Dead Animal Removal in Georgia
Private-property removal Β· Georgia statewide Β· one number Β· forms route by ZIP where an operator covers the address.
For a dead animal on your own property. Calls reach this site's routing line, which passes them to an independent operator where one covers the area. Have ready what the animal is, where it is lying and how anyone would get to it.
Who removes a dead animal from private property in Georgia?
We found no statewide Georgia rule that makes anyone collect a dead wild animal from your yard, or a deadline for a homeowner to remove a wild animal carcass, and we found no current public service that collects a dead wild animal from a yard. Georgia DOT's legal duty covers the rights of way of state-funded highways. Atlanta collects at the curb once you carry the animal there, Henry County "does not remove deer from private property", Macon-Bibb says dead animals "are not removed from private property", and DeKalb's Solid Waste Management page says "Roadkill only". Columbus's code still lets city crews enter private property at the owner's or occupant's request, at the chief's discretion, but we found no current Columbus page offering it. The 24-hour, 3-foot rule people quote comes from the Dead Animal Disposal Act, which covers livestock-type animals, not a raccoon in a yard; unincorporated Cobb County and Augusta set their own 3-foot burial rules. Who picks up dead animals goes through each case. Call 404-609-1114.
Pick the case closest to yours
Animals and situations
By animal
If you can tell what it is, start here. Each page covers what the Georgia sources say about that animal, who may want to hear about it, and what to have ready when you call.
Dead deer
Since June 2025 a statewide rule has limited where and how a deer carcass may be disposed of. Henry County DOT takes deer from county-road rights of way, and Cherokee Public Works takes a deer 'in roadway or impeding traffic'; we found no current public service that collects one from a yard.
What this involves →
Dead raccoon
DPH names raccoons, skunks and foxes as the land wildlife most often infected with rabies in Georgia. The local services we found collect raccoons only from streets, rights of way or public property, or at the curb once you carry one there.
What this involves →
Dead skunk
DPH lists skunks with raccoons and foxes as the land wildlife most often infected with rabies in Georgia. Some road crews collect roadkill; we found no current public service that collects one from a yard.
What this involves →
Dead opossum
DPH says opossum bites are generally not considered a rabies risk. Henry County's request page names the possum among small wildlife it does not remove, though its code (3-4-8) makes dead animals in county-road rights of way a county duty (both read 2026-10-01).
What this involves →
Dead squirrel
DPH says squirrels are almost never infected with rabies. Henry County's request page names squirrels among small wildlife it does not remove, though its code (3-4-8) makes dead animals in county-road rights of way a county duty (both read 2026-10-01).
What this involves →
Dead bird
Most wild birds are protected by Georgia and federal law. DNR gives homeowners steps for one dead bird and asks for reports of certain others.
What this involves →By situation
Where the animal is lying decides whether there is a job at all. These three are grouped by how it is reached, and none of them involves cutting into a finished wall, ceiling or floor.
In the yard
No current state or local service we found collects a dead wild animal from a yard. Atlanta collects at the curb once you carry it there, and Athens-Clarke's pickup page asks the same, though its FAQ 279 calls an animal off the street or right of way the resident's responsibility and FAQ 142 points private property to a wildlife removal company or the landfill. From private property, Gwinnett takes only small carcasses, bagged and set roadside.
What this involves →
Under a deck or crawl space
No current public service we found goes under a structure. Calls here are for carcasses reachable through an existing opening, with no cutting.
What this involves →Attic or garage
No current public service we found removes a carcass from inside a home. Calls here are for attics and garages reachable without cutting anything.
What this involves →The species and situation images are stock or AI-generated images showing conditions typical of this work, not photographs of jobs carried out by Georgia Dead Animal Removal or any operator, and nothing in them is a claim about who is available in your area. The photograph at the top of the page shows the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta (LC-DIG-highsm-47530). Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith's America Project in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
Sounds like yours?
Have ready what the animal is, where it is lying and how anyone would get to it.
Start here
Three different situations, three different answers
Where the animal is lying decides who is responsible for it. Settle that before you spend money.
On your own property
Yours to arrange
A yard, a driveway, a crawl space, an attic, a garage or the gap under a deck. We found no statewide Georgia rule that has a public agency collect it for you. Henry County says it "does not remove deer from private property", Macon-Bibb says dead animals "are not removed from private property", and Atlanta collects only once the animal is at the curb. If the animal can be reached without cutting into a finished wall, ceiling or floor, an independent operator may take it where one covers the address; that is settled on the call. For a dead bear, alligator, hawk, eagle, owl or other bird of prey, call DNR (1-800-366-2661); DNR also asks for a call about a protected species such as a bald eagle, and we found no Georgia guidance on a bear or alligator found dead on private land. Bats: DPH says it is best never to handle any bat; if a person or pet may have been exposed, call the county health department.
On a road or public ground
Ask the agency first
An interstate, U.S. highway or state route is Georgia DOT's by state law, which gives it the duty on the rights of way of state-funded highways. A county road or a city street belongs to that county or city. DeKalb, Cobb and Forsyth publish a road route. Henry's request pages list deer, dogs and cats only, though its code (3-4-8) makes dead animals in county-road rights of way a county duty (both read 2026-10-01). Find out which one applies before you pay anybody.
Small, reachable, and you are willing
You may be able to do it yourself
Georgia DNR says to avoid handling dead birds; if you must dispose of one, it says to use disposable gloves or an inverted plastic bag, and that it is generally best to bury it at a depth where it cannot be dug up. CDC's steps for a dead rat or mouse are disinfect, double-bag and a covered garbage can. A deer has its own disposal rule. The Department of Public Health says it is best never to handle any bat. If someone was bitten, DPH says to report it to the county health department or 1-866-PUB-HLTH (1-866-782-4584).
By where it is lying
Who handles it depends on where it is
| Where it is | Who handles it | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| Your yard, deck, crawl space, attic or garage | You, or someone you hire | We found no statewide rule that hands it to anyone else. The Gwinnett, Cherokee and Henry county codes each say carcasses on private property must be disposed of by the owner or possessor. Macon-Bibb Solid Waste: "Dead animals are not removed from private property." |
| An interstate, U.S. highway or state route | Georgia DOT | O.C.G.A. 4-5-4 makes it GDOT's duty to remove dead animals within the rights of way of state-funded highways. We found no GDOT page for reporting one. Atlanta's ATL311 article prints GDOT at 404-635-6800 for the interstate, or 911 if it is a traffic hazard. |
| A street, curb or park in Atlanta | Atlanta Public Works, through ATL311 (404-546-0311) | Collects from the curb, the city's right of way and city parks. "If the animal is in the house or backyard, the resident is responsible for placing the animal at the curb." |
| A county road in unincorporated DeKalb | DeKalb Sanitation (404-294-2900) | DeKalb's Solid Waste Management page says "Roadkill only (streets, county rights-of-way)". |
| A deer on a county road in unincorporated Henry | Henry County DOT | Henry's request page says the county DOT removes dead deer from the right of way of county-maintained roads, and "Henry County does not remove deer from private property." Its request pages list deer, dogs and cats only, though its code (3-4-8) makes dead animals in county-road rights of way a county duty (both read 2026-10-01). |
| A dead deer anywhere in Georgia | Whoever disposes of it, under rule 391-4-2-.19 | Since June 25, 2025 it has been unlawful to dispose of a deer carcass anywhere other than the property on which the deer was killed, unless an approved method is used. The approved methods include a commercial deer processor, a permitted solid waste landfill, burial, incineration, rendering or composting. We found no guidance on a deer that died on its own in a yard. Ask DNR's Wildlife Resources Division: 1-800-366-2661. |
Before you pay
When you should not be paying anyone
For an animal on a road, start with whoever maintains that road. Georgia law gives GDOT the duty on the rights of way of state-funded highways. We found no GDOT page for reporting a dead animal. Some cities and counties print a GDOT number: Atlanta's ATL311 article prints GDOT at 404-635-6800 for the interstate, or 911 if it is a traffic hazard; Gwinnett gives 404.631.1990 for state roadways during regular business hours; and Athens-Clarke gives 706-583-2644 for state roads in the county. County roads and city streets belong to the county or city. Cobb County's request system sends dead-animal removal in unincorporated Cobb to the 911 non-emergency line, 770-499-3911 ext. 5, and the Forsyth County Sheriff's page sends a dead animal on the road to Roads and Bridges at 770-781-2155.
On private property the published positions differ. We found no current public service that collects a dead wild animal from a yard. Atlanta collects a backyard animal only after the resident carries it to the curb. Athens-Clarke's Dead Animal Pickup Request page asks the same and states no size rule. Athens-Clarke FAQ 279 calls an animal off the street or right of way the resident's responsibility, and FAQ 142, which limits street and right-of-way collection to animals the size of an armadillo, raccoon or opossum or larger, points private property to "a wildlife removal company or ... the ACC Landfill (fees apply)". Gwinnett removes dead animals from public property; from private property it takes only small carcasses, bagged and set roadside. Henry County's request pages say it does not remove deer from private property, or small wildlife such as raccoons and opossums regardless of location, though its code (3-4-8) makes dead animals in county-road rights of way a county duty (both read 2026-10-01). Macon-Bibb says dead animals are not removed from private property. Columbus's code still lets city crews enter private property at the owner's or occupant's request, at the chief's discretion, but we found no current Columbus page offering it. The locations page sets out what each of the larger places publishes, and says so where we found nothing.
Calls reach this site's routing line, which passes them to an independent operator where one covers the area. Whether one is available for yours is answered on the call rather than assumed here.
Plain answers
Four common questions
Each guide answers one question from statutes, rules and agency pages. Guide pages name a source under most answers; each location page lists its sources at the end.
Who picks up dead animals in Georgia?
On a road, start with the government that maintains it. We found no current public service that collects a dead wild animal from a yard; Atlanta collects once you carry it to the curb.
Read the answer →How do I dispose of a dead animal?
What agencies say about handling one yourself, EPD's waste rules, DNR's disposal and burial guidance, and local codes, and why your hauler, cart program or local code decides.
Read the answer →What about a dead deer in my yard?
Georgia has had a deer carcass disposal rule since June 25, 2025. We found no guidance on how it applies to a deer that died on its own.
Read the answer →Which Georgia laws apply?
The statewide 24-hour, 3-foot rule belongs to the Dead Animal Disposal Act, whose list is livestock-type animals. Unincorporated Cobb County and Augusta set their own 3-foot burial rules. This guide covers the rules that do reach a homeowner.
Read the answer →By area
Georgia cities and counties, one page each
12 pages, each written from that government's own pages and published code and, where one exists, its 311 request catalogue: where it collects, what it says about private property, and, where one is published, who to call about a road.
Metro Atlanta
- Atlanta
- Gwinnett County
- Cobb County
- DeKalb County
- North Fulton
- Cherokee County
- Forsyth County
- Henry County
East Georgia
West Georgia
Middle Georgia
Northeast Georgia
If you handle a small animal yourself
Check your own city before the trash cart
| Who says it | What it says |
|---|---|
| Georgia DNR, one dead bird | Georgia DNR says to avoid handling dead birds. If you must dispose of one, it says to wear disposable gloves or use an inverted plastic bag, and that it is generally best to bury it at a depth where it cannot be dug up. |
| Georgia DNR, multiple dead birds in one place | DNR asks for reports of multiple dead vultures, crows, ducks, geese, waterbirds or shorebirds at one site, and of any dead hawk, eagle, falcon, owl or osprey. For multiple dead songbirds it asks for a call to 1-800-366-2661 or a local DNR office. |
| CDC, a dead rat or mouse | Wear gloves, spray the rodent with disinfectant and let it soak, double-bag it and put it in a covered garbage can that is emptied regularly. Georgia DPH says hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, caused by hantaviruses that certain mice and rats can carry, is not endemic in Georgia. |
| EPD and DNR, the trash | EPD classes dead animals as putrescible solid waste. DNR's hunter page says smaller deer parts can be bagged into household garbage. Each cart program, hauler and landfill sets its own terms. |
| Macon-Bibb code | "Dogs, cats or any other dead animals shall not be placed in garbage containers." |
| Gwinnett code | Lists dead animals larger than ten pounds as unacceptable waste for residential and commercial haulers. |
Before you call
Is this a removal company?
No. Georgia Dead Animal Removal is a statewide publisher. It sells advertising and passes inquiries to independent operators where one covers the address: calls through this site's routing line, forms by ZIP. It employs no field staff and removes no animals itself.
Will my city or county come and get a dead animal from my property?
We found no current public service that collects a dead wild animal from a yard. Columbus's code still lets city crews enter private property at the owner's or occupant's request, at the chief's discretion, but we found no current Columbus page offering it. Atlanta collects at the curb once you carry the animal there. Athens-Clarke's Dead Animal Pickup Request page asks the same and states no size rule. Its FAQ 279 calls an animal off the street or right of way the resident's responsibility, and FAQ 142 limits collection to animals the size of an armadillo, raccoon or opossum or larger and points private property to a wildlife removal company or the ACC Landfill (fees apply). From private property, Gwinnett takes only small carcasses, bagged and set roadside.
Does Georgia law say I have to remove it within 24 hours?
We found no statewide rule that requires a homeowner to remove a wild animal carcass or sets a deadline for doing so. The 24-hour rule people quote is from the Dead Animal Disposal Act, which covers livestock-type animals; it does bind a homeowner who keeps livestock or poultry. Some local codes set their own limits, and none is statewide. In Sandy Springs and Johns Creek, a dead animal may not remain on your premises beyond 24 hours without being disposed of or properly removed. Unincorporated Forsyth County sets 24 hours from death, for the animal's owner, agent or custodian. Unincorporated Cobb County's section 10-7(c) sets 12 hours for burial or incineration in a county approved incinerator, unless the carcass is properly refrigerated or frozen; the section's abandonment rule is written around a person who owns or cares for the animal, and we found no county page on how it applies to a wild animal that dies on your lot. Augusta's section 4-1-26(f) sets 12 hours after death or discovery. The section's duties are written around a person who owns or is caring for the animal and 'the owner of any dead animal carcass', and we found no city page explaining how it applies to a wild animal that dies on your lot.
The dead animal is on the road. Who do I call?
Georgia law gives GDOT the carcasses within the rights of way of state-funded highways. We found no GDOT dead-animal line; some cities and counties print a GDOT number, and Atlanta's ATL311 article prints GDOT at 404-635-6800 for the interstate, or 911 if it is a traffic hazard. On a county road or city street, report it to the government that maintains the road, where it publishes a channel, for example ATL311 in Atlanta or Roads and Bridges in Forsyth County; some limit what they take (Henry's request pages list deer, dogs and cats only, though its code (3-4-8) makes dead animals in county-road rights of way a county duty (both read 2026-10-01); Cherokee Public Works: deer or large dogs in the roadway).
How much does removal cost?
This site does not set or publish prices. Independent operators set their own prices, and availability and price are settled on the call.
If it is on your own property
Call and describe it. If it is on a public road or in a park, the agency that maintains it is the place to start.