Georgia, by area
Dead animal removal by Georgia city and county
A public street, a public park and a state road are a public agency's responsibility. A yard, a garage, a crawl space or the gap under a deck belongs to the property owner, and what the owner can expect from local government changes from one county to the next.
At state level, Georgia law makes it GDOT's duty to remove dead animals within the rights of way of state-funded highways (O.C.G.A. 4-5-4). We found no statewide rule that requires a homeowner to remove a wild animal carcass from their own property, or sets a deadline for a homeowner to remove a wild animal carcass. We found no current public service that collects a dead wild animal from a yard. Columbus's code still lets city crews enter private property at the owner's or occupant's request, at the chief's discretion, but we found no current Columbus page offering it. The current public routes we found for a dead wild animal stop at the curb, the road edge or other public property; Augusta and Clayton County offer paid pickup for owned pets only. The statewide 24-hour, 3-foot burial rule that circulates belongs to the Dead Animal Disposal Act, which covers livestock-type animals; unincorporated Cobb County and Augusta set their own 3-foot burial rules, listed below.
Some local codes set their own disposal limits. Each one carries its own wording, none is statewide, and your city or county may have its own:
- Sandy Springs and Johns Creek: a dead animal may not remain on your premises beyond 24 hours without being disposed of or properly removed.
- Unincorporated Forsyth County: 24 hours from death, for the animal's owner, agent or custodian.
- Unincorporated Cobb County: section 10-7(c) sets 12 hours for burial or incineration in a county approved incinerator, unless the carcass is properly refrigerated or frozen, with "not less than three feet of earth over the carcass". The section's abandonment rule is written around a person who owns or cares for the animal, and we found no county page on how it applies to a wild animal that dies on your lot.
- Augusta: section 4-1-26(f) sets 12 hours after death or discovery, and the section sets its own 3-foot burial rule. The section's duties are written around a person who owns or is caring for the animal and "the owner of any dead animal carcass", and we found no city page explaining how it applies to a wild animal that dies on your lot.
On your own property? Calls reach this site's routing line, which passes them to an independent operator where one covers the area. Whether one is available for yours is settled on the call.
Metro Atlanta
Atlanta
In the City of Atlanta, the Department of Public Works collects dead animals from the curb, the city's right of way and city parks, and ATL311 takes the request. If the animal is in your house or backyard, the city's ATL311 article says the resident is responsible for placing it at the curb. ATL311 says interstates and highways are GDOT's responsibility.
What Atlanta publishes →Gwinnett County
Gwinnett County's Animal Welfare and Enforcement removes dead animals from public property. From a home, it picks up only small animal carcasses that have been put in a plastic bag and placed roadside near the right-of-way. County code places other carcasses on private property with the property owner or possessor.
What Gwinnett County publishes →Cobb County
In unincorporated Cobb County, county code makes Cobb County Animal Services and Cobb DOT responsible for dead animals in county-road rights-of-way, and reports go to the 911 non-emergency line. We found no county service that collects a dead wild animal from a yard, deck or crawl space. U.S. highways and state routes are GDOT's, and cities maintain their own roads.
What Cobb County publishes →DeKalb County
DeKalb County Sanitation collects dead animals from streets and county rights-of-way, and DeKalb's Solid Waste Management page labels the service “Roadkill only.” We found no county collection of a dead wild animal from yards, decks or crawl spaces, and county code says dead animals other than dogs and house pets will not be collected. For a dead pet, residents can take it to the county's Animal Crematory for a disposal fee.
What DeKalb County publishes →North Fulton
This page covers four North Fulton cities, and each has its own rules. Alpharetta and Johns Creek take reports of a dead animal in the roadway. Sandy Springs and Johns Creek codes say a dead animal may not remain on your premises beyond 24 hours without being disposed of or properly removed, and Roswell's code classes dead animals as “other waste” for the household to dispose of. In none of the four did we find a city pickup of a dead wild animal from a yard.
What North Fulton publishes →Cherokee County
In unincorporated Cherokee County, Public Works picks up a deer or a large dog that is in the roadway or impeding traffic. County code says carcasses on private property must be disposed of by the animal or property owner or possessor. We found no county service that collects a dead wild animal from a yard or from under a house.
What Cherokee County publishes →Forsyth County
In unincorporated Forsyth County, Roads and Bridges removes dead animals from road rights of way. We found no county service for a dead wild animal in a yard, under a deck or in a crawl space. Unincorporated Forsyth County's code bars burying wildlife outside agricultural zoning.
What Forsyth County publishes →Henry County
Henry County's request types put its limits in writing. The county "does not remove deer from private property", and it does not remove small wildlife such as raccoons, foxes, squirrels, opossums or armadillos "regardless of location". On county roads, DOT takes deer and Animal Care & Control takes dogs and cats, while county code 3-4-8(a) gives the two the duty for all dead animals in county-road rights-of-way (both read 2026-10-01).
What Henry County publishes →Places we read that do not have their own page
Three more governments publish a dead-animal route. Their pages were read on 1 October 2026.
- City of Savannah
- Savannah's Residential Refuse work program lists "Dead Animal Removal" for "Dead animals in the city rights of way" and says to call 311 with the exact location. The city's 311 page gives 912-651-6565 for callers outside city limits. We found no city service for yards, decks or crawl spaces. Sources: City of Savannah, Work Programs; City of Savannah, 311 FAQ, read 1 October 2026.
- Chatham County (unincorporated)
- County code section 22-110 authorizes Public Works to remove dead animals from public property, including public schools, parks and roadways, in unincorporated areas. The county's drop-off centers list dead animals among the items they cannot accept. We found no county service for private property. Sources: Chatham County Code, Chapter 22; Chatham County Public Works, Drop-Off Centers, read 1 October 2026.
- Clayton County (unincorporated)
- Refuse Control picks up dead animals on county and state rights of way. It also picks up dead pets belonging to Clayton County residents for a fee of $20.00; that fee is for pets only. We found no county service for dead wildlife in a yard or under a house. Source: Clayton County Refuse Control, services, read 1 October 2026.
Not listed here? We did not survey Georgia's other counties and cities, so a place missing here is unread, not silent. Your city or county may have its own rules, so ask it before you act. The who picks up dead animals guide covers state routes and the rules that apply statewide, and the Georgia dead animal laws page covers the statutes.