Animal Bites and Injuries

Animal bites or injuries require immediate attention and possibly a visit to a primary physician or Emergency Room because domesticated and feral animals can transmit a large number of diseases to humans. Special attention and urgency should be given to injuries involving small children (up to two years old) or injuries located above the neck and shoulders (For example: face bites).

In the state of Florida, bites involving animals should be reported to a local county health department. If the bite requires the victim to receive rabies post exposure prophylactic (PEP) treatment (four shot series), the individual can receive these shots in any one of three hospital emergency rooms (Sacred Heart, Baptist, West Florida) in Pensacola. The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County (DOH-Escambia) no longer provides the rabies vaccine. However, Epidemiology staff reports cases that receive PEP in the hospital to the Florida Department of Health. We are available to consult with the local emergency rooms and physicians regarding the appropriate management of exposure victims; and to assist them in assuring that their patients complete their vaccination series.

If you need to report an animal bite, contact the Environmental Health division at 850-595-6700.

If the bite is from a cat, dog, or ferret, the Environmental Health program staff is responsible for attempting to locate/identify the offending animal and make decisions regarding the disposition of the animal in coordination with local animal control. The bite report is then forwarded to the Epidemiology program for evaluation. Epidemiologists will follow up with the local ERs to ascertain if rabies treatment was given to the patient.

Additional Resources 

Rabies Surveillance

Printable PEP Matrix (378 KB; pdf)

Location & Contact Information 

Downtown Service Center, 1300 West Gregory Street

The Rabies Control office is open Monday - Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM. Call 850-595-6700 to file an animal bite or for more information.

Note: Be sure to indicate the location of bite on victim’s body (For example: face bite or upper torso). Face bites are of the highest importance!