Field Services

Animal Services will investigate every call that is received, however, they must do so within the limits of state and local laws.

To report an animal related issue, please call 972-557-6035 to speak with an Animal Services staff member. If an Animal Services staff member is not available to personally answer your call, please leave a voicemail and your call will be returned as soon as possible. Animal Services will need the exact physical address of the complaint, description of the animal(s), owner's address (if known) and the nature of the complaint in order to investigate and take appropriate action.

Please see the appropriate items below to learn more about the specific types of complaints.

Stray/At Large Animals:
City Ordinance Chapter 10, Section 10-147

All animals in the city limits of Balch Springs are required to be confined to the premises of it's owner by a fence of sufficient strength and height to prevent such animal from escaping or shall be under control by means of a leash.

Please contact Animal Services with a physical location and description of the animal(s). Please refrain from picking the animal up and bringing it to the Animal Shelter. If you would like to stay with the animal until Animal Services arrives, please do so. Many times, we are able to follow the animal and find the owner. 

**If the animal is located outside of the city of Balch Springs, please contact the appropriate city.

Animal Bites, Quarantine & Rabies:
City Ordinance Chapter 10, Section 10-87

Every animal which bites a human shall be immediately confined. All animal bite reports shall be investigated by Animal Services. It shall be unlawful for any person to fail or refuse to surrender an animal for supervised quarantine.

Quarantine

If your animal has bitten a person, it must be placed in quarantine for 240 hours (10 days). It shall be unlawful for any person to fail or refuse to surrender an animal for supervised quarantine. There is a quarantine fee of $75.

Citations may be issued for failure to provide proof of a current Rabies Vaccination, current City Registration or if the animal was stray/at large when the bite occured.

Rabies

Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death.

Rabies Prevention Tips

• Vaccinate your pets against the rabies virus
• Avoid wildlife - do not touch, pet, or feed any wildlife whether they appear to be sick or not
• Do not approach any animal that is unfamiliar to you or your family
• Secure trash in garbage cans with tight fitting lids
• Feed your pets inside or in small amounts outside to avoid leaving food sitting outside that may attract wildlife
• Keep your pets indoors when possible and on a leash when you take them off your property

For more information regarding Rabies

• https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/
• http://www.dshs.texas.gov/idcu/disease/rabies/

Noise Complaints: 
City Ordinance Chapter 10, Section 10-171, 172

A person commits an offense if he/she knowingly harbors an animal that unreasonably barks, howls, crows or makes other unreasonable noise near a private residence. The animal has to be recorded consecutively for fifteen (15) minutes or longer.

To File a Complaint:

Contact Animal Services with your name, address, contact phone number as well as the location of the nuisance animal(s)

Once we have this information, we will make contact with the animal owner to attempt to fix the problem. We will give them 7-10 days during which time we will make at least 2 more visits to observe. If at any time we can hear the animal barking, howling or crowing for 15 minutes, continuously, we can immediately write a citation.

If after the 10-day period, the animal is still being a noise nuisance, and an officer does NOT hear the nuisance noise for 15 minutes, we will advise the complaintant to sign an affidavit and agree to appear in court and may then issue a citation.

Dangerous Dog:
City Ordinance Chapter 10, Section 10-151

A dangerous animal is defined as a animal that commits an unprovoked act toward a person or domestic animal that causes bodily injury or has a history of attacking or injuring any person or other animal.

Please contact Animal Services immediately with a location and description of the animal.

Welfare Concerns (Cruelty, Neglect or Care of Animals): City Ordinance Chapter 10, Section 10-141

Every owner must provide their animal(s) with sufficient good and wholesome food and water, proper shelter and protection from the weather, veterinary care when needed to prevent suffering and proper care and good treatment.

Please contact Animal Services immediately if you know of any suspected animal abuse or cruelty in the city of Balch Springs. Be ready to provide the address where the animal is kept and describe the abuse or cruelty that is suspected.

Deceased Animals

Deceased animals are picked up during normal business hours. If the request for pick up is late in the day and Animal Services will not be able to pick up, we will advise that the animal wont' be picked up until the following day.

What to do if your pet dies.

If your pet dies, place it in a black plastic bag and place it out by the front curb. Contact Animal Services.

What to do if you see a deceased animal on the roadway or side of the road.

Contact Animal Services, give a location and size of the animal. (Large or Small)

Loose Livestock

Loose livestock or strays are a major concern and create a danger of property damage and even death on our roadways. Unfortunately, the Balch Springs Animal Shelter is not equipped to handle livestock. Please contact Dallas County Sheriff Department at 214-435-8189 to report loose livestock.

If you are missing any livestock, please contact the Kennedy Livestock Center of the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department at 214-435-8189 or 1598 E.langdon Rd Dallas Tx, 75241 between the hours of 6:00 am and 2:00 pm Monday - Friday.

You can also check the link below to see if your livestock is listed

http://www.dallascounty.org/department/sheriff/livestock.php

Wildlife

The Balch Springs Animal Services Department will always respond to situations where the public safety is being jeopardized, however, the mere presence of a wild animal does not constitute a public safety threat. These animals are a common and important part of our ecosystem that benefit the human population in numerous ways.

The City of Balch Springs is growing. As we grow, we push further and further into the habitat of wild animals.

If you encounter a wild animal that is injured or acting strangely out in the open, contact Animal Services immediately.

If you have wildlife of any kind in an area of your home that needs to be removed, you must call a wildlife removal company. Wildlife Removal companies have the expertise and training to deal with these situations safely, humanely and efficiently. They will also be able to help prevent wildlife from making entry into your home again.

Additional Resources

For assistance or more information about wildlife management in urban areas, please visit:

Texas Parks and Wildlife -> https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/wildlife_diversity/urban_program/

The Humane Society -> http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/choosing_wildlife_control_company.html and

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/wild_neighbors/

Animal Help Now -> https://ahnow.org/resources.php

Critter Control -> https://www.crittercontrol.com/office-finder/texas/dallas

DFW Wildlife Coalition -> http://www.dfwwildlife.org/

Urban Wildlife Rescue -> http://www.urbanwildliferescue.org/humane/

Live Traps

Traps may be set out by Animal Services to aid in the capture of stray or problem animals.

Please contact Animal Services to request a trap. Be ready to explain the issue and give a description of the animal(s).

Traps are limited.

*You may be placed on a list to receive a trap depending on the circumstances*

The Balch Springs Animal Shelter does not rent out traps.

Traps will NOT be set in extremely cold weather or if there is a chance of rain storms.