Animal Control

The Animal Control unit manages and protects the animal population in Elgin, enforces animal ordinances, protects the health and welfare of the citizens of Elgin, and strives to make Elgin a safe, pet friendly town.

Animal Control follows these policies to avoid being out on a non-emergency call when an emergency call comes in and not being available to handle the emergency when needed. All animals that are picked up, at large, are taken to the Bastrop Animal Shelter. They are held for 3 days for strays with unknown owner and 10 days for strays with known owners. Some animals are placed on the Petfinder website and held for 2 weeks for possible adoption. 

Services - Response to calls

Animal Control will respond to the following as Emergency Calls:

• Dog or cat bites with human exposure and broken skin
• Stray animals that are injured
• Sick animals at the request of a Police Officer
• Loose livestock
• Dead animals that are a traffic hazard only
• Wild animals in homes
• Poisonous snakes in and around homes
• Dogs attacking other animals
• Owner arrested with an animal in the vehicle
• Skunks out in daylight hours only
• Loose dogs with mange, foaming at the mouth, emaciated, tick infested or any other condition that is not life threatening

Note: Police officers can respond to general nuisance calls after hours. Calls that are considered non-emergency will not be responded to by the on-call Animal Control Officer at night or on the weekend. The on-call Animal Control Officer will determine which calls, if any, need to be referred to the Animal Control office the next business day.

Animal Services will not respond to the following as Emergency Calls: 

• Loose pit bulls (they are treated like other dogs)
• Owned animals that are sick or injured (these are the responsibility of the owner)
• Owned animals that are in their own yards in need of food, water, shelter, or veterinary care
• Dead animals on streets that are not a traffic hazard, small dead animals in streets (not main thoroughfares), or dead animals in streets in either early/late hours of the day or during time of light or no traffic
• Barking dogs
• Sightings of skunks or other nocturnal animals out at night