An animal control agency is a municipal department or contracted private entity charged with protecting human safety and animal welfare in the community. The range of rights and responsibilities vary by jurisdiction; however, most animal control agencies perform dog licensing, reunite lost pets with owners, participate in court hearings about dangerous or nuisance dogs, and enforce compliance with regulations by responding to animal-related noise complaints, property damage reports, and complaints of too many pets at a single address.
Depending on the city or town management structure, animal control officers may be civilian employees who report to the police department or other town officials. Animal control officers may also be police officers, or both animal control officers and police officers may enforce animal control laws.
Animal control agencies may carry out certain public health duties, such as rabies prevention, vaccinations, and animal bite investigations, in addition to standard animal control services.
Some communities partner with other local governments to create a regional animal control agency.
Many—but not all—animal control agencies investigate reports of suspected animal cruelty and respond to reports of domestic animals and wildlife in distress.
An animal control agency may operate an animal shelter to care for stray, impounded, or unwanted animals, or this responsibility may be contracted out. Some states require municipal and/or private animal shelters to report to the state data such as number of intakes, length of stay, and outcomes.
Contemporary shelter medicine evolved out of animal control programs, which historically housed large numbers of animals for brief periods of time. The increasing societal pressure to save lives rather than euthanize so-called unwanted animals created a need for veterinary input to rehabilitate and rehome animals that enter animal control facilities and animal shelters.
Key Points
Animal control agencies protect public safety by issuing pet licenses, taking in stray animals, and enforcing local ordinances.
The structure of animal control operations (public or private) varies by jurisdiction.
Animal control agencies also protect public health by enforcing rabies regulations and quarantines, responding to complaints or concerns about wildlife, investigating suspected animal cruelty, and/or sheltering animals, or by partnering with agencies that perform these functions.
For More Information
Community building with other animal welfare advocates. HumanePro, Humane World for Animals.
Understanding animal welfare organizations: types of shelters, rescues and services. Shelter Animals Count.
