Dog bite in Fort Worth: who to call and when to find a dog bite lawyer

Last checked November 8, 2026

After a dog bite in Fort Worth, call Animal Care & Control at 817-392-1234.1 The dog must be quarantined for 10 days from the bite, whatever its vaccination status.2 Off its own property, it must be on a leash with its owner.3 You generally have 2 years to sue over a bite in Texas.4

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Road map of Fort Worth showing city limits, where Animal Care & Control handles bites, and surrounding Tarrant County
A Fort Worth dog that bites must be quarantined for 10 days. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What should I do first after a dog bite in Fort Worth?

  1. Wash the wound well with soap and water. Texas health officials say to see a doctor as soon as possible to decide whether you need rabies treatment.5 Bites can get infected even when they look small.
  2. Find out where the dog lives and who owns it. Without that, the quarantine cannot happen and you may lose your claim.
  3. Call Animal Care & Control at 817-392-1234, and ask for the case or service number.1
  4. Photograph the wound the same day and every few days after. Take a picture of the dog, the gate and the fence if you can do it safely.
  5. Ask for your records. JPS takes faxed requests at 817-702-5700, and Texas Health uses Versima.67 For a severe attack, JPS and Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth are Level I trauma centers.89

The 10-day quarantine runs from the day of the bite and applies even to a dog with current shots.2

Who handles a dog bite outside Fort Worth city limits?

It depends on where you were standing. Fort Worth covers its own city. Other towns in Tarrant County run their own animal control, and the Sheriff's Office handles unincorporated areas.10 If you are not sure which side of the line you were on, call the Fort Worth number and ask.

What are Fort Worth's leash and fence rules for dogs?

SituationThe city rule
Walking off the owner's propertyOn a leash and with the owner at all times3
In the yardSecurely enclosed, behind a barrier at least 48 inches high11
In a city parkOn a leash, unless in a marked off-leash area12

These rules are useful for two reasons. A loose dog or a low, broken fence tells a clear story about how carefully the owner kept the animal. They also give you something specific to photograph and measure.

Fort Worth also defines owner broadly. A person who harbored, fed or sheltered an animal for three or more days in a row is treated as its owner.13 So the roommate, the relative dog-sitting for a month or the person feeding a stray on the porch may all count under the city's rule.

Is a dog owner automatically responsible for a bite in Fort Worth?

Not automatically. Chapter 822, the Texas law people usually hear about, covers seizing dogs and criminal charges. It does not say when an owner must pay an injured person, so a money claim comes from other Texas law.14

In plain terms, expect the focus to be on what the owner knew and how the owner acted. Had this dog bitten or lunged before? Was it loose? Did the owner ignore the leash or fence rules? Your share of the blame also counts if you provoked the dog or went where you had no right to be. More than 50 percent means no recovery.15

How do I know if a Fort Worth dog was declared dangerous?

The city posts a list of declared dangerous dogs on its website, with the date and reason for each one.16 Look there first. A dog on that list changes your case.

  • Under city rules, a dog can be declared dangerous after an unprovoked attack on a person that causes injury outside its enclosure.17
  • The owner of a registered dangerous dog must tell Animal Care & Control within 24 hours of an attack.18
  • An owner of a dog declared aggressive can face a fine of up to $2,000 for an unprovoked attack on a person outside the enclosure.19
  • State law requires owners of dogs officially deemed dangerous to carry at least $100,000 in coverage or show they can pay that amount.20

Can a Fort Worth dog owner be charged after a serious bite?

In some cases. An owner can face charges if a negligently unsecured dog seriously hurts or kills someone away from the owner's land, car or boat.21 An owner who knows the dog has been found dangerous can be charged if it attacks outside a secure enclosure and causes serious injury or death.22 Anyone can also ask a Texas court, by sworn complaint, to have a dog seized after it causes death or serious injury.23

Who pays for a dog bite in Fort Worth?

Often a homeowner's or renter's insurance policy, if the owner has one and it does not exclude the dog. Get the insurer's name from the owner. A small claim, up to $20,000, can go to one of the county's eight justice courts.24 Scarring on a face or hands usually calls for more care in valuing a claim, so see a doctor about scars before you settle.

Children are bitten often, and they may get more time to file a lawsuit.25 If the bite happened on City of Fort Worth property or involved a city animal or officer, written notice is due within 180 days unless you show good cause.26

What should I ask a dog bite lawyer in Fort Worth?

  • What Texas law would my claim rest on, since Chapter 822 does not cover it?
  • Can you find earlier complaints about this dog?
  • Does the owner's insurance policy leave out this breed or this dog?
  • How do you value scarring and future treatment?

Questions

How long do I have to sue after a dog bite in Fort Worth?

Generally 2 years from when your claim arises.4

Who do I call to report a dog bite in Fort Worth?

Animal Care & Control at 817-392-1234.1

Does the dog have to be quarantined if it has its shots?

Yes. Fort Worth requires 10 days from the day of the bite, whatever its vaccination status.2

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Fort Worth

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Sources

  1. City of Fort Worth, Animal Control Laws, checked 2026-11-08. “call Animal Care & Control: 817-392-1234”
  2. City of Fort Worth, Animal Control Laws, checked 2026-11-08. “must be placed in quarantine for 10 days from the day of the bite”
  3. City of Fort Worth, Animal Control Laws, checked 2026-11-08. “When a dog is being walked or with its owner off its property, the dog must be on a leash and accompanied by the owner at all times.”
  4. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(a), checked 2026-11-08. “personal injury, forcible entry and detainer, and forcible detainer not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues.”
  5. Texas DSHS, Animal Bites, checked 2026-11-08. “Consult a physician as soon as possible to determine whether rabies postexposure treatment is needed.”
  6. JPS Health Network, Patient Records, checked 2026-11-08. “You can fax a written request to 817-702-5700.”
  7. Texas Health, Request Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Texas Health has partnered with Versima”
  8. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “JOHN PETER SMITH HOSPITAL 11/1/2028 E FORT WORTH 76104”
  9. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “TEXAS HEALTH HARRIS METHODIST HOSPITAL FORT WORTH 1/1/2029 E FORT WORTH 76104”
  10. Tarrant County Public Health, Animal Control, checked 2026-11-08. “animal control for unincorporated areas of Tarrant County is handled by the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office”
  11. City of Fort Worth, Animal Control Laws, checked 2026-11-08. “All dogs must be behind an enclosure of at least 48 inches”
  12. Fort Worth City Code § 24-9, checked 2026-11-08. “Dogs must be kept on a leash and under the direct physical control of the owner or handler while in any city park or recreation area.”
  13. City of Fort Worth, Animal Control Laws, checked 2026-11-08. “An animal shall be deemed to be owned by a person who harbored, fed or sheltered the animal for three or more consecutive days.”
  14. Tex. Health & Safety Code ch. 822, subch. A, checked 2026-11-08. “SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS; DOGS THAT ATTACK PERSONS OR ARE A DANGER TO PERSONS”
  15. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
  16. City of Fort Worth, Aggressive and Dangerous Dogs, checked 2026-11-08. “Declared dangerous dogs”
  17. City of Fort Worth, Aggressive and Dangerous Dogs, checked 2026-11-08. “Makes an unprovoked attack on a person that causes bodily injury and occurs in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog was being kept”
  18. City of Fort Worth, Aggressive and Dangerous Dogs, checked 2026-11-08. “shall notify the Animal Care & Control Authority within 24 hours if the Dangerous Dog is at large, unconfined, has attacked a human being or another animal”
  19. Fort Worth City Code § 6-14.3, checked 2026-11-08. “An offense under this section is a punishable by a fine not to exceed $2,000.”
  20. Tex. Health & Safety Code § 822.042(a)(3), checked 2026-11-08. “obtain liability insurance coverage or show financial responsibility in an amount of at least $100,000 to cover damages resulting from an attack by the dangerous dog causing bodily injury to a person”
  21. Tex. Health & Safety Code § 822.005(a)(1), checked 2026-11-08. “with criminal negligence, as defined by Section 6.03, Penal Code, fails to secure the dog and the dog makes an unprovoked attack on another person that occurs at a location other than the owner's real property or in or on the owner's motor vehicle or boat and that causes serious bodily injury, as defined by Section 1.07, Penal Code, or death to the other person;”
  22. Tex. Health & Safety Code § 822.005(a)(2), checked 2026-11-08. “knows the dog is a dangerous dog by learning in a manner described by Section 822.042(g) that the person is the owner of a dangerous dog, and the dangerous dog makes an unprovoked attack on another person that occurs at a location other than a secure enclosure”
  23. Tex. Health & Safety Code § 822.002(a), checked 2026-11-08. “on the sworn complaint of any person, including the county attorney, the city attorney, or a peace officer, that the dog has caused the death of or serious bodily injury to a person by attacking, biting, or mauling the person;”
  24. Tarrant County, Justice of the Peace Courts, checked 2026-11-08. “(jurisdictional limit is $20,000)”
  25. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-08. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”
  26. Fort Worth City Charter, Chapter XXVII, Section 25, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty (180) days after the same has been sustained, unless good cause is shown”

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