Here's where dog bites are most common in San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO - ACS responded to more than 4,800 dog bites in an 18-month timeframe, and we've mapped them out by zip code to show you where dog bites were most likely to occur.

This is part of to provide tools that help keep you and your family safe from loose and dangerous dogs.

We obtained this data through an open records request to the City of San Antonio's Animal Care Services (ACS).

Almost 300 dog bites occured in one zip code: 78207.

That area includes the Prospect Hill, Gardendale, Avenida Guadalupe, Collins Garden, and Brady Gardens neighborhoods.

It's also the same zip code where 81-year-old Ramon Najera was attacked and killed by dogs in February of 2023.

In sentencing hearings for the couple who owned those dogs, that they often reported loose animals in the area.

What to do if you're bit by a dog

The ACS website states that any time a warm-blooded animal (dog, cat, skunk, fox, bat, etc.) bites or scratches a person, there is a danger that the animal is infected with rabies.

The following precautions should be taken:

Call 311 at 3-1-1 or 210-207-6000 immediately so we can capture/quarantine the animal.

Provide a description of the animal, including color, breed, and the owner's name/contact information.

Immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap and hot water as a first aid procedure.

Consult a physician as soon as possible to determine whether anti-rabies treatment is needed

Regardless of vaccination status, the biting animal must be quarantined for ten (10) days or humanely euthanized.

If you are a citizen who has been bitten, please call 3-1-1 to report the bite immediately. If you are a representative of a veterinary clinic or medical facility who is reporting a bite, please email to obtain a copy of the Animal Bite Exposure Form, the website says.

How the city handles dog bites

The City of San Antonio's website says ACS designates a State of Texas Certified Animal Care Officer to handle animal bite cases.

State law mandates all animal bites or scratches that break skin must be reported to the local rabies control authority. Animal Care Services (ACS) is the local rabies control authority for the City of San Antonio and all rabies exposures must be reported immediately.

Rabies Vaccinations

In San Antonio, if you own a dog, cat, or ferret, your pet is required to get vaccinated against rabies by the time it is four months old. You are also required to get a second vaccination against rabies one year later, and then tri-annually after that.