Animal Services

Currently the City of Melissa contracts with the Collin County Animal Services located in McKinney for its animal control services. For information please call: 972-547-7292 or visit the Collin County Animal Services website.

Lost pet

Are you looking for a lost pet? You can also follow Collin County Animal Services on Facebook and receive the latest updates on the animals on Stray Hold.

Animal Shelter & Field Response Hours

  • Animal Shelter:
    Closed on Mondays and Holidays
    Tuesday through Friday: 9 am to 6 pm
    Saturday through Sunday 12 to 5 pm
  • Animal Control (Field):
    Monday Through Only Emergency Field Calls
    Tuesday through Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm
    • Regular and Emergency Calls
      After-Hours - Only Emergency Field Calls
      Holidays - Only Emergency Field Calls

Dogs & Cats

All Dogs and Cats must be currently vaccinated and meet the following criteria:

  • The animal must have been at least four months of age at the time of vaccination.
  • At least 30 days have elapsed since the initial vaccination.
  • No more than 12 months have elapsed since the most recent vaccination.

Harbor

The act of keeping or caring for an animal or of providing a premise to which the animal returns for food, shelter, or care for a period of three consecutive days.

Owner

Any person, firm, or corporation having title to any animal; or a person who has, harbors, keeps, or causes or permits to be harbored or kept, any animal in his or her care, or who permits an animal to remain on or about his or her premises.

Pet Animals

Pet animals shall include:

  • Birds
  • Cats
  • Dogs
  • Rabbits
  • Reptiles
  • Rodents
  • Any other species of animals that are sold or retained as a household pet but shall not include:
    • Nonhuman Primates
    • Skunks
    • Any other species of wild, exotic, or carnivorous animal that may be further restricted in this law

Running at Large

Not completely confined by a building, wall, or fence of sufficient strength or construction to restrain the animal, or not on a leash or held in the hands of the owner or keeper, or not under direct supervision of the owner or within the limits of the owner's private property.

Stray Animal

Any animal for which there is no identifiable owner or harborer.

Vaccinated

Properly injected with a rabies vaccine licensed for use in that species by the United States Department of Agriculture and administered by a veterinarian licensed to practice in the United States.

Wild Animal

Any poisonous or dangerous reptile or any other species of animal that commonly exists in a natural, unconfined state and is usually not domesticated, including, but not limited to:

  • Foxes
  • Leopards
  • Lions
  • Lynx
  • Opossums
  • Panthers
  • Raccoons
  • Squirrels
  • Tigers

Unless certified for medical, biological, herpetological, or other scientific research or study. This definition shall apply regardless of state or duration of captivity.

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