The City of Houston, Texas looks to the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care (BARC) for animal-related issues and enforcement of local laws concerning domestic animals, livestock and local wildlife. They are our first step in regulating human and animal public health as it relates to rabies and wild animals.
Within the city limits, rabies vaccinations are required for dogs and cats. Since dogs and cats can effectively be vaccinated, they form a great barrier against the disease spreading to humans from wild animals like skunks, coyotes, and foxes.
Wild animals may not be legally kept as pets within the city limits of Houston. A wild animal would be any mammal, reptile or bird that is wild by nature or is dangerous to humans. Any wild animal that poses harm to a person or property should be removed by an animal removal expert.
Each year there are thousands of rabies investigations in the city of Houston. All warm blooded mammals are susceptible to rabies including humans. The last reported rabies case in Houston was in 2006 where an infected bat allegedly entered a boy’s bedroom while he was sleeping. The boy became infected with rabies but survived.
An infected animal can transmit rabies to humans through a scratch or bite. Since rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system the diseases survival rate is low and the majority of the diseases victims that do survive have damage to their nervous system for the rest of their lives.
A person who has been infected with the virus, but who has not yet developed symptoms, may be treated for rabies. There is no treatment once an animal or person exhibits symptoms.
If you have been bit by an animal in Houston, wash the wound with warm, soapy water for a couple of minutes, call your doctor, and if possible, confine the animal and contact BARC’s Rabies Suspect Investigations Section at (713) 229-7300. If a wild or domestic animal bites, scratches or attacks humans, it must be quarantined for ten days for rabies observation, even though it may have been vaccinated.
City of Houston Useful Animal Control Contact Information
Report animal attacks: 713 229-7300
Report stray animals: 713 229-7300
Report Barking dogs with the Houston Police Department: 713 222-3131
Citizens for Animal Protection: 713 497-0591
Harris County Rabies Control: 281 999-3191
Harris County Veterinary Medical Association: 713 688-6667
Homeless Pet Placement: 713 862-7387
Houston Animal Rights Team: 713 522-5131
Houston Humane Society: 713 433-6421
Houston SPCA: 713 869-8227
Lost Pets Hotline: 713 24-PETS-4 ( 713 247-3874)
You can find information BARC at the HoustonTX.gov/BARC
Author Resource:
Animal Removal Houston (www.animalremovalhouston.com) is an animal nuisance, wildlife and pest removal service in the Greater Houston, Texas area. Do not hesitate to call (832) 419-9593 at the immediate sign of a nuisance animal. AnimalRemovalHouston.com provides pest control and wildlife removal 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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