Helping make the world a more humane place for animals! - MAY 2021 - Watauga Animal Services Center 5203 Watauga Road (817)656-9614 - City of Watauga
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MAY 2021
Helping make the world a more humane place
for animals!
Watauga Animal Services Center
5203 Watauga Road
(817)656-9614
The Animal Service Center reopened to the public on Monday, April 26.
Temporary Shelter operational hours will continue for the safety of our
employees as well as the citizens and animals we serve. We plan to resume
normal operations as soon as new staff has completed their training.
Live Animal Trapping:
The City Of Watauga will resume the live animal trapping program on
Monday, May 3, 2021. Animal Control Officer hours continue to be
limited temporarily, therefore, no trapping is permitted Friday evening
through Sunday evening.
Owner Surrendered Pets:
The City of Watauga will begin accepting owner surrendured pets from
Watauga residents on Monday, May 3, 2021.
Shelter Hours:
Animal Services has 2 new employees and while staff works to train
them, the shelter will have limited operating hours.
Animal Services will be open
Monday - Friday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
An Animal Control Officer is available for service,
Monday - Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
For after-hour emergency assistance (injured domestic animal or animal
attack/bite), dial (817)514-5897.
Meows and Howls Low Cost Vaccination Clinic:
Animal Services is currently not hosting the Low-Cost Vaccination Clinic on
the 2nd Saturday of each month as we have in years past. T.C.A.P. (Texas
Coalition for Animal Protection) has changed its practices due to the COVID-
19 pandemic, and our facility and parking lot do not meet their guidelines
for safe social distancing. T.C.A.P. continues to offer mobile clinics
throughout the metroplex in addition to their 25 facilities. You can visit their
website for more information.
Opossums get a bum rap. Often seen as a pest and accused of everything
from knocking over garbage cans to killing chickens, these quiet marsupials
are rarely a threat and easily sent on their way. Opossums are far from
being a nuisance, opossums can be beneficial for your garden, eating snails,
slugs, insects and sometimes even small rodents. They’ll even clean up
spilled garbage and fruit that has fallen off trees.
There is an opossum in my yard. What do I do?
Nothing. Leave the opossum alone and enjoy watching wildlife in your own
backyard. Opossums are beneficial eating unwanted pests around your home and
garden such as snails, slugs, spiders, cockroaches, rats, mice and snakes.
They make my dog bark! What do I do?
A dog will bark at anything it sees or hears. The best thing you can do for the
opossums and your neighbors is to train the dog or keep the dog indoors at night.
This will also prevent the dog from injuring or killing an opossum.
Will an opossum attack my pets?
In general, opossums are docile, non-aggressive animals and will not attack your
pets. They prefer to avoid confrontations. If escape is not possible then the
threatened opossum may “play ‘possum”, show its teeth, or bite in self-defense,
as any animal would.
Will an opossum bite my children?
Children should be taught not to attempt to feed or touch a wild animal.
Opossums are nocturnal, that is they sleep during the day and come out at night,
so the chance that a small child will come into contact with an opossum is slim.
Opossums prefer to sleep in dark, secluded places. If your children are playing in
this type of area then there is a greater danger of being bitten by a poisonous
spider or snake.
How can I keep opossums from eating the fruit off my trees?
Opossums prefer to eat the rotting fruit that have fallen to the ground. Keep
opossums out of trees by cutting branches away from the ground, fences and
roof. Cover the trunk with heavy plastic sheets obtained at hardware stores and
secure with duct tape. This will prevent the opossums from climbing. A cut-up
plastic trash can will work.
How can I keep opossums out of my home or garage?
Close all doors, pet doors and unscreened windows before dusk. Put food away
so the opossum will not be tempted to enter. If an opossum enters, provide a safe
exit route and leave the room.
I am certain the opossum in my yard has rabies. what should I
do?
People often mistake the open-mouth hissing and drooling behavior of opossums
as a sign of rabies. However, this is just a bluffing behavior that opossums use as a
defense mechanism. In fact, rabies is extremely rare in opossums, perhaps because
they have a much lower body temperature compared to other warm-blooded
animals.
Opossums are transient animals, staying only 2-3 days in an area before moving on.
Removal is neither necessary nor desirable. Wildlife experts agree that if opossums were
eliminated from an area, the population of roof rats and other pests would proliferate.
Raccoons, also nicknamed "trash panda", are mammals that
are rarely seen during the day because of their nocturnal
habits.
Raccoon Infestation
The key signs of a raccoon infestation are both visual and audible. Damage to a
home’s insulation, wood, shingles, electrical wiring, walls or other parts of the
structure is a telltale sign that a raccoon has taken up residence inside. Another
indication of a raccoon infestation is the presence of droppings, urine stains, or built-
up materials from creating a nest. Additionally, raccoons often raid, and can make a
mess of, contents in garbage cans while they are in search of food. If a homeowner
notices trash dispersed on the property, raccoons could be to blame. Raccoon paw
prints may also be visible in the yard.
Raccoons sometimes destroy bird nests and damage gardens, so any signs of these
types of activities can also mean there is a raccoon infestation. Hearing loud thuds
and noises from raccoon movement can also signify a homeowner has raccoons in
the home.
How can I deter raccoons?
There are various precautions that homeowners can take to try to avoid a raccoon
infestation from taking root. First, raccoons can find access into homes through
broken vents, holes, uncapped chimneys and other openings along the roof, which is
why homeowners should regularly inspect, repair and seal any of these or other
potential points of entry. Loose siding and shingles should also be repaired, and it’s
also helpful to install a mesh cover or cap over chimneys and other exposed
openings to prevent entry.
Homeowners should store trash in sealed areas, ideally as a locked shed or
outhouse. Raccoons are very adept at learning how to open garbage cans, so if trash
cans are kept out in the open, it’s best to use tightly fitting, animal-proof lids to avoid
unwanted attention from hungry raccoons on the prowl for food. Birdseed, bird
feeders and fountains should also be removed, as they are sources of sustenance to
raccoons and other wildlife. Likewise, built up debris, brush and leaves can serve as
perfect hiding spots and dwellings for raccoons, so it’s important to regularly rid the
yard of these piles.
Who can help me get rid of raccoons?
If an infestation is suspected and you need additional
information regarding how to get rid of raccoons, contact a
licensed pest professional to inspect the property and
formulate a plan to get rids of raccoons. Homeowners
should not attempt to address an infestation themselves,
especially since these wild animals may be carrying rabies or
other disease which can potentially transmit to humans,
including raccoon roundworm, which is an intestinal parasite.
This is transmitted through unintentionally ingesting a
microscopic roundworm egg.
April Showers Bring May Flowers...and dirty dogs
All dogs and cats four months of age or older which are kept, harbored or maintained
within the corporate limits of the city shall be licensed. Cat and dog licenses shall be
issued by the animal control officer or his or her agents upon payment of the required
fee for each cat or dog. Before a city license will be issued, the owner of the cat or dog
must present a certificate from a licensed veterinarian showing that said cat or dog
has been vaccinated in accordance with the requirements of Code regarding animals.
Said license shall be valid for one year from the date of issuance.
FEES MULTIPLE PET WHERE TO GO
Altered Pet: $6.00 No person shall keep or City Hall,
Unaltered Pet: $22.00 harbor more than three dogs 7105 Whitley Rd.
Senior Citizen (65+) pet: Free and two cats, or three cats Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Second Saturday: $5.00 and two dogs. Puppies and
Multiple Pet Permit: $17.00 kittens under four months of Animal Service Center,
age shall not be counted. 5203 Watauga Rd.
Monday - Friday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Any person, firm, or (Temporary hours)
corporation wishing to keep
more than three dogs and
two cats or three cats and
two dogs and who does not
possess a kennel permit may
procure a multiple pet
ownership permit from the
city.
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