Animal Services

When fully staffed, 7 animal protection officers respond for the entire City of Waco during business hours and after-hours on an on-call rotation for emergency services. Together, their main goals are promoting animal welfare, upholding the city's ordinances and educating pet owners- including spay/neuter and microchipping.

Officers are able to issue written warnings/citations for any violations they observe.

Non-Urgent Matters

Animal Protection Officers respond to:

Dogs

• Loose, aggressive, sick, injured, or vicious animals.
• Neglect Violations: no shade/shelter or water, on chains/improper tethering, or lack of care for ill or injured.
• Municipal Ordinance Violations: owned animal at large, breeder violations, vaccines and microchips, or animals being sold in public places.
• Abandonment: witnessed report of "dumping", or owners moving and leaving animals behind.

Barking dogs should be reported through the MyWaco service. This allows Animal Services to keep track of reports by address and document the responses.

Cats

• Sick or injured in need of medical attention.
  They must be contained by the reporting party, or completely immobile.

*Healthy community cats will be left alone. Contact the ABC Clinic for assistance and resources.

Livestock or Fowl

• Neglect or running at large (off the owner's property)

Wildlife

• Contained inside of a residence or business
• Possible rabies exposure - bite/scratch from skunk, fox, bat, coyote, or racoon.
• Sick or injured in need of medical attention.
  They must be contained by the reporting party, or completely immobile.

Animal Protection will not respond to calls for healthy wildlife in traps. Please contact a pest control company for assistance.

The Pet Circle Regional Animal Center serves as a regional resource for animal sheltering and care. The center provides safe shelter for stray, lost, and surrendered animals while working to reunite pets with their owners and connect adoptable animals with new homes.

In addition to adoption services, PCRAC supports animal welfare through vaccinations, spay and neuter efforts, and partnerships with rescue organizations. The facility also serves as an educational and community hub, promoting responsible pet ownership and humane treatment of animals.

Pet Circle works closely with Animal Protection Officers and regional partners to support public safety, respond to animal-related needs, and improve outcomes for animals throughout the community.

• Animal bites are regulated by the State of Texas.
• Any person who is bitten or scratched by an animal shall report that fact to an Animal Control Officer within 24 hours at (254) 750-1765 (business hours). If it is after hours or an emergency, please call (254) 750-7500.
• If the person bitten or scratched is a minor under the age of 17, the parent or guardian of such minor, if he has knowledge of the incident, shall report it within 24 hours.
• A person who owns, keeps, harbors or allows an animal to remain on premises under his control and who has knowledge of a bite shall report the incident within 24 hours.
• The animal committing the act shall be turned in to the Animal Control Officer for quarantine.
• When the local rabies control authority goes to the location where the animal that bit or scratched any person is being kept, the officer may take immediate custody of the animal.
• Where suitable arrangements are made, the local rabies control authority may permit the animal to be transferred to another location for the remainder of the quarantine period.
• This duty to submit the animal to quarantine shall apply to any person who owns, keeps, harbors, has possession of, or allows an animal to remain on premises under his control.
• If convicted of violating this section, a minimum fine of $100 shall be imposed by the municipal court.