What should we do until you arrive to help?
Try to remain calm. Call 911 if you are reporting a
life-threatening situation. 911
can respond police and rescue units faster than we can in such instances.
For non-life threatening situations call us directly. When you call,
tell the Telecommunicator your situation.
Telecommunicators have a wealth of information, and in many instances
can help you help yourself without having to wait for an Enforcement Officer
to respond. The Telecommunicator
will also evaluate the circumstances of your call to determine if a Field Officer
should respond and a case report will be initiated.
Please provide your name, address, phone number, and directions on how
best to get to your location. Also have a description of the animal(s) and the
owner address, if known. Providing this information can expedites your call. Please stay on the phone
until the Telecommunicator gets the information typed in and reads it back to
you for accuracy and confirmation.
<top>
Can I
remain Anonymous?
Yes. However, in doing so, you have to provide an exact address to
respond to and provide more information about the circumstances of your call.
We will investigate based on information provided.
We respond to anonymous calls for the protection of the animal. If it is determined that the initial
call is unfounded (has no merit), follow up anonymous calls about the same
thing may not be responded to without the caller leaving their name, address
and telephone number.
<top>
What are your operating hours?
We are open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We are closed all Major
Holidays. We provide Emergency
Service after hours and on Holidays through our after hours Answering
Service.
<top>
What do you consider an
Emergency? Emergencies are life
threatening conditions such as aggressive animals, animals that have bitten
someone, injured or sick animals with someone standing by with the animal
until we arrive, and animals inside the living area of a dwelling that are of
a high risk for rabies, such as Bats and Raccoons.
<top>
Who is in charge of Animal
Services? Mr. Bobby Bowen is the Director of Animal Services and
Enforcement.
<top>
Where are you located?
Telecommunications, Tag
Office, Customer Service, Outreach Officer, Budget Officer, Dispatch,
Enforcement Officers and Supervisors are located at 1515 Sarno Road, Bldg A,
Melbourne, FL 32935. The Director
and Secretary of the Department are in Bldg B, at the same address.
The South Animal Care and Adoption Center is located at 5100 W. Eau
Gallie Blvd., Melbourne, FL 32935. The North Animal Care and Adoption Center
is located at 2605 Flake Road, Titusville, FL 32796. <top>
Why do I have to trap
stray cats? Catching cats not confined in some way such as in a room, garage, shed, etc.,
is difficult. There are many places for a cat to hide or climb, putting them
out of reach. Cats may be friendly to a resident but will run from an officer because of all the
animal smells on the officer’s uniform. Officer uniforms smell of dogs,
raccoons, etc., which are natural enemies to a cat.
When a cat smells these scents they instinctively flee to safety.
Because of this we do not take cats being held by people.
This could cause the person holding the cat to get scratched or bitten
exposing the person to potential rabies. Because of limited resources and the
high degree of failure in catching cats out in the open it has become
necessary for residents to trap cats before we can successfully remove them
from an area. <top>
Can you
bring me a trap?
We lend out traps to
residents whom need to catch stray domestic felines or injured wildlife only,
and we do not deliver them.** For
assistance with nuisance wildlife trapping please contact
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. We
can place you on our waiting list and when a trap becomes available you will
be notified of the date, time and location where you can pick up a trap.
These traps are issued on a Monday and have to be returned by close of
business on Friday of the same week. There
is a $40 refundable deposit required on the trap, which you can pay by cash or
check. The deposit is held and returned to you when you return the
trap to us. Animals that you
catch while you have the trap, simply call us at 633-2024 or 253-6630 and we
will send an officer out to remove them.
There is no charge for servicing the trap. <top>
I need a trap now! Is
there any other place where I can rent, purchase or borrow a trap? Yes. We can give you a
retailer near you where you can rent a trap for a small fee.
You can purchase traps at places like Lowe’s, Home Depot, Scotties,
etc. In come cities, you can borrow a trap from City
Hall.
<top>
My Pet has a 3 year rabies vaccination. Does that mean I only have to get a
tag every 3 years? No, you still have to register them every
year.
<top>
How many animals are
you allowed to have? Four (4) adult dogs. Puppies under six (6)
there is no limit. Code Enforcement is the agency that enforces such law.
<top>
How
long will it be for an officer to respond or arrive? We are a
small department in comparison to other county agencies in Brevard County.
The faster response of other agencies is due to their greater numbers.
Calls we receive are responded to on a priority basis. Police Assistance,
Bite investigations and other priorities are handled first.
<top>
How
long of a leash can an owner use to walk there pet? the maximum
legal length of a leash is six (6) Feet.
<top>
Can my cat run outside?
No. The same leash laws that apply to dogs,
applies to cats as well.
<top>
Who can I
call to trap or remove nuisance wildlife?
For assistance of nuisance wildlife please contact
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission . <top>
