Animal Control

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Animal Control

The City of College Park Animal Control Officer (ACO) enforces both City and County animal laws. The ACO’s goal is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the City’s residents and animals. The ACO is on duty and patrols the City to meet variable seasonal and weekly needs. If you need animal control assistance, please call 301-864-8877 or 240-375-3165 or email alightning@collegeparkmd.gov. If you have an animal-related emergency and cannot reach the City’s ACO, please call Prince George’s County Animal Management Division at 301-499-8300.

Abbey Ligthning and Lance

Licensing your Pet

Dogs, cats, and ferrets over four (4) months old need to be licensed annually by Prince George’s County (this applies to any pets that reside in the County for more than 30 days, even if the animal is licensed in another county). The animal must wear the license on its collar at all times.

There are two ways you may purchase a license for your pet(s):

you may come in and purchase the license directly from City Hall at 4500 Knox Road, College Park, MD. City Hall is open 8am-9:30pm Monday thru Friday and 1pm-9:30pm on Saturday.
by mailing in an application(s) with payment to Animal Management Division, License Section, 8311 D’Arcy Road, Forestville, MD 20747.

**Be sure to enclose or bring proof of spaying or neutering (if applicable) and proof of current rabies vaccination. Licenses are only $5 for spayed/neutered pets and $25 for intact pets. If your pet(s) is not already spayed or neutered, there are several low cost programs in the area such as the Washington Humane Society 202-88-Alter (202-882-5837) that can assist you.

Restraining your Pet

Regular exercise is essential for your pet’s good health, but it is important to uphold the City and County’s “leash law”. For health and safety reasons, both dogs and cats must be leashed when they are not on their owner’s property. Dogs and cats found unrestrained and off their property can be impounded for running at large and their owners must pay considerable redemption fees and fines.

Animals that are allowed to run at large are often a nuisance to the community. Animal control services spend time catching these wandering pets, transporting them, adopting out or euthanizing them, and removing their bodies from roadways. Health departments spend time and money locating and inoculating people who have come in contact with these “strays” for rabies and other diseases. “Outside” cats and “inside/outside” cats that are allowed to run at large are particularly problematic because they rarely have their rabies vaccination, a county license, or a collar with identification. Not only do these cats pose health risks to their humans by carrying diseases, bacteria, and fungi, but they are also harmful to local wildlife populations.

Almost every day the ACO receives calls from distressed citizens who have lost their beloved pet. Some of these cases have happy endings, but many end in pet owners never seeing their animal again. In 2006, College Park Animal Control received calls reporting 154 lost pets.

Cleaning up after your Pet

Animal waste is not allowed to endure on any property. Pet owners are responsible for immediately removing their animal’s waste on other’s private property and on public property, and disposing of it appropriately. Pet owners must also clean up waste on their own property. Excessive waste on one’s property is not only a health hazard, but can attract rats and produce an unpleasant odor (particularly in the summer time).

Proper care for your Pet

There are a variety of standards by which all pets must be kept in order to keep them safe and healthy. If dogs or cats are kept outside unattended they must have clean water available at all times, proper shelter to protect them, and proper space in which to move. Pets are also entitled to appropriate veterinary care when needed. Not providing these things for your pet is considered animal cruelty and neglect. For a list of these standards read the Prince George’s County “Proper Care Standards for Enforcement of Anti-Cruelty Laws”

Wildlife

An abundance of wildlife can be found in the City of College Park. Deer, groundhogs, raccoons, squirrels, opossums, geese, and bats, just to name a few. These creatures often seek refuge in local neighborhoods because of habitat loss due to increasing development. Living near humans provides wild animals with a wealth of unnatural food sources (trash, pet food, gardens, etc.) and artificial living quarters (sheds, attics, chimneys, etc.) While some people have never had any problems with wildlife, others have had negative experiences with wild animals disturbing their house or yard.

Trapping most wildlife requires a permit from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The ACO currently has a Wildlife Control Cooperator’s Permit through the MD DNR. The ACO will trap wildlife at his/her own discretion. The ACO will not trap wildlife outside unless the animal is posing a direct threat to public safety.

Trapping is often a source of controversy because trapped animals must be either euthanized or relocated. Moving an animal to a more “wild” area may sound like a good idea, but relocated animals typically have a lower rate of survival due to an inability to find new food sources and den sites. For more information on trapping read “Think Before You Trap”

Many wildlife problems can be dealt with by taking simple measures, usually involving the removal of the wildlife “attractant” such as securing accessible trash cans or doing away with pet food left outside. Other wildlife problem-solving tactics require trial and error and occasionally must result in the removal of the animal. The Animal Control Officer can provide citizens with information and/or literature on how to solve a variety of wildlife problems.

Rats in our community?