Mesquite Animal Control Phone Number, Hours & Address

Mesquite Animal Services can be reached at 972-216-6283 during shelter hours for strays, neglect reports, registration questions, and other non-emergency animal concerns. For an animal emergency in progress, such as an active attack or a severely injured animal, call Mesquite Police directly at 972-216-6759.¹ The shelter is located at 1650 Gross Road, Mesquite, TX 75149.²

When the Main Line Is Staffed

The 972-216-6283 line follows the shelter’s schedule, so timing matters if you want to speak with someone directly:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday: 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday and Sunday: Closed

The Wednesday closure catches people off guard. If something urgent happens on a closed day or outside those hours and it involves a threat to a person or a seriously hurt animal, use the police number instead.²¹

What to Have Ready Before You Call

A few details up front will help the dispatcher send the right officer to the right place:

Location: the exact block number or nearest intersection where you spotted the animal.
Description: breed or best guess, coat color, and approximate size.
Behavior: whether the animal is acting aggressively, appears sick or injured, or is simply loose.
Owner information: if you know or suspect who owns the animal, say so. It speeds things up considerably.

Have this ready whether you’re calling 972-216-6283 or escalating to the police line.¹

Reporting Online Instead

If your situation isn’t urgent, you can submit a request through the city’s online portal at cityofmesquite.com rather than calling. The online option gives you a written record of what you reported, which is useful for ongoing problems like a neighbor’s recurring loose dog.¹

How Fast Animal Services Responds

Response time depends on how the call is classified. High-priority cases, such as an animal actively threatening a person, get an immediate response. Lower-priority situations, like a stray wandering through the neighborhood, receive a response within one business day.¹ If the situation worsens while you’re waiting, call back and say so; a change in behavior can move a report up the queue.

If You’re Calling About a Bite

Bites are time-sensitive. Texas law requires a mandatory ten-day observation period for any dog, cat, or domestic ferret that bites a person, regardless of the animal’s vaccination status. The observation period starts at the time of the bite, not when the animal is placed in quarantine.³ If an animal bites you or someone in your household, call 972-216-6283 as soon as you can so the quarantine clock is documented and the animal can be properly monitored for rabies. On a Wednesday, Sunday, or after hours, use the police line to get the report started.

Other Reasons People Call This Number

Animal Services officers cover a wide range of situations inside city limits. They pick up strays near traffic or in public spaces, investigate reports of neglect or cruelty, and enforce the city’s animal ordinances under Chapter 4 of the Mesquite City Code. They also handle wildlife calls when a sick or injured wild animal turns up in a yard or park. The same 972-216-6283 line handles pet registration questions, adoption inquiries, and lost-pet reports.² If your pet goes missing, call quickly: an unidentified cat picked up as a stray has no required holding period before it can be adopted out, while a dog with a tag or microchip gets at least five business days.⁴

1
City of Mesquite. How to Report Your Concerns
2
City of Mesquite. Animal Services
3
Legal Information Institute. Texas Code 25 Tex Admin Code 169.27 – Quarantine Method and Testing
4
Municode Library. Code of Ordinances City of Mesquite, Texas – Article XI Impoundment