. Are impounded animals checked for microchips? Yes. Dogs, cats, ferrets, exotic birds, potbellied pigs, etc. are scanned to detect microchip identification which may have been implanted. A microchip is a tiny computer chip which has a unique identification number programmed into it and is encapsulated within a biocompatible material. It is about the size of a grain of rice and can be injected under the skin of you pet by a veterinarian. For more information about microchip identification, please consult your veterinarian.

12. What are the restraint requirements for animals in Lewisville? Dogs, cats, agricultural animals (i.e. cattle, horses, goats, etc.), and potbellied pigs are required to be physically confined or restrained at all times; they must be confined within a fence, building, vehicle, etc. or restrained on a leash, rope, lead, chain, etc. at all times. In addition, it is unlawful for any owner, custodian, or harborer of any domesticated species of animal, including cats, to allow their animal to wander off their property unless restrained.

13. How do I get my pet back if it is picked up by animal services? If your pet is picked up by an animal service officer, it will be taken to the City of Lewisville animal shelter located at 851 Treatment Plant Road. To redeem (retrieve) an animal from the shelter: 1. Please call the animal shelter at (972) 219-3478 to confirm the hours it will be open. 2. You must be at least 18 years of age. 3. You must present a valid ID which verifies your identity and date of birth. 4. You must complete the applicable redemption forms. 5. You must pay the applicable redemption fees and charges prescribed by City ordinance. Fees and charges range from $10.00 on up, depending on the rabies vaccination status of the animal, city registration, status of the animal, how many times the animal has been impounded, and how long the animal is housed at the animal shelter.

14. How long are animals kept at the animal shelter? Stray animals are kept at the animal shelter for at least 5 days, which must include a Saturday, to allow a responsible owner sufficient time to locate and redeem their pet. However, if an animal is seriously injured or ill, it may be euthanized prior to the expiration of this 5 day period to alleviate further suffering. Animals surrendered by their owner may be made available for adoption, rescued by a humane group, or euthanized at any time after it is released to the animal shelter.

15. How do I report an animal noise nuisance? To report an animal noise nuisance such as an unreasonable disturbance being caused by the frequent or prolonged barking of a nearby dog, call animal control at (972) 219-3478 during regular business hours. A staff member will be happy to record your complaint which will be handled by an animal service officer. Your complaint will be assigned to an animal service officer who will contact you to verify the facts and circumstances. The officer will contact the owner of the animal causing the disturbance and issue a warning notice; the owner will normally be allowed a reasonable amount of time (usually about 10 days) to correct the problem. If the problem continues or recurs, you may request that another warning be issued regarding the nuisance, or you may request that a citation be issued to the owner for an animal noise nuisance. If a citation is issued, and the animal owner chooses to plead not guilty, you must be prepared to go to municipal court with the animal service officer and testify at a trial about how the noise has caused a nuisance for you. The officer cannot testify on your behalf due to legal restrictions.