Will the city or county animal services help me with a wild animal issue?

Wild animals can be a real nuisance if they get too close to residential areas, especially when they are bold enough to venture into attics, crawl spaces or basements. Removing them can be very tricky, as most people are afraid to approach wild animals, this is completely understandable, as some of them are dangerous, most will be nervous and many will probably attack. Know what to do in this type of situation is very important.

Most city or county animal services only help out with domestic animal problems. So, getting your cat down from a tree or finding your lost dog is definitely in their list of priorities, but wild animals are not. This is because wild animal can get rowdy or out of control, and if not handled with professionalism and expertise, can become a bigger problem than is necessary.

Most counties or cities have licensed professionals working in private businesses, and who are especially trained to deal with wild animal problems in residential areas. Most businesses will handle the basic vermin invasions – rats, mice, bats. But you will need to tell them exactly which animal is causing the problem because some companies specialized in certain types of animals, and are not prepared to deal with potentially dangerous or problematic ones.

For example, not everyone is trained to remove snakes safely from a home, and a rat exterminator is not necessarily qualified to do so. If not handled by a professional, a snake removal can go very wrong. Some animals do not need to be trapped and killed, only captured and set free in more appropriate environments, only someone with a trained eye and a deep knowledge of what they’re doing will be able to handle the situation correctly.

City animal services do not generally deal with these types of situations because they do not have the resources, the expertise or the manpower to do so correctly, responding to the demand of an ever - growing population. As humans invade more natural habitats, un looked for encounters with wild life will continue to happen, and business are starting to respond to these needs with specialized and professional services.

Go back to the How to Get Rid of Pests page or email us if you have any other questions about Will the city or county animal services help me with a wild animal issue?