Animal control is the local government service that enforces animal laws: it picks up stray and dangerous animals, investigates bites and neglect complaints, enforces licensing and leash rules, and often runs or contracts the public animal shelter. Animal control officers work for a city, county or sheriff's office, and their exact duties depend on local ordinances and state law.
If you are not sure whether to call animal control, a shelter or a wildlife rehabilitator, this guide explains what animal control typically handles and what it usually does not.
Core duties of animal control
Most animal control agencies cover a set of public safety and welfare tasks:
- Stray animals. Picking up loose or confined stray dogs (and in some areas cats) and taking them to the public shelter, where they are held so owners can reclaim them.
- Dangerous or aggressive animals. Responding to reports of animals that have attacked people or other animals, and enforcing "dangerous dog" rules where they exist.
- Bite investigations. Recording bites to people and overseeing rabies quarantine of the animal, usually in coordination with the local health department.
- Cruelty and neglect complaints. Checking on animals reported to lack food, water, shelter or care. In some places this is handled by police or a humane law enforcement officer instead.
- Licensing and ordinances. Enforcing pet licensing, leash laws, limits on the number of animals and similar local rules.
- Injured animals. Responding to injured domestic animals, and sometimes injured wildlife on public roads.
- Dead animal pickup. Removing dead animals from public roads in some jurisdictions, though this is often a public works job.
- Emergencies. Helping with animals during disasters, evictions, hoarding cases and when an owner is hospitalized or arrested.
Animal control vs a shelter
| Animal control | Public shelter | Private shelter or rescue | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | City, county or sheriff | Government or contractor | Nonprofit |
| Enforces laws | Yes | Sometimes, if combined with animal control | Rarely (some SPCAs have humane officers) |
| Takes strays | Yes, picks them up | Yes, accepts them from its area | Usually not required to |
| Adoptions | Through the shelter it runs or uses | Yes | Yes |
In many communities, animal control and the public shelter are the same department. In others, animal control officers bring animals to a shelter run by a humane society or another contractor. For a fuller comparison, see shelter vs rescue vs humane society.
When to call animal control
Call animal control (or your local non-emergency police line if there is no separate agency) when:
- A loose dog is running in traffic or threatening people
- You were bitten or scratched by an animal, or your pet was bitten
- You see an animal you believe is being neglected or abused
- An animal is injured on public property and cannot be safely handled
- A dog is repeatedly running loose or barking in violation of local rules
- You found a stray and cannot hold it yourself
If a person or animal is in immediate danger, or an act of cruelty is happening right now, call 911. See how to report animal cruelty for more detail.
What animal control usually does not handle
- Healthy wildlife. Most agencies do not remove raccoons, squirrels or birds from homes or yards. That is usually a job for a licensed private wildlife control operator. Injured or orphaned wildlife should go to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. See found injured wildlife.
- Owner surrenders by appointment. Some public shelters accept surrenders, but many now ask owners to schedule or try rehoming first.
- Neighbor disputes that are not violations. If no ordinance is broken, animal control may have limited ability to act.
- Healthy outdoor community cats. Many areas no longer pick up healthy free-roaming cats and instead support trap-neuter-return programs.
Policies vary widely, so check your city or county website.
How stray holds work
When animal control picks up a stray, it goes to the public shelter for a "stray hold" (sometimes called a holding period). This gives the owner time to find and reclaim the animal. The length is set by state or local law, and it is often longer when the animal has a microchip, tag or license. After the hold ends, the animal usually becomes the shelter's property and may be made available for adoption, transferred to a rescue or, in some cases, euthanized.
If your pet goes missing, do not wait for a call. Visit every public shelter in your area in person. Our lost pet checklist walks through the steps.
Bites and rabies quarantine
If an animal bites a person, most states require it to be reported. The biting animal is usually placed under observation for a period (commonly 10 days for dogs, cats and ferrets, based on public health guidance) to rule out rabies. Depending on the circumstances and local rules, quarantine may take place at home, at a vet clinic or at the shelter. Wild animals that bite, especially bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes, are treated differently. Ask your doctor and local health department for guidance after any bite.
How to find your local agency
Search for your city or county name plus "animal control," check the local government website, or use the near me page and our state listings. Note the non-emergency phone number in your phone, along with the address of the nearest public shelter.