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MISSION STATEMENT
To deliver professional animal control services based on sound law
enforcement principles and to protect the public health and safety of
the citizens of East Baton Rouge Parish through enforcement of both
Title 14 of the City-Parish Code of Ordinances and the state animal
cruelty laws.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Reporting Stray Animals
Animal Problems During Non-business Hours
How to Adopt a Pet
Locating Missing Pet
Getting Pet back from Animal Control
What to do with Stray Pets
Pet Licenses & Number of Pets Allowed
Barking Dog at Night
Problems with Raccoons and Other Wild Animals
Help Disposing of Dead Animal
Animal Bites
How do I report stray animals, nuisance animals, or animal cruelty
situations?
Animal Control
& Rescue Center's hours are listed above to report stray, loose,
or nuisance animals. We will need a description of the animal(s) causing
the problem, a description of the problem, and your name, address and
phone number so we can get back in touch with you if necessary. The
owner’s name and/or address is helpful, but not required.
For example: “My name
is John Smith and I live at
123 Pine Street.
My phone number is 555-1234. There’s a large, brown dog out loose on our
street. I think it might belong to the family at 135 Pine Street. I’m
worried because it’s barking at the kids getting off the school bus.”
Cruelty and neglect
complaints, dog fights and cockfights can be reported
anonymously,
but it’s important for you to provide as much information about the
problem as possible. For example: “There is a very skinny black dog
tied to the front porch on the northwest corner of Oak Avenue and Pine
Street. I don’t know the address, but it’s a blue house with white trim.
The dog has no food, shelter or water.”
Dog fights and
dangerous animals situations may be reported 24 hours a day, and a serious
cruelty complaint may also be reported outside of normal business hours.
Call police, sheriff or 911 at night, on weekends or holidays for these
situations.
The more information we
have about an animal problem, the better we are able to help.
If you witness someone
causing deliberate harm to an animal,
you can report them to us. Try to have as much information as possible. Photos or videotape of the abuse is even better. Be sure to use the
time-date feature on your camera if this is possible.
If you think someone is
neglecting an animal, let us know. According to law, animals must be provided with adequate food, water and
shelter, adequate space, clean living conditions and basic veterinary
care. “Shelter” means an actual dog house–being able to duck under a
porch, car, or boat doesn’t count. If a dog is kept on a chain, the chain
must be at least five times the length of the dog (not counting the tail)
and it must be set up so the chain doesn’t get tangled on bushes, posts,
etc.
Animal fighting is
considered cruelty to animals. Even if no other
evidence of cruelty or neglect is present, animal fighting is illegal on
its own. Drugs, gambling, prostitution and other illegal activities are
often present at human-induced animal fights–fights set up by people to
challenge one dog against another. You may report dog fights or cock
fights either to
Animal Control or directly to the police or sheriff.
It is against the law
to allow dogs to run loose in East Baton Rouge Parish. Dogs must be in a yard, in a pen, or on a chain. Dogs walked on a leash
must be under the direct control of their owner at all times.
Cats are not required
to be on a leash or under the direct physical control of their owners, but
they are not allowed to leave their owners’ property. If your wandering
cat causes a nuisance for your neighbors, the neighbors have the right to
humanely secure the cat and ask us to pick it up. You may either place
the animal in a cage, secure it on a screen porch, or use a humane trap
like a “Hav-A-Hart” trap. If you don’t own a humane trap, you can rent
one from a rental store or borrow one from the Animal Control & Rescue Center.
If loose animals are
causing a problem in your neighborhood, simply call the Animal Control & Rescue Center at 774-7700 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays and between 8 a.m. and noon
on Saturday's (except holiday weekends). Be able to give the dog’s
location and a good description. If you think you know who the dog might
belong to, tell us.
You must give your name when you report a loose or stray animal, and if the owner
turns up, he or she has the right to ask who called about their pet. The
law requires us to provide this information if they ask, but they have to
come out to the Animal Control & Rescue Center in person, show legal
identification, register in a log book, and either pay a copy fee for the
information copy it down themselves.
We do not give out
information on the scene or over the phone about the person who made the
complaint.
How do I get help with an animal problem at night, on weekends, or on
holidays?
We have an officer
available for animal emergencies during these times. We consider it an emergency when:
an animal has bitten someone,
an animal is trapped, injured or otherwise in serious danger,
wildlife has wandered indoors,
an animal
is loose on the Interstate, or on a major street,
or other situations in which an animal is in distress or a human being is in-danger
of being harmed by the animal.
Barking dogs, stray
cats, and raccoons in your garbage can ARE NOT considered an emergency situation. Please notify us during regular business hours.
Before 11:00 p.m. at night call 389-2070 and give your name address and phone number. After 11:00 p.m. at night call City Police @ 389-2000, Sheriff @ 389-5000, Baker @ 775-6000, Zachary 654-9393. Animal Control Officers are on duty.
If you have an emergency, call 911.
How do I adopt a pet? How much does it cost?
Just show up during
regular business hours and you can choose from the available dogs, cats,
puppies and kittens in our adoption program.
ADOPTION FEE FOR ANY ANIMAL IS $70 PER ANIMAL.
Payment must be cash, check or credit/debit card for adoptions. Be sure to bring proper identification–your
current driver’s license, passport, military ID or state ID card.
The fee for animals
adopted from the Animal Control Center pays for the animals rabies shot, tag and registration, microchip, for health check, and for the required spay or neuter
surgery. Here’s how it works:
When you adopt a pet,
our veterinarian will spay or neuter the animal before it is released to
your custody (you can usually pick up your new pet the day following the
adoption). In addition to the spay or neuter surgery, your new pet will already have its initial vaccinations against common contagious diseases, and will have been de-wormed, tested for heartworms or other major diseases, and
started on heartworm prevention treatments.
You will also receive a yellow receipt that serves as a pre-paid voucher for your pet’s rabies
shot and tag. These pre-paid vouchers help us assure that pets adopted
from the Animal Control & Rescue Center get their rabies shots (as required by
law), and assure that each new owner begins a relationship with a
veterinarian for their pet’s continued health care.
All pets adopted from
the Animal Control & Rescue Center must be spayed or neutered before they leave the
shelter. Spayed or neutered
animals do not create even more unwanted animals. They are also calmer,
easier to control and healthier than their fertile counterparts, and,
statistically, they live longer, healthier lives. If you want more
information about why it’s important for pets to be spayed or neutered,
call and ask for a brochure, or read the information on the website.
My pet is
missing! What should I do?
Call the Animal Control & Rescue Center during normal business hours as soon as you notice your pet is
missing. Please give us as much information about your pet as
possible: the date your pet went missing, along with its age, sex, color,
breed (if known), weight, and important distinguishing features such as a
stub tail. It’s important for us to know if your pet was wearing its tag
and collar.
Remember, the people
answering the phones are not in the kennels looking at the animals. They
are in an office looking at the impoundment information. So, if you call
looking for a gray tabby cat, they will be unable to see minor details
about your pet’s color pattern, etc. If the people answering the phone
say that we’ve picked up a dog or cat anywhere close to your pet’s
description, you need to come identify it in person as soon as possible.
The ordinance allows us
to keep dogs for 6 days and cats for 4 days. If they are
unclaimed after that time, they are evaluated for health, age,
personality, etc. Those not suitable for adoption are humanely euthanized,
and, unfortunately, we often must euthanize a healthy pet simply because
there is no room in adoption. So it is very, very important that you
begin to look for your pet as soon as you notice it’s missing. Don’t
assume your pet is “off tomcatting” and that he’ll come home in a few
days. You may be too late.
Make up flyers right
away, and post them at gas stations, grocery stores and other neighborhood
gathering places. Check with local vet clinics, too: sometimes, kind
people find an injured pet and bring it to the neighborhood veterinarian.
Run a lost ad in the
paper, and check the found ads every day.
For other information
about locating a lost pet, call 225-774-7700 and we will send you
our brochure, “Looking For A Lost Pet.”
Animal
Control picked up my pet. What do I do now?
Call the Animal Control & Rescue Center at 774-7700 and we will explain any fines or other
charges over the phone.
If you have received a
warning notice, have it handy when you call us. You may need to refer to
it.
In most cases, your
fine will be based on the following schedule of fees:
FERTILE PETS (dogs and cats over 3 months of age that have NOT been spayed or neutered)
First offense-pet at large $40
Second offense-pet at large $80
Third offense-pet at large $160
INFERTILE PETS (dogs and cats that HAVE been
spayed or neutered)
First offense-pet at large $30
Second offense-pet at large $60
Third offense-pet at large $120
If your pet is not wearing a current rabies tag on its collar, and you cannot provide other proof that it is up-to-date on its rabies vaccination, you will also have to pay:
Failure to vaccinate
for rabies (no tag or license)..……………..$50
Rabies vaccination, tag and license fee………...$16
The tag and license fee is a pre-payment for your pet’s
rabies shot. You can take the receipt directly to your veterinarian and
receive a rabies shot.
If your pet is up-to-date on its shots, but the tag has
been lost, bring your vet’s receipt when you pick up your pet. Or call
you vet and ask for that information to be faxed to the
Animal Control & Rescue Center's fax number is 774-7876.
If your pet has stayed
with us for one or more nights, you may also have to pay:
Kennel boarding fee (per night) $8 All fines must be paid
IN CASH at the Animal Control Center during normal business hours
Even if you are not
certain we picked up your pet, call Animal Control & Rescue Center, as soon as, you notice
your pet is missing, and call every day to see if we have picked it up.
What should I do if I find a stray pet?
Call the Animal Control & Rescue Center. If the animal is wearing a rabies tag on its collar, you can read
the tag number to us over the phone and we can trace the animal’s owners
so you can contact them.
If the animal is not
wearing tags, you may want to take care of the animal for a few days while
you run a “found” ad in the paper. The Advocate runs “found” ads for free
(4 lines for 3 days; call 388-0111).
You may also want to
post “found” flyers in your neighborhood and in adjacent subdivisions. It’s a good idea to place a few flyers at local gas stations, veterinary
hospitals, grocery stores, etc.
If you can’t find the
owner, or if you are not able or willing to try, just give us a call
during normal business hours and we will pick the animal up.
If you have kept the
animal for more than a week, ran a “found” ad in the paper, and the animal
is unclaimed, you may keep the dog or cat if you’d like to give it a home.
What about pet licenses, and how many pets may I keep?
When your dog or cat
receives its rabies shot and gets its tag at a licensed veterinarian’s
office, it becomes officially licensed in East Baton Rouge Parish. City Parish law requires both dogs and cats to be vaccinated for rabies at
the age of three months, then once a year afterwards, and to wear a rabies
tag on the collar. Even if you think your full-time indoor pet will never
get out, accidents can happen. The serial number on your pet’s rabies tag
will trace it back to you. Be sure to save your vet’s receipt–if your
pet loses its rabies tag, you will be able to prove it is up-to-date on
its shots.
Ferrets are also
required to have an annual rabies shot.
If you’ve just moved to
East Baton Rouge Parish, you must have your pet licensed and vaccinated by
a veterinarian in the parish within 30 days. Don’t worry if your pet was
recently vaccinated somewhere else. The “extra” shot won’t hurt if your
pet is in good health, but take your vet’s advice. Sometimes a
veterinarian will advise you to postpone the rabies shot if your pet is
sick, pregnant, or taking medication.
Please be aware that
the rabies vaccinations and tags one can purchase at feed stores does not
count as a legal vaccination in East Baton Rouge Parish for dogs, cats or
ferrets. These animals must be vaccinated at a licensed veterinarian’s
office.
Most birds, reptiles
and other small animals commonly available in pet shops require no license
or permit, but some do. It is illegal to keep certain wild or exotic
animals as pets in East Baton Rouge Parish.
If you have an unusual
pet, or if you think you might want to get one, contact Animal Control & Rescue Center to
find out if your pet is allowed in East Baton Rouge Parish or if any
special permits are required. This information is also available in the
online copy of the ordinance.
We require that a
person keeping more than twelve animals over four months of age apply for
and obtain a kennel permit.
FOR YARD PETS
You must have a minimum of 1200 square feet of yard available for the
first dog you have, and 300 additional square feet for each additional
dog. A yard with less than 1200 square feet is considered to be an
animal pen, with special requirements.
FOR PETS KEPT INDOORS
The conditions in which your pets live must meet the humane standards set
by the City-Parish regarding food, water, shelter, cleanliness and
veterinary care. We do not set a rigid limit on the number of pets per dwelling, but we do require that your household pets do not become a nuisance to other people and animals.
Details on the
requirements for animal pens and cages may be obtained from the Animal Control & Rescue Center, or by reading the ordinance posted elsewhere on this
website
FOR LIVESTOCK ANIMALS
Contact the Animal Control & Rescue Center or read the online ordinance for details about keeping livestock animals in the City Parish.
Townhouses and
apartment patios
are exempt from the yard-size requirement, provided the animals do not
cause a nuisance to the neighbors. Food, water and shelter must be
provided, and the area must be kept clean, odor-free, and free of
parasites like ticks and fleas.
The number, size and
type of pets allowed by your landlord, mobile home park or subdivision
rules may differ from the laws set by the Animal Control & Rescue Center. Some
landlords, for example, do not allow tenants to keep boa constrictors,
even though it is legal to have a pet boa constrictor in East Baton Rouge
Parish.
Because rental leases and residential neighborhood agreements are private contracts, these situations do not fall under our jurisdiction. We suggest that you contact an attorney if a dispute arises over the pet
restrictions in your rental lease or subdivision restrictions.
A barking dog in our neighborhood keeps us up at night.
Who should
we call?
If barking dogs are a
problem in your neighborhood, we suggest the neighborly approach as a good
place to start. Maybe the dog’s owner isn’t aware that the dog is a
problem to others, and the solution might be as simple as asking the owner
to bring the dog inside during the hours when you are trying to sleep. It’s surprising how often people are willing to cooperate when they become
aware that their pet is keeping someone else awake.
If the neighborly
approach fails, you must write a letter describing the problem. Give as much detail as possible, including:
Your name, address and phone (this must be included in your
letter),
Location (address) of the dog(s) causing the problem,
Description of the animal’s problem behavior,
Description of how the animal’s behavior is affecting you.
When we receive the
letter, we can dispatch an officer to discuss the problem with the dog’s
owner. A warning notice will be left to document the visit. If the dog
continues to bark, and you make another complaint within 15 days, the
owner will receive a summons.
Be aware that,
according to the definition used in the law, nuisance barking or
noise-making must be excessive before a summons will be issued.
Raccoons are
getting into my garbage. What can I do?
Many problems with
raccoons, opossums and other wildlife often can be solved simply by
building an enclosed pen for your garbage cans. It should have a top and
four sides. Use a spring-type latch--this lets the garbage collector in
but keeps raccoons out. You can also buy ready-made, raccoon-proof pens
at some feed stores.
Tamper-resistant
garbage cans are another good solution. Or you could try stretching a
piece of bungee cord across your garbage can lid. Just anchor the bungee
cord to the handles.
It’s also important to
avoid leaving pet food out at night.
If raccoon and opossum
problems persist after you’ve removed food sources and secured your
garbage, you can rent a humane box trap from the Animal Control & Rescue Center. A
$25 deposit is required. This allows you to keep the trap for one week. Your deposit is returned when you return the trap. When you rent the
trap, you will be given detailed instructions on setting it up and baiting
it.
When you catch your
raccoon, or other nuisance animal, call the Animal Control & Rescue Center and an
officer will come and pick up the trapped animal. You never have to touch
it.
Please do not feed
raccoons. Sure, raccoons are cute. But rabies isn’t. Raccoons can
carry rabies, which is transmittable to humans, pets and livestock. Raccoons also carry distemper, a serious disease which can be transmitted
to dogs and cats who aren’t up-to-date on their shots. If a raccoon bites
a human, a doctor must be called immediately. Treatment may
be needed for exposure to rabies and other diseases. If a raccoon bites a
pet, take the pet to a veterinarian right away.
More
information on how to humanely discourage wildlife
Who do I call to
help me with a dead animal?
There are no special
laws concerning the disposal of most deceased pets on your own property,
but you will want to bury it as deep as possible–at least two feet for a
cat, small dog, or other small pet; three feet or more for a larger pet.
It’s a good idea to
place a few paving stones directly above the spot to discourage
scavengers. You might also want to plant a tree or bush to mark the spot,
or make a marker of your own.
The law does require
that large livestock animals must be buried at least six feet deep, or
cremated.
Beware of buried
utility lines–always call “Dottie” at 1-800-272-3020 before you dig a
hole.
If you don’t have a
yard, or if you are not able to dig a grave, you will need to find another
means of disposing of your deceased pet. Some veterinarians offer burial
and cremation services, or they will refer you to someone else who can
help. Look in the Yellow Pages under “veterinarians” and “pet cemeteries,
crematories and supplies.”
Another way to dispose
of a dead animal is simply to wrap it neatly in paper, a plastic bag or an
old T-shirt and deposit it at the curb in a closed garbage can or in a
sturdy box you’ve taped shut (this will prevent scavengers from disturbing
the remains).
It’s better to avoid
wild animals found dead on the road. Rabies can survive in the corpse of
a dead animal, and rabies is often the reason the raccoon was out in the
road in the first place. If you have an urgent reason to remove a
road kill, use plastic or latex gloves, put the dead animal in a plastic
bag, and secure it in the garbage as described above. Be sure to dispose
of the gloves and to wash your hands thoroughly after attempting this. Never touch a road-killed animal if you have an open cut or abrasion on
your hands.
AW (or whichever
company currently has the contract) picks up dead animals on city
streets. Call 778-3800 to report a dead animal on the side of the road. If you’re a good Samaritan and you notice that a dead dog or cat is
wearing its rabies tag, you can call us and tell us what the tag number
is, and we can track down the owner to notify them of the situation.
Dead animals on the
Interstate or on a state highway should be reported to 231-4131.
For dead livestock,
call 389-3254.
Someone has been bitten by an animal. What needs to be done?
Because of the danger
of rabies, which is always fatal if untreated, animal bites and scratches
must be reported to the Animal Control & Rescue Center. A bite report will be
taken, and every effort will be made to find the animal, quarantine it,
and observe its health for ten (10) days. Anyone who has been bitten is
safe from rabies if the dog or cat which bit them is still alive ten days
later.
If you, a family
member, or a visitor to your home was bitten by your own pet, if it is
up-to-date on its rabies vaccination, and if it was not running loose or
otherwise in violation of the animal control ordinance at the time the
bite occurred, you must report the bite, but you may be allowed to keep
your animal confined in your own home and examined by your own
veterinarian after ten (10) days have passed. The animal must not be
allowed to run loose or make contact with other animals or human visitors
for ten (10) days. You may also choose to kennel your pet at your
veterinarian’s office during this time. If the animal dies for any reason
during this time, you must contact the Animal Control & Rescue Center so your pet’s
remains can be examined for rabies. Please call us at 225-774-7700
or read the online ordinance for details on what criteria must be met for
the animal to be allowed to remain at home.
If the dog or cat was not up-to-date on its rabies vaccination, or if it
was running loose or otherwise in violation of the ordinance at the time
the bite occurred, the animal will be impounded in our Rabies Observation
Kennel here at the Animal Control & Rescue Center for ten days. The owner may
reclaim the animal after ten days have passed, and must be ready to pay
any fines (such as failure to vaccinate against rabies) that may apply. In some cases, you may pay your fines at the Animal Control & Rescue Center and
then we will transfer your pet to your own veterinarian's office for
observation.
If you are bitten by a
wild mammal, such as a fox or raccoon, notify Animal Control & Rescue Center immediately
and we will make every effort to capture the animal and examine it for
rabies. Birds, reptiles, fish, and other animals do not carry rabies. If
you are not sure whether or not the animal which bit you is a mammal,
please call Animal Control & Rescue Center and we can help identify it for you.
Due to risk of
infection from bacteria, and due to the risk of dangerous venom from a
snake or spider bite, you should see a physician if you have been bitten
by a bird, reptile, spider, or any other non-mammalian animal for medical
treatment, but the animal does not need to be impounded or quarantined.
If the Animal Control & Rescue Center is unable to locate the animal which bit you, you must go through a
series of post-exposure anti-rabies injections to protect you against the
rabies virus. While the risk of rabies is very small in the case of dog
and cat bites, the virus is always fatal if untreated. However small the
odds are, the risk is almost always too great to gamble on.
If you have been bitten
by a wild animal which got away, you must have the injections to
protect your health. Consult your physician for medical advice as to
whether or not you should have the injections in situations where a dog or
cat got away.
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