The East Baton Rouge Parish Animal Control Center is devoted to providing residents of our parish with accurate and helpful information about caring for and owning animals.

MISSION STATEMENT | REQUESTS FOR SERVICE
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

PLEASE DO NOT
EMAIL REQUESTS FOR ANIMAL SERVICES

PLEASE CONTACT US BY PHONE at 774-7700
8 a.m.-5 p.m.,  Monday-Friday
First and last Saturday of the month from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

E-mail Is Not Always Answered Immediately!
Contact us by phone for normal services, if an animal needs immediate assistance or for situations requiring prompt attention, such as, animals running loose, cruelty complaints, dangerous animal situations or injured animals!

TO REPORT ANIMAL EMERGENCIES ON NIGHTS, WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS, PLEASE CALL 911, IT WILL BE DISPATCHED TO THE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER ON DUTY.

The e-mail link on this website was intended for general questions about our services, pet adoption and so forth. E-mail is not always answered immediately.

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? 

Call the Animal Control Center between 8am and 5pm Monday through Friday 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 Center. 

If loose animals are causing a problem in your neighborhood, simply call the Animal Control Center at 774-7700 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays and between 8 a.m. and noon on most Saturdays (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 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,

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 emergency situations. Please notify us of these situations during regular business hours.  

If your problem is an emergency, call the police, sheriff or 911 and they will alert the Animal Control Officer on duty. 

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 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 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 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 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 Center. Our 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 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 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 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 Center, or by reading the ordinance  posted elsewhere on this website

FOR LIVESTOCK ANIMALS

Contact the Animal Control 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 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 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 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. 

BFI (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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.