Pinellas County Animal Services News

ANIMAL EXPOSURES

 It’s heating up out there and, unfortunately, so are instances of animals at large and negative interactions.  Pinellas County Animal Services receives approximately 2,000 reports of animal-to-human bites annually. About 55% of these incidents involve owners being bitten by their own pets, termed “owner-victim bites.” Another 40% involve individuals bitten by animals they do not own, such as a neighbor’s pet or a stray. The remaining 5% are bites from native wildlife.

A bite is defined differently depending on the animal:

• Dogs: Any instance where the dog’s teeth break the skin; scratches from claws are not considered bites.
• Cats and Wildlife: Any occurrence where teeth or claws break the skin.

In Florida, animals are categorized based on rabies risk:

• High-risk animals: Raccoons, bats, and feral cats.
• Low-risk animals: Squirrels, opossums, and vaccinated pets.

All bites, regardless of severity, must be reported to either Pinellas County Animal Services or the Pinellas County Health Department to ensure public health and safety. Reports can be made via telephone at (727) 582-2608 or fax at (727) 582-2635.

Upon receiving a bite report, both the victim and the pet’s owner will be contacted. The pet will undergo a 10-day (240-hour) quarantine starting from the date of the bite. Quarantine locations may include the owner’s residence, Pinellas County Animal Services, or an approved veterinarian’s office. While home quarantine is preferred, the decision depends on factors such as the circumstances of the bite, its severity, the animal’s bite history, and its current rabies vaccination status. Even animals with up-to-date rabies vaccinations are quarantined, as a current vaccination reduces risk but does not eliminate it. If the biting animal cannot be located and quarantined, the victim is advised to begin post-exposure rabies treatment, coordinated through the Pinellas County Health Department.

For bites involving high-risk wildlife, if the animal is captured, it is sent to the state laboratory for testing. If the animal cannot be tested, the victim should commence post-exposure rabies treatment within 14 days from the bite date. The state laboratory no longer tests low-risk wildlife, even if the victim offers to pay the associated fees.

Although Pinellas County has not reported a rabies case in domestic animals for several years, it remains crucial to report all bites, quarantine the involved animals, and ensure pets are current with rabies vaccinations and licenses.

Jennifer Renner, B.Sc., CPM (she/her)
Interim Director – Community Outreach & Volunteer Program Manager
Animal Services – Pinellas County Government
12450 Ulmerton Rd – Largo, FL 33774 

jrenner@pinellas.gov   office  727-582-2636