Bitten by a dog in Midland: who to call, your rights and finding a dog bite lawyer

Last checked November 8, 2026

In Midland, report a dog bite to Animal Services at 432-685-7420, which investigates bites.12 After hours, call 432-685-7108.3 State law requires every bite to a person to be reported.4 You generally have 2 years to sue over a dog bite in Texas.5

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Road map of Midland showing North Fairgrounds Road, home of Midland Animal Services, which investigates animal bites
Midland dog bite after hours? Call 432-685-7108. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What should you do right after a dog bite in Midland?

  1. Wash the wound with soap and water, then get medical care. For a deep bite, Midland Memorial's emergency department is a Level 3 Adult Trauma Center.6
  2. Find out who owns the dog and get a phone number and address.
  3. Report it. In the city, call Animal Services at 432-685-7420, at 1200 N. Fairgrounds Road.1
  4. After hours, call 432-685-7108 for Animal Control Officers inside the city limits. Attacks and bites both count.3
  5. Photograph the wound now and again as it heals. Save every bill.

Bites must be reported under state law, to whoever is the local rabies control authority.4 That report is the paper trail your claim will lean on, so ask for a report number.

Who takes a dog bite report outside Midland city limits?

City officers cover the city. If you were bitten out in the county, start with the Sheriff's non-emergency line, (432) 688-1040.7 Minutes from the county commissioners in 2024 show an Animal Control Officer working under the Sheriff's Office.8 Deputies patrol all 902 square miles of the county, so tell the dispatcher the exact road.9

For the records later, Midland Police Records is at 601 N. Loraine, (432) 685-7145, and the Sheriff's Records Section is at (432) 688-4660.1011

What happens to the dog after it bites someone in Midland?

Texas health officials say a healthy dog that bites a person must be quarantined and watched for 10 days, or be put down and tested for rabies.12 Ask Animal Services what is happening with this dog. If the owner cannot be found, tell your doctor right away, because that can change the care you need.

QuestionWhy it matters
Has the dog had its rabies shots?Your doctor will want to know
Where is it being watched for 10 days?12Tells you when you will have an answer
Has this dog bitten before?May matter for your claim

Does Texas have a dog bite law that covers Midland?

Not one that tells an owner when to pay you. Chapter 822 of the Health and Safety Code covers seizing dogs and criminal charges, and it does not say when an owner must pay an injured person. A claim comes from other Texas law.13 A local lawyer can tell you what you would need to show.

  • An owner can be charged if a negligently unsecured dog seriously hurts or kills someone away from the owner's land, car or boat.14
  • An owner who knows a dog has been found dangerous can be charged if it attacks outside a secure enclosure and causes serious injury or death.15
  • Anyone can ask a court, by sworn complaint, to have a dog seized after it causes death or serious injury.16
  • Owners of dogs officially deemed dangerous must carry at least $100,000 in coverage or show they can pay it.17

Was the dog running loose in Midland when it bit you?

Ask, and write down what you saw. Midland's Animal Services says a dog is at large when it is outside a secure enclosure, and that it can be at large even in a front yard that has no such enclosure.18 An open gate or a broken fence can be useful detail. Take a picture of it if you can do that safely.

We could not open the full city animal ordinance, or find any published count of dog bites in Midland. Animal Services investigates bites and can tell you which rules apply to this dog.2

Who pays for a dog bite in Midland?

Often a homeowner's or renter's insurance policy, if the owner has one. Ask for the name of the insurer. Your own share of the blame can reduce or end what you get. In Texas, more than 50% at fault means no recovery.19

If your costs are small, Midland County's justice courts handle debt claims, like small claims, up to $20,000.20 You will find them at 301 S Main St., 2nd Floor.21 A bite with surgery or scarring may need a bigger court, and those cases are filed with the District Clerk.22

If a child was bitten, the 2-year clock usually waits until age 18.23 Do not wait that long to report, though, and get the medical care now.

Does the 60-day city notice apply to a dog bite in Midland?

Rarely, but it can. If a city employee or a city-kept animal was involved, a claim against the City of Midland needs written, verified notice within 60 days.24 A claim against a private dog owner does not need that notice, and the 2-year deadline is the one to watch.5

What should you ask a dog bite lawyer in Midland?

  • Which Texas legal theory fits what happened to me?
  • Can you find out if this dog has bitten anyone before?
  • Does the owner have homeowner's or renter's insurance?
  • How do you handle scars and future treatment?

Questions

How long do I have to sue for a dog bite in Midland?

Generally 2 years from when your claim arises.5

Who do I call for a dog bite in Midland?

Animal Services at 432-685-7420.1 After hours, 432-685-7108.3

Does the dog have to be quarantined?

Texas health officials say a healthy dog that bites someone must be quarantined and watched for 10 days, or be put down and tested.12

Is there a dog bite law in Texas?

Chapter 822 covers seizure and criminal charges. It does not say when an owner must pay, so a claim comes from other Texas law.13

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Midland

Dog bite

Texas

Sources

  1. City of Midland, Animal Services, checked 2026-11-08. “Phone: 432-685-7420 [...] 1200 N Fairgrounds Rd”
  2. City of Midland, Field Operations, checked 2026-11-08. “Investigations into animal bites”
  3. City of Midland, Field Operations, checked 2026-11-08. “For after hour emergency animal issues call 432-685-7108”
  4. Texas DSHS, Rabies prevention in Texas, January 2026, checked 2026-11-08. “ALL ANIMAL BITES TO A HUMAN MUST BE REPORTED”
  5. 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.”
  6. Midland Health, Our Services, checked 2026-11-08. “is a Level 3 Adult Trauma Center”
  7. Midland County Sheriff, Contact Us, checked 2026-11-08. “For Non-Emergencies, call (432) 688-1040”
  8. Midland County Commissioners Court minutes, Sept. 17, 2024, checked 2026-11-08. “Animal Control Officer”
  9. Midland County Sheriff, Patrol Division, checked 2026-11-08. “patrol all 902 square miles of Midland County”
  10. Midland Police Department, Request A Police Report, checked 2026-11-08. “MPD Records Phone: (432) 685-7145 Address: 601 N. Loraine”
  11. Midland County Sheriff, Contact Us, checked 2026-11-08. “Records Section (432) 688-4660”
  12. Texas DSHS, Rabies prevention in Texas, January 2026, checked 2026-11-08. “observed for 10 days (240 hours)”
  13. 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”
  14. 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;”
  15. 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”
  16. 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;”
  17. 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”
  18. City of Midland, Animal Services FAQ, checked 2026-11-08. “A dog is considered at large, or loose, when it is outside of a secure enclosure”
  19. 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”
  20. Midland County, Justice Court Civil Cases, checked 2026-11-08. “The claim can be for no more than $20,000, excluding statutory interest and court costs but including attorney fees”
  21. Midland County, Justice of the Peace, checked 2026-11-08. “301 S Main St. 2nd Floor Midland , TX 79701”
  22. Midland County, District Clerk, checked 2026-11-08. “serious personal injury”
  23. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-08. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”
  24. City of Midland Charter, Sec. 8, checked 2026-11-08. “duly verified within sixty days after the same has been sustained”

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