Where is the enforcement office located? What are the hours of operation?
341 S. Birdneck Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Animal Control Officers are on routine patrol from 7 a.m. - 11 p.m., seven days a week. There is also an officer on stand-by duty after 11 p.m. to respond emergency calls for service only.
How do I request that an Animal Control Officer respond out to a call for service?
To have an Animal Control Officer respond to a call for service, call dispatch at (757) 385-4444 Option #1. A Communications Officer will dispatch an Animal Control Officer to investigate your complaint. If the officer sees a violation when he/she arrives, appropriate action will be taken.
Because animal ordinances may be either a misdemeanor or felony (depending on the nature), our officers may not immediately take legal action unless they actually witness a violation in progress. This does not mean no action can be taken about a violation you have witnessed. Any citizen who witnesses a violation can take action by going to a magistrate's office, presenting probable cause, and obtain a Magistrate's Summons for the violation. The citizen must then appear in court and present testimony before a judge.
My pet has passed away, how do I dispose of the body?
Deceased animals may be buried if you have an acceptable place available. If this is not possible, the City provides a disposal service to citizens. The fee for this service is $20. To have an animal picked-up call dispatch at (757) 385-4444 Option #1.
Can an Animal Control Officer enter my yard to remove an animal?
Yes, an Animal Control Officer is authorized to enter private property to investigate complaints. This means if an officer is pursuing a stray animal and the animal runs into the owner's yard, the officer may enter the property and remove the animal if the owner or custodian is not there to properly confine the animal.
May I trap stray cats or wild animals that come into my yard?
Yes, as long as you use a humane trap that does not injure the animal.
Should you have a sick or injured wildlife or companion animal concern, please contact the Police Dispatch non-emergency number and they will dispatch an Animal Control Officer to the location. The number is 757-385-5000.
Should you have a concern involving healthy but nuisance wildlife, the following options exist to assist you:
- Seek out a private trapping company. A list of licensed private vendors can be located on the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries website: http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/nuisance/trappers.
- Purchase a humane animal trap of your own from a local or online vendor. Animal Control Officers will continue to respond to the same residence a total of six times to service a trap containing healthy wildlife. After exceeding six calls for service of this type you will be advised to contact a licensed private vendor for any future occurrences involving healthy wildlife. A list of licensed private vendors can be located on the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries website: http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/nuisance/trappers .
For additional information on ways to deter healthy wildlife on private property, please visit the DGIF website: http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/urban/
Should you have a concern with a stray friendly cat or feral cat, the following options exist to assist you:
- Seek out a private trapping company. A quick internet search will provide you options; not all trapping companies will assist with cats.
- Seek out cat trapping assistance from local animal welfare, non-profit organizations; several in the area offer cat assistance.
- Purchase a humane animal trap of your own from a local or online vendor. If you trap a cat, friendly or feral you can bring the cat into the Virginia Beach Animal Care & Adoption Center or you may contact the Police Dispatch non-emergency number and they will dispatch an Animal Control Officer to pick the trapped cat up from your home.
- If none of the above options are viable, please contact the Animal Care and Adoption Center at 757-385-4444 (option 2), during normal business hours. Clerks will ask you a series of questions in order to try assisting you further. On a case by case situational basis, Animal Control Officers may be assigned a case to bring a humane animal trap to the problem location. This decision will be made after an assessment is completed. It should be noted that trap resources for this type of concern, while available, are limited.
As a matter of safety, animal control officers cannot go into attics, go under houses, climb ladders or disassemble any structures to remove animals. If you have a loose animal inside your home, that can be seen, an animal control officer will respond to your home as a matter of public safety. Stray, nuisance wildlife around the home, unless injured, cannot be removed by the officer unless trapped.