Dead Animal Removal in Raleigh, NC
Private-property removal · Phone quote before any visit · Independent operators routed by your address.
Dead animal pickup in Raleigh and Wake County, routed by ZIP where an operator covers the address. Raleigh anchors the Research Triangle, a roughly 2.1-million-person region spanning Wake, Durham, and Orange counties. Wake County is the most jurisdictionally fragmented place in North Carolina for a...
Who picks up dead animals in Raleigh, NC?
In Raleigh, public right-of-way carcasses are handled by whichever authority maintains that street; private property (yard, attic, crawlspace) is homeowner-arranged. North Carolina Dead Animal Removal connects Raleigh homeowners with independent wildlife operators for pickup. The operator quotes on the call from size, location, access and disposal. Call (919) 642-1013.
Is dead animal removal free in Raleigh?
Raleigh Solid Waste Services collects a dead animal placed curbside at a residence, in the public right of way or on a city street, within 24 to 48 hours of a call to Customer Care at 919-996-3245 (919-996-6311 after hours). The animal must be bagged or boxed at the curb, never in a city-issued cart; the service is curbside, and the page does not describe crews retrieving an animal from a yard, crawl space or attic. Anything on private property is the owner's responsibility, and that is paid work for an independent operator.
| Where the animal is | Who handles it | Phone | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public street or city property | City of Raleigh Solid Waste Services | (919) 996-3245 · after hours (919) 996-6311 | City service |
| State highway or interstate | North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) | 1-877-DOT-4YOU (1-877-368-4968) | State service |
| Private property (yard, attic, crawlspace, under a deck) | Homeowner, or an independent operator where one covers the ZIP | (919) 642-1013 | Quoted on the call |
For the statewide version of this breakdown, see our guide to who picks up dead animals in North Carolina.
Why Raleigh Has the Dead-Animal Calls It Does
Raleigh anchors the Research Triangle, a roughly 2.1-million-person region spanning Wake, Durham, and Orange counties. Wake County is the most jurisdictionally fragmented place in North Carolina for a dead-animal call: Raleigh, Cary, Garner, and Holly Springs each operate their own animal control agency, while Wake County Animal Control covers the remainder and the unincorporated areas. Which number you should dial depends on which side of a municipal line the carcass is on. Add the greenway system, the Neuse River corridor, and the wooded edge around William B. Umstead State Park, and Wake produces steady raccoon, opossum, and squirrel calls year-round, with deer activity concentrating along the I-440 Beltline and I-540 corridor during the October–December rut.
Common species calls in greater Raleigh: Most-called species in the Triangle: raccoon (year-round, peak spring denning and late-summer young), squirrel (attic and soffit access from mature-canopy neighborhoods), opossum (under decks and crawlspaces), deer (Oct–Dec rut along the Beltline and outer loop), and domestic cat.
Pickup jurisdiction in Raleigh: Raleigh Solid Waste Services collects dead animals placed curbside at a residence, in the public right of way or on a city street: call Customer Care at 919-996-3245 (Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 919-996-6311 after hours) before placing the animal at the curb in a bag or box, and do not put it in a city-issued garbage, recycling or yard-waste cart. Collection follows within 24 to 48 hours of the request. A carcass on a state-maintained road is reported to NCDOT under 'Highway Debris/Dead Animals' at 1-877-368-4968. On private property the responsibility is the property owner's: the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission states plainly that it does not provide dead animal removal services. Licensed NCWRC Wildlife Control Agents may remove dead animals for a fee.
Neighborhoods in and around Raleigh: Five Points, Hayes Barton, Oakwood, North Hills, Brier Creek, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest.
Six Most-Called Species in Greater Raleigh
Dead Raccoon Removal · Dead Deer Removal · Dead Squirrel Removal · Dead Opossum Removal · Dead Skunk Removal · Dead Bird Removal.
Nearby North Carolina Metros
- Durham (Durham County, about 21 miles)
- Fayetteville (Cumberland County, about 52 miles)
- Greensboro (Guilford County, about 68 miles)
Raleigh questions
Who picks up dead animals in Raleigh, NC?
How much does dead animal removal cost in Raleigh?
What species do operators handle in Raleigh?
Raleigh Dead Animal Removal
Quoted on the call once the operator knows the job.