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Calls for Service

Routine Calls (Monday through Friday 7:00AM to 7:00PM

The following calls are examples of routine calls for service handled during these hours.   

• Advice: A request for advice from an Animal Services Officer regarding an animal situation
• Animal abuse: Animal services will respond to reports of animal abuse or neglect. Examples of Animal Abuse violations include, but are not limited to:
• Animals left without food for more than 24 hours
• Animals not given water at least twice within 24 hours
• Animals left without adequate shelter from the weather
• Sick or injured animals left without veterinary care for more than 24 hours
• A dog left tied out unattended (someone must be out within sight of a dog while tied).
• Animals kept in crowded or unsanitary conditions.
• Animal bite: Animal services will respond to reports of bites committed by dogs, cats or ferrets. These bites are required to be reported by State Law. ***If the animal is still on the loose this is considered an emergency. 
• Nuisance domestic animal: Animal services will respond to reports of nuisance domestic animals. Please note that to be considered a nuisance, activities by an animal must have occurred on more than one occasion.  To be enforced as a nuisance these complaints CANNOT be anonymous.  Photos and video of violations that may not occur while an Officer is present will be helpful in addressing your complaint.  Some examples of nuisance violations (which must occur on more than one occasion) by an animal are:
• Gets into or turns over garbage containers
• Walks on and/or sleeps on automobiles of another
• Damages gardens, foliage or other real or personal property
• Continuously or frequently roams or is found on the property of another.
• Chases, snaps at, attacks or otherwise molests pedestrians, bicyclists, motor vehicle passengers, farm stock or domestic animals.
• Urinates on private property without the permission of the owner.
• Stray or at-large domestic dog “Stray” or “at-large” is defined as any animal that is off the property of its owner and is not under restraint. An animal loose on the owners own property/in the yard is not considered at large until it leaves the owners property unrestrained.  *Cats can fall under a nuisance complaint, but there is no “leash law” for cats.
• Contained stray animals: Dogs that have been captured and are contained by a citizen or business.
• Trapped animal: Any animal that is captured in a trap set by Animal Services.
• Animal Surrenders: Animal Services will pick up your sick pet or pet you can no longer keep if you are unable to take the animal to the Animal Protection Society of Durham.  Please note that the legal owner of the animal must be present to sign a surrender form and must be able to provide proper identification.

Emergency Calls (Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays)

The following types of situations are considered emergency and will be answered after hours and during weekends by an on-call animal services officer or deputy sheriff once the situation has been confirmed to be an emergency:

• Animal attack: Person actively being chased or that has been recently attacked by an animal.
• Animal Bite: This is for an animal bite that has occurred by a dog, cat or ferret that is currently still on the loose and posing a threat at the time of the call.   
• Dangerous dog: Animal services will respond to reports of dangerous dogs where a person or animal is known to have been attacked by a dog that is still on the loose.   
• Endangered Animal: Any animal in an immediate, life-threatening situation that is actively or has recently occurred at the time of the report.   This does not include those acts listed under animal abuse as noted in the routine calls section unless an animal is hurt or injured.
• Injured animal: Animal Services will respond to reports of injured domestic animals if the owner is unknown or not available to take responsibility for the animal.  If YOUR animal is injured and needs emergency care after hours the following facilities provide 24 hour emergency care in the Durham area:
  • Triangle Veterinary Referral Hospital: 608 Morreene Rd, Durham.  919-489-0615.
  • Veterinary Specialty Hospital of the Carolinas:  7015 NC Hwy 751, Durham 919-600-6600

• Mutual aid: Calls for assistance made by an Emergency Services Agency once evaluated by the Watch Commander such as a structure fire or vehicle accident with animals on scene.
• Rabies: Any person or domestic animal that has been or is currently in danger of rabies exposure. This includes domestic animals that have killed or been involved in a fight with a potentially rabid animal.  This also includes bats found inside the direct living area of an occupied home.

Helpful Links:

Animal Protection Society of Durham Ready to adopt a pet or learn about discounted veterinary care? Visit the Animal Protection Society of Durham.

N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
The Commission is responsible for the enforcement of N.C. fishing, hunting, trapping and boating laws.

Durham County Animal Ordinances
Code of ordinances for Durham County Animal Services