Dog servicesin Hickory Creek, TX

Hickory Creek, TX runs its own animal shelter, and it is the first call for a missing dog. Hickory Creek Animal Services is at 970 Main Street, 940-465-7444, open weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and weekends from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. by appointment only. The town also asks owners of missing pets to check the shelter's Facebook page. Officers are on call 24 hours for emergencies such as a bite or a vicious animal, through police dispatch at 940-349-1600, extension 1.

Dogs must be registered with Animal Services every year, and registration is free for Hickory Creek residents; bring a current rabies certificate from your vet. The town's animal code calls for a rabies shot by four months, a booster within the next 12 months and a new one at least every three years. Your dog must wear its rabies or license tag whenever it is off your property.

A dog may not be at large. It must be fenced in, on a leash, held, or under your direct supervision on your own property. None of the town's five parks is a dog park, and frequent or long-continued barking that disturbs the neighbors counts as a nuisance.