What happens when you report a dead animal?
When you report a dead animal on the footpath or road, in a public open space such as a playground or council-owned car park we'll remove it, on the same day if possible. Dead animals can harbour germs and disease so care should be taken to remove and dispose of them carefully.
What if the dead animal is on private property?
If you find a large dead wild animal such as a fox or badger in your garden we'll remove it free of charge. If a pet such as a dog or a cat dies in your garden and it doesn't belong to you we'll remove it as well.
We can remove dead animals from business properties such as factories or offices, but we must charge a fee for this. When the owner calls us we'll tell them how much and arrange a time to visit.
We don't collect small dead animals from private property.
If you do need to dispose of a small dead animal you should:
- Avoid touching the animal with your bare hands, place the dead animal in a plastic bag and put it in your general waste (green or brown) wheelie bin. If you prefer to bury the dead animal don't place it in a plastic bag.
- Always wash your hands thoroughly after contact with a dead animal
Missing pet
When a pet has a collar with a contact number, or has been micro-chipped, we will contact the owner to inform them.
We use Pet Cremation Services to dispose of the dead animals.
Dead animals found on/along the canals
Dead animals found on/along the canals should be reported to the Canal and River Trust
Bird Flu update
If you find dead wild waterfowl (swan, goose or duck) or gull, or 5 or more dead wild birds of other species in the same location, you should report them to the Defra Helpline (Tel: 03459 33 55 77).
However, if any dead bird is found on the highway or in a Wolverhampton park please contact us on 01902 551155.
Small dead birds on private residential/commercial property falling outside of the Defra categorisation outlined above are not considered to be a hazard. Please follow the advice for the disposal of small dead animals given above.
Report a dead animal
You can submit a report
Out of hours Emergency: To report a dead animal affecting the highway please ring our call out team: 01902 552999.