To report a dead animal on the road, call 911 if it is blocking a travel lane or creating an immediate hazard. If it is on the shoulder or off to the side, call your city’s public works department or 311 for local streets, your county’s road maintenance department for county roads, or your state’s Department of Transportation for highways and interstates. Between one and two million wildlife-vehicle collisions happen every year in the United States, so road agencies handle these reports constantly and have straightforward systems for them.1Federal Highway Administration. Wildlife-Vehicle Collision Reduction Study: Report To Congress
When It’s a 911 Call
A large animal in an active travel lane is a genuine emergency. A driver coming around a curve at highway speed and hitting a deer carcass can lose control, and a chain of rear-end collisions can follow within seconds. Call 911 if you see a large dead or injured animal blocking the road, especially on a fast-moving highway or at night. This applies whether you struck the animal yourself or simply spotted it while driving past.
Everything else is a non-emergency report: a raccoon on the shoulder, a possum at the edge of a residential street, a bird in the bike lane. These still need to be reported for public health and road maintenance, but they don’t require an emergency response. Use the channels below instead of tying up 911 dispatchers.
Which Agency Handles Which Road
Reporting to the wrong agency just delays removal, so the road type matters more than anything else.
- City streets and residential roads: your city’s public works department, sanitation services, or animal control. Many cities route these requests through 311, the non-emergency municipal services line available in most large and mid-size cities.
- County roads: your county’s public works or road maintenance department. Some counties handle animal removal through the sheriff’s office or animal services division.
- State highways and interstates: your state’s Department of Transportation. Most state DOTs run dedicated hotlines for road hazards, and many offer online forms or mobile apps where you drop a pin on the location and pick “dead animal” from a menu.
If you can’t tell whether a road is city-maintained or state-maintained, start with the city or county. They’ll redirect the report if it isn’t their jurisdiction. A quick search for “[your city] dead animal removal” will almost always surface the correct number.
What to Have Ready Before You Call
Road crews need to find the animal quickly, so location details do the heavy lifting. Before you call or submit a form, note:
- Exact location. Street name and nearest cross street for local roads. Mile marker or exit number for highways. If you can’t identify those, a nearby landmark or business works.
- Direction of travel and which side of the road the animal is on, including whether it’s in a lane or on the shoulder.
- Type and size of animal. “Large deer in the left lane” tells the dispatcher far more than “dead animal on the highway.” Size affects which crew and equipment get sent.
- Current traffic impact. Whether the carcass is blocking a lane, partially in the road, or fully on the shoulder helps the agency prioritize.
You don’t need to get out of your car or approach the animal to gather any of this. A general description from what you saw while driving past is enough.
Phone, 311, or Online Form
Most agencies accept reports through several channels. Phone is fastest for anything urgent. Call the agency’s main number or, in cities that offer it, dial 311. For state highways, the DOT hotline connects you to a dispatcher who can route a crew. These numbers appear on official government websites, and many states also post them on highway signs.
Online reporting has become common. State DOTs and city public works departments often maintain web forms where you select the issue type, mark the location on a map, and leave contact information in case the crew needs clarification. Some cities and states also run mobile apps built for this kind of report. Either option typically generates a confirmation number you can use to check status later.
For non-urgent situations, the online route is fine. If the animal is in a travel lane or creating a hazard after hours, a phone call gets a real person to triage it immediately.
What Happens After You Report
Response times depend on the severity of the hazard and the agency’s current workload. A large deer blocking an interstate lane during rush hour will get a crew dispatched almost immediately. A raccoon on a quiet residential shoulder might wait a day or two. Some agencies provide a confirmation number and status updates; others simply add your report to the queue and handle it when a crew is in the area.
Don’t expect a callback unless the crew can’t find the animal and needs more location details. The process is one-touch from your end: you report, they remove. If several days pass and the animal is still there, call again. Reports occasionally get lost in the system, and a second call usually bumps it up.
If You Hit the Animal Yourself
Striking a deer or other large animal is jarring, and the steps right afterward matter for both your safety and any insurance claim. Pull over as far from traffic as you can and turn on your hazard lights. Check yourself and any passengers for injuries first. If anyone is hurt or the vehicle is undrivable, call 911.
Even if nobody is hurt, call local police to file a report. Many states require a police report for animal-strike insurance claims, and the responding officer will typically arrange for the carcass to be removed. While you wait, document the damage and photograph the scene if you can do so safely from inside the car.
Do not approach the animal. An injured deer can thrash with enough force to cause serious harm, and an animal that looks dead may still be alive. Let law enforcement handle it. Once you’ve filed the police report, contact your auto insurance company. Collisions with animals are generally covered under comprehensive coverage rather than collision coverage, so check your policy.
Finding a Dead Pet
Discovering someone’s dog or cat on the road is a different situation emotionally, though the reporting is similar. Call your local animal control agency. Many animal control offices scan recovered pets for microchips and try to notify the owner before disposing of the remains. If the animal is wearing a collar with tags, note the information and pass it along when you report.
Don’t try to move the animal yourself, even if you want to help. The same health risks that apply to wildlife carcasses apply here, and you risk being struck by passing traffic. Animal control has the equipment and training for safe recovery.
If the Animal Is Still Alive
An injured animal is a different call. For wildlife, contact your state’s wildlife agency or search for a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your area. Many state wildlife agencies run hotlines for injured animals, particularly large species like deer or those that pose a public safety concern like bears. Keep your distance while you make the call.
For domestic animals that appear injured, call animal control or local police. An officer can safely contain the animal and transport it for veterinary care. Never try to handle an injured animal yourself. Pain and fear make even normally docile animals unpredictable, and wild animals may carry diseases transmissible through bites or scratches.
Why Not to Touch the Carcass
The “don’t touch it” advice isn’t squeamishness. Wildlife carcasses can carry serious diseases. Tularemia, caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis, spreads through skin contact with infected animals, and rabbits, hares, and rodents are particularly susceptible. The CDC specifically warns against mowing over dead animals because inhaling contaminated dust is another transmission route.2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Tularemia Other diseases associated with wildlife carcasses include rabies, leptospirosis, and plague.
Federal law adds another reason to leave dead animals alone. Picking up certain species, even dead ones found on the roadside, is illegal. The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act makes it a federal offense to possess a bald or golden eagle, alive or dead, including any feathers, parts, nests, or eggs. A first violation carries fines up to $5,000 and up to one year in prison.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 U.S. Code 668 – Bald and Golden Eagles The Migratory Bird Treaty Act extends similar protections to over a thousand species of migratory birds; possessing a dead migratory bird or any of its parts, including feathers, is unlawful without a permit.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC 703 – Taking, Killing, or Possessing Migratory Birds Unlawful The Endangered Species Act separately prohibits possessing any listed endangered species.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC 1538 – Prohibited Acts
If you find a dead eagle or other obviously protected bird on the road, report it to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in addition to the road agency. The USFWS uses these reports to track mortality patterns and identify problem locations.6U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Handling and Distribution of Bald and Golden Eagles and Parts For reporting purposes generally, there’s no reason to get close. Everything the agency needs, you can observe from your vehicle.