Dog servicesin Gainesville, TX

Rabies is not just a paperwork rule in Gainesville, TX. The state's December 2025 rabies summary counted four rabies-positive animals in Cooke County that month alone. Texas law requires your dog's rabies vaccine by four months of age, and the city's resident guide says each dog must be registered, with registration tags handled at Noah's Ark Animal Shelter.

If your dog gets loose, call Gainesville Animal Control at (940) 668-7777. The city enforces the rules, while Noah's Ark Animal Shelter, a nonprofit at 2501 North Weaver Street, cares for impounded dogs and is the place to look for yours. It is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed Thursdays and Sundays: (940) 665-9800. Non-emergency calls to Animal Control wait for the officer's next workday; emergencies go to on-duty police officers.

For off-leash play, the city runs The Dog Depot at Heritage Park, 601 East California Street. It has separate small-dog and large-dog areas, double-gated entries, drinking fountains and waste stations. Admission is free, and it is open dawn to dusk.