How to Report a Dog Bite to Pasco County Animal Control

If you've suffered from a dog bite injury in Florida, learning how to contact is an excellent place to start dealing with the situation. An animal attack can be a distressing experience, and it can also lead to expensive medical bills. In Florida, you may recover damages from the dog owner.

Going after a dog owner for damages can be time-consuming and stressful. DoNotPay can help you do this more efficiently by reporting the incident to the local animal control department and taking legal action if necessary. Here's what you should know about , Florida's Animal Services department.

What Services Does Pasco County Animal Control Offer?

offers several different programs for pets and owners in the county.

Pet Adoption and Fostering

Pasco County Animal Services has dogs and cats available for adoption and shelter for animals needing a temporary home.

Licensing

Dogs and cats in Pasco County require a license that must be updated annually. The license requires proof of spay or neuter status and rabies vaccination.

Low-Income Spay and Neuter Services

This program allows Pasco County residents to get up to three pets per household sterilized with income-based pricing.

Pet Food Bank

The Pasco County pet food bank allows pet owners who are experiencing short-term financial challenges to pick up free pet food for up to three months.

Working Cats

The Working Cats program matches feral and semi-feral cats with people looking for natural pest control in their barns, warehouses, or similar properties.

Pasco County provides these and other services to promote animal well-being, in addition to its safety enforcement services.

How to Manage a Dog Bite in Pasco County Yourself

1. Report to Animal Services

Hours

Monday-Friday: 8 am to 5 pm

Phone Number

Business Hours: 813-929-1212

Emergency: 727-847-8102

Address

19640 Dogpatch Lane

Land O' Lakes, Florida 34638

The animal control officer on standby will only respond to calls that qualify as an emergency. These include:

An incident in which an animal has bitten a person
A loose animal that is behaving aggressively and poses a danger to the public
A stray animal that is seriously injured

2. Contact Pet Owner

Once you've dealt with the immediate aftermath of the injury, your first recourse should usually be contacting the pet owner directly. In many cases, owners are willing to handle damages privately, so you don't need to go through the legal system. Contact the pet owner in writing and include the following information if you take this option.

Summary of the incident
List of medical bills
Total compensation you're seeking
Deadline for payment

3. Sue the Pet Owner

Florida is a strict liability state for dog bites, which means that the dog owner can be held responsible for your injuries even if the owner had no prior warning that the dog was dangerous. There are two requirements to be eligible to sue for damages:

You did not provoke the dog.
You were acting legally by being in the location where the incident occurred.

If you're going to sue for damages, contacting a personal injury lawyer is an excellent place to start. A consultation can help you fully understand your situation even if you ultimately represent yourself in small claims court.

Easily Report a Dog Bite With DoNotPay

Seeking compensation for the medical bills caused by a dog bite can be challenging, especially if you need to escalate to a lawsuit. The incident itself was likely distressing and may have required expensive healthcare. DoNotPay's fast, easy and successful system helps you report dog bites and seek compensation for the associated medical bills.

How to Report an Animal-Related Incident On DoNotPay:

If you want to report an animal-related injury but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in 3 easy steps:

Search "animal" on DoNotPay, find the Animal Control product, and select whether you've sustained a physical injury.
Select whether you would like to report this incident to your local government agency, or demand compensation from the pet owner.
Tell us more about the incident, including when and where you were injured, a description of the animal that caused the injury, and the contact information for the pet owner (if known).

And that's it. DoNotPay will file the demand letter or government report on your behalf with your incident details. You should hear back from them directly with further questions/confirmation regarding your demands.