Leon County Animal Control Division

The best way to keep pets safe is to keep them inside the home not outside in the yard or with the kids trick-or-treating. Groups of small ghouls and goblins can scare pets causing them to escape from the yard or break the leash. A pet running loose may fall victim to possible abuse by misguided individuals. If you take your pet trick-or-treating, use a short leash to keep it from fighting with other animals or biting strangers.

Confine pets away from the front door in a separate room. Pets, especially dogs, are easily excitable or threatened by strangers. You open the door many times during the evening, providing lots of chances for Fido or Fluffy to slip outside. Confining dogs will also reduce the chances of them biting strangers.

Don't share any candy with pets, especially chocolate. Tell your children not to share their candy with the family pet. Candy is toxic for animals and can cause vomiting, restlessness, heart disturbances, and even death. If you suspect your pet has eaten chocolate or other candy that causes discomfort, consult your veterinarian immediately.

Take extra precautions if you own a black cat by confining it in your house several days before Halloween. This will reduce the chances of someone abducting your black cat. The mythology about black cats and witches can lead people to do strange things to them. Even kids who mean no harm may yell at or chase a black cat, scaring the cat much more than the cat scares them.

Your companion animal may look very cute in a costume, but be wary of pet costumes that use rubber bands to hold the costume in place. If you mistakenly leave rubber bands on your pet after the costume comes off, they can quickly burrow into the animal's skin.

Make sure your cat or dog wears a current rabies tag on its collar. If your pet it lost, it is 10 times more likely to be returned to you if your pet is wearing a rabies tag. A rabies tag is the cheapest form of insurance and the law (required for all cats and dogs four months or older).

If your pet does run away, contact the Tallahassee-Leon Community Animal Service Center (850) 891-2950 to see if one fitting your pet description is there. It is better if you visit the Service Center personally, for you know your pet better then strangers. When Leon County Animal Control rescues a lost pet wearing a rabies tag or other form of identification, the owner is contacted. Animals with tags or collars are held six days while animals without identification are held for five days. After the holding period, those animals not reclaimed by their owners are evaluated for adoption.

With the season half way over, do you have your pet prepared for a hurricane with their own individual disaster preparedness kit? They’re easy to prepare and worth their weight in gold during an emergency.

Store your pet’s emergency kit along with yours. You’ll need a travel kennel with a water proof identification tag on it that gives your pet’s name, your name, address and phone number incase you need to evacuate your home quickly. Include your veterinarian’s name and phone number among the paperwork you include in your pet’s emergency kit. Store the paperwork inside a water proof container. You’ll want to have copies of your pet’s vaccination records, supplies of current medications and written instructions for other people on any medical or behavioral conditions your pet may show during stressful situations. Always include a current color photo of your pet with the paperwork incase your pet escapes its kennel and you need help finding it.

It goes with out saying that your pet should be wearing a collar with its current rabies and I.D. tags. Out-of-date I.D. tags with old addresses or phone numbers do not help your pet. Have a couple of leashes in the kit for your dog.

Your pet’s emergency kit should include a supply or food, water and litter for cats. Add in some toys, blankets, bowls, and a can opener. A pet first aid kit will be need too.

Florida Attorney General and The Humane Society of the United States Announce Animal Fighting Reward Program

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (May 28, 2008) — Attorney General Bill McCollum and The Humane Society of the United States have teamed up to combat cockfighting and dogfighting in Florida. At a joint press conference held today at the state Capitol, they announced that The HSUS is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person involved in illegal animal fighting.

Laura Bevan, Southeast regional director for the HSUS spoke on behalf of the national animal protection organization. Also taking part in the press conference were Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell, John Calhoun of Animal Services Center of Tallahassee, and Richard Ziegler representing Leon County Animal Control and the Florida Animal Control Association.

“Animal fighting is a violent crime that not only causes horrible animal suffering, but also is associated with illegal gambling, drugs and firearms, and I am glad to help law enforcement by announcing this reward,” McCollum said. “The Florida Attorney General’s Office has no tolerance for those who abuse animals for entertainment.”

Dogfighting and cockfighting are both third degree felonies in Florida, punishable by up to five years of imprisonment and/or a maximum $5,000 fine. In 2007, authorities investigated at least 25 cases of animal fighting — literally from one end of the state to the other, with open investigations from Pensacola to Key West. Hundreds of dogs, birds and other animals were found dead or injured.

“Floridians are fortunate to have a champion against animal fighting in Attorney General McCollum,” Bevan said. “We’re proud to partner with him on this important program to help put animal fighters behind bars.”

If you have information about illegal animal fighting in Florida, you may call The HSUS at 202-452-1100. Additionally, The HSUS has partnered with the Florida Association of Crime Stoppers. Crime Stoppers programs offer the ability to remain completely anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward. A list of Florida’s Crime Stoppers organizations can be found on the FACS website: floridacrimestoppers.com.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization — backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the web at humanesociety.org.

Leon County Animal Control has seen an increase in animal bites this past year with less than 50% of the suspect animals vaccinated against rabies. Unvaccinated pets not only places the animal at risk, but also the bite victim and pet owner. Many pets have contact with area wildlife such as raccoons, foxes, beavers, skunks, and bats. “An increase in animal to animal contact can be attributed to the unusually warm season, limited food sources and dry weather” said Leon County Animal Control Director Richard Ziegler.

Rabies is a virus that is transmittable from animal to human, usually transferred by a bite from an infected animal. Rabies is preventable to people and pets, it just requires owners to get their animals to their veterinarian for their immunizations shot. Leon County Animal Control advises people to leave the five common rabies carriers alone. If you see a sick animal, contact the following agencies:

Un-incorporated areas of Leon County -Leon County Animal Control at (850) 606-5400
City of Tallahassee –Tallahassee Animal Service Center at (850) 891-2950.
After hours, call the Leon County Sheriff Office at (850) 922-3300.

Residents are advised to follow these suggestions:
Keep children away from wildlife
Keep pets away from wildlife
Keep pets inside, if possible
Do not feed wildlife
Do not leave food or food sources outside and accessible to wildlife
Vaccinate pets: dogs, cats, and ferrets

Due to staffing limitations caused by the hiring freeze, Leon County Animal Control will be adjusting the hours of field operations beginning Saturday, July 14, 2007. Our new operational hours for in the field will be Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. till 6:00 pm. Please contact our On-Call Officer via the Leon County Sheriff Office (922-3300) before and after these hours for emergency calls.

Additionally, there will no longer be an officer on the road Saturday and Sunday for routine calls. It will be Emergency Call Outs Only via the Sheriff Office. Note that Emergency Calls are: Animal Bite investigation, Dangerous or Aggressive Animal, sick or injured domestic animal, animal cruelty, and rabies suspected wildlife. All other calls will be handled during regular field hours. Office hours will remain the same: Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

On May 8, 2007, the Leon County Board of County Commissioners approved the increase in fees for animals impounded in violation of County Ordinance and the boarding of these animals at the Tallahassee-Leon Community Animal Service Center. There has not been a boarding fee increase since 1996. The new regular boarding rate increased from $9.00 to $15.00 per day. The boarding rate for animals held in quarantine under rabies observation increased from $9.64 to $16.00 per day. The impound fees changed from a flat $30.00 per violation to an escalating fee system. As of June 1, 2007, the new fees are:

Impound Fees:
First Impound     = $25.00
Second Impound = $50.00
Third Impound    = $75.00
Forth Impound    = $100.00
Firth Impound     = $125.00
Sixth and Subsequent Impound = $250.00

Boarding Fees:
Regular Board = $15.00 per day
Bite Quarantine Board = $16.00 per day

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Doris Maloy, Leon County Tax Collector is happy to announce the availability of the newly issued Animal Friend License Plate. Pet lovers interested in reducing pet overpopulation in the state of Florida are invited to purchase this tag. Approved in the 2004 legislative session, proceeds from the new “Animal Friend” specialty license plate will be used to fund spay/neuter initiatives in the state.

Now, Leon County car owners will have the option of purchasing the “Animal Friend” license plate for an additional $25 fee when they buy their annual vehicle licenses. Proceeds from the first 2,400 plates sold will go to reimburse the state for the $60,000 required for development of the plate. After that, proceeds will be put into a fund distributed by the Florida Animal Friend Coalition through grants to spay/neuter programs statewide. The goal is to raise enough money to prevent unwanted births of puppies and kittens and thereby reduce the number of animals abandoned on the streets and the number euthanized in shelters.

The Animal Friend Coalition worked to make the “Animal Friend” plate a reality. The coalition is comprised of animal care groups including: the Florida Animal Control Association, the Florida Veterinary Medical Association, and the Humane Society of the United States, as well as several individuals.

The license plate is available for purchase at all Leon County Tax Collector’s Offices. For a list of offices in Leon County, go to www.Leontaxcollector.net or phone 488-4735. Order yours today!

Rabies is a deadly virus that is contagious to humans as well as pets, but is preventable. Animal Control encourages all pet owners to have their animals (dogs, cats, ferrets), 4 months or older, vaccinated by a veterinarian. If you are unable to have your pet vaccinated by a local veterinarian, you may contact one of the following pet stores that provide weekend rabies vaccination clinics.

State law mandates that rabies vaccinations may only be administered by a State Licensed Veterinarian.

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