Help and resources for dog bite cases in Texas

Government & regulatory

This is general information, not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Healthy Pets, Healthy People: Dogs

  Federal public health agency that publishes dog bite prevention guidance, wound-care basics, and national injury and fatality statistics on dog bites.

  Visit website →

• State Bar of Texas - Lawyer Referral & Information Service (LRIS)

  The licensing and regulatory body for Texas attorneys; its LRIS program matches consumers with a screened, participating attorney for an initial consultation.

  Visit website → Phone: (800) 252-9690, Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-4:30 PM Central

• Texas Department of Insurance (TDI)

  State insurance regulator that handles consumer complaints against insurance companies, including disputes over homeowners' or liability policy claims that often pay out dog bite injury settlements.

  Visit website → Phone: 800-252-3439

• Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) - Zoonosis Control Branch

  State public health body that sets and oversees animal-bite and rabies reporting and quarantine requirements after a dog bite in Texas.

  Visit website → Phone: 512-776-7676 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756

Industry & professional associations

• American Association for Justice (AAJ)

  National nonprofit membership organization for plaintiffs' trial lawyers, formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, that advocates for injury victims' access to the civil justice system and jury trials.

  Visit website → Phone: 800-424-2725 / 202-965-3500 777 6th Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20001

• American Bar Association (ABA) - Free Legal Answers / Find Legal Help

  National voluntary bar association whose Legal Services Division runs findlegalhelp.org, a public-service directory to locate legal aid and lawyer referral programs by state; the ABA itself does not refer individual cases.

  Visit website → 321 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654

• Texas Trial Lawyers Association (TTLA)

  Statewide association, founded in 1949, of plaintiffs'-side trial attorneys, including personal injury lawyers, that provides continuing legal education and legislative advocacy on civil justice issues.

  Visit website →

Consumer protection

This is general information only. Follow each body's official guidance for your situation.

• Office of the Attorney General of Texas - Consumer Protection Division

  State consumer-protection regulator that accepts consumer complaints and brings civil enforcement actions against fraudulent or deceptive business practices.

  Visit website → Phone: 800-621-0508

Legal help

This is general information, not legal advice. Speak to a qualified professional about your specific situation.

• Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA)

  Nonprofit legal aid organization providing free legal counsel and representation to low-income residents in 68 Texas counties.

  Visit website → Phone: (956) 996-8752

• Lone Star Legal Aid

  Nonprofit legal aid organization serving 72 counties in the Houston-metro, southeast, and east Texas regions, handling consumer, injury-adjacent, and related civil legal matters for income-eligible clients.

  Visit website → Phone: 713-652-0077 (local) or (800) 733-8394 (toll-free)

• Texas Legal Services Center (TLSC) / TexasLawHelp.org

  Austin-based nonprofit, established in 1977, that operates TexasLawHelp.org, a statewide directory of free and low-cost legal aid resources, self-help guides, and forms for income-eligible Texans.

  Visit website →

Other resources

• Insurance Information Institute (III)

  National nonprofit, industry-funded organization that publishes consumer-facing data and education on insurance topics, including annual dog-bite liability claim statistics and explainers on homeowners and renters insurance coverage for dog bite claims.

  Visit website →