Dead Animal Removal in Raleigh, NC
Dead animal pickup across Raleigh and surrounding Wake County. 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...
- Phone quote
- Before any visit
- Independent operators
- Routed by your address
- Quoted on the call
- Once the job is known
- ✓ North Carolina Statewide · 9 Metros
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, walls, 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?
Partly — and the split is what most people get wrong. 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 the paid work we handle.
| 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, wall, crawlspace | North Carolina Dead Animal Removal | (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 we serve in Raleigh: Five Points, Hayes Barton, Oakwood, North Hills, Brier Creek, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest.
All Raleigh field work is performed by independent partner operators, following county solid-waste district requirements and NCDHHS rabies-vector protocols (NCDHHS Division of Public Health guidance).
Seven Species Covered Across Greater Raleigh
Each species page covers typical recovery scenarios, cost range, indoor vs outdoor handling, and rabies-vector protocol where applicable.
Dead Raccoon Removal
The #1 dead-animal call in North Carolina. Indoor recoveries (attic, walls, under decks) account for ~60% of raccoon carcass calls…
Raccoon Removal in Raleigh →Dead Deer Removal
North Carolina's biggest seasonal carcass call. Adult white-tailed deer carcasses can weigh 150-250 lbs — beyond DIY for most home…
Deer Removal in Raleigh →Dead Squirrel Removal
Squirrel calls are usually indoor — attic, soffit, walls. The carcass is often near where the squirrel originally got in, so remov…
Squirrel Removal in Raleigh →Dead Opossum Removal
Opossum recoveries are often under decks, in crawlspaces, or in garages. Rabies-vector species per NCDHHS N.C.G.S. § 130A-184 et s…
Opossum Removal in Raleigh →Dead Skunk Removal
Skunk carcasses leave musk for weeks if untreated. Standard removal includes enzymatic odor neutralization at the recovery site. R…
Skunk Removal in Raleigh →Dead Bird Removal
Bird recoveries are often roof/gutter/vent — accessibility makes them harder than ground-level recoveries. Multi-bird recoveries (…
Bird Removal in Raleigh →How Raleigh Compares to Other North Carolina Metros We Serve
North Carolina Dead Animal Removal routes calls for 9 North Carolina metros under one phone number, one regional brand. Each metro has its own wildlife pressure pattern based on geography, population density, and proximity to parks/forests.
| Metro | County | Metro Pop | Area Code | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh ⭐ | Wake County | 2,100,000 | 919 | Research Triangle |
| Durham | Durham County | 660,000 | 919 | Research Triangle |
| Greensboro | Guilford County | 790,000 | 336 | Piedmont Triad |
| Winston-Salem | Forsyth County | 700,000 | 336 | Piedmont Triad |
| Asheville | Buncombe County | 475,000 | 828 | Western North Carolina |
| Fayetteville | Cumberland County | 525,000 | 910 | Sandhills |
| Wilmington | New Hanover County | 300,000 | 910 | Cape Fear Coast |
| Charlotte | Mecklenburg County | 2,800,000 | 704 | Charlotte Metro |
| High Point | Guilford County | 114,000 | 336 | Piedmont Triad |
Nearby North Carolina Metros We Also Serve
The closest metros to Raleigh in our dispatch network. Click any for local pickup ordinance, road jurisdiction, and common species.
Dead Animal Removal in Raleigh — FAQ
Who picks up dead animals in Raleigh, NC?
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Who picks up dead animals in North Carolina?
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Raleigh Dead Animal Removal
Quoted on the call once the operator knows the job.