Skip to main content
πŸ“ž 404-609-1114
πŸ“ž
πŸ“ž Call Now

Northeast Georgia

Dead Animal Removal in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia

Athens-Clarke FAQ 142 says the county picks up dead animals in the street or on the right of way, if the animal is at least the size of an armadillo, raccoon or opossum. For a dead animal in your yard, the county's own pages disagree. The Dead Animal Pickup Request page says to place a dead animal from your yard at the curb, then contact Solid Waste. FAQ 142's size rule (armadillo, raccoon or opossum or larger) is written for street and right-of-way collection. FAQ 279 calls an animal off the street or right of way the resident's responsibility, and FAQ 142 points private property to a wildlife removal company or the landfill.

Call 404-609-1114 Send the details

One Georgia number. Calls reach this site's routing line, which passes them to an independent operator where one covers the area. We remove nothing ourselves, and we cannot promise an operator covers your part of Athens-Clarke.

Who picks up a dead animal in Athens-Clarke County?

Athens-Clarke County picks up dead animals in the street or on the right of way, if the animal is armadillo, raccoon or opossum size or larger; requests go to Solid Waste (706-613-3501, then 7, or collections@accgov.com). For a dead animal in your yard, the county's pages disagree. The Dead Animal Pickup Request page says to place a dead animal from your yard at the curb, then contact Solid Waste. FAQ 279 calls an animal off the street or right of way the resident's responsibility, and FAQ 142 points private property to a wildlife removal company or the ACC Landfill.

Source: Athens-Clarke County FAQ 142: dead animal pickup, checked 2026-10-01.

Who handles a dead animal in Athens-Clarke County, by where it is
Where the animal isWho handles itHow to reach them
Street or right of way (armadillo size or larger)Athens-Clarke County (FAQ 142); requests go to the Solid Waste Department706-613-3501, press 7, or collections@accgov.com (per the Dead Animal Pickup Request page)
State road in Athens-ClarkeGeorgia DOT, according to the county FAQ706-583-2644, the number Athens-Clarke publishes
Park or trailACCGov Leisure Services706-613-3801
Your yardCounty pages conflict. The Dead Animal Pickup Request page says to place a dead animal from your yard at the curb, then contact Solid Waste. FAQ 279 calls an animal off the street or right of way the resident's responsibility, and FAQ 142 points to a wildlife removal company or the landfill.Curb placement and a Solid Waste request, the ACC Landfill (fees apply), or a private remover. FAQ 142's size rule (armadillo, raccoon or opossum or larger) is written for street and right-of-way collection.
Under a deck, in a crawl space, attic or garageWe found no county service; at most the animal would have to come out to the curb firstYour own disposal, or a private remover. This site's line, 404-609-1114, passes calls to an independent operator where one covers the area.

Read 2026-10-01 on accgov.com (FAQs 142 and 279, the Dead Animal Pickup Request page and the landfill fee page) and on Municode. The Pickup Request page shows a last content update of August 12, 2025.

On a road, street or public land

FAQ 142 says: "Athens-Clarke County picks up dead animals in the street or on the right of way." Size is part of the rule: "Animals must be the size of an armadillo, raccoon, opossum (or larger) to qualify for collection." The FAQ does not say what happens to anything smaller. Requests go to collections@accgov.com or 706-613-3501, option seven. No fee is stated for street collection. Parks and trails belong to ACCGov Leisure Services, 706-613-3801. For a state road, FAQ 279 says: "Dead animals that are located on a State Highway in Athens-Clarke County will be picked up by the Georgia Department of Transportation, please contact them at 706-583-2644." That number comes from the Athens-Clarke FAQ. We found no GDOT page that sets out a dead-animal line.

In a yard, under a deck or in a crawl space

Here the county's pages pull in two directions, and all three were live on 2026-10-01. The Dead Animal Pickup Request page, last updated August 12, 2025, starts with: "1. Place the dead animal at the curb for pickup if the dead animal is in your yard." Step two is to contact Solid Waste. FAQ 279 says: "If the animal is not in the street or on the right of way, it is the resident's responsibility." FAQ 142 gives private property its own line: "Private property: Contact a wildlife removal company or take animals to the ACC Landfill (fees apply)". None of the three has county crews coming onto private property to collect a dead animal in a yard. FAQ 142's size rule (armadillo, raccoon or opossum or larger) is written for street and right-of-way collection. If you plan to use the curb route, ask Solid Waste when you call whether that is still how it works.

Nothing on the Athens-Clarke pages we read covers an animal under a deck, in a crawl space or in an attic. The curb route on the request page starts only once the animal is out and at the curb, and the FAQs send private-property cases to a wildlife removal company or the landfill. An animal you can reach without cutting into anything is a job for you or a private remover. For a dead bear, alligator, hawk, eagle, owl or other bird of prey, call DNR (1-800-366-2661); DNR also asks for a call about a protected species such as a bald eagle, and we found no Georgia guidance on a bear or alligator found dead on private land. Bats: DPH says it is best never to handle any bat; if a person or pet may have been exposed, call the county health department. If the smell comes from inside a closed wall, read dead animal smell in a wall. Nothing arranged through this site involves opening drywall, plaster or a ceiling.

A dead deer in Athens-Clarke County

Street and right-of-way collection covers animals armadillo size or larger. FAQ 142 states no upper limit; ask Solid Waste about a deer in the street. On a state road, the county FAQ points to GDOT at 706-583-2644. In a yard, the same conflict between the county's pages applies. The ACC Landfill's fee page lists "Animal Carcasses (Cat, Deer, Dog): $20 minimum (Larger carcasses, call first)". Statewide, Georgia's deer carcass rule (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-2-.19), in force since June 25, 2025, makes it unlawful to dispose of a deer carcass anywhere other than "the property on which the deer was killed" unless an approved method is used; the approved methods include a commercial deer processor, a permitted solid waste landfill, burial, incineration, rendering or composting. We found no guidance on how the rule applies to a deer that dies on its own in a yard. Ask DNR's Wildlife Resources Division: 1-800-366-2661. More on dead deer removal and a dead deer in your yard.

Trash, landfill and burial

The ACC Landfill fee page lists "Animal Carcasses (Cat, Deer, Dog): $20 minimum (Larger carcasses, call first)". That is a disposal fee for an animal you bring in; the page lists no pickup charge. County code also describes a bagged, on-call curbside service. Section 5-2-5(e) requires a $2.00 sticker on the bag for its "dead animal" service, and section 5-2-14(e) says: "The property owner may elect to have the franchisee collect a dead house pet or other small animals." Under that section the animal is bagged by the customer, set at the curb and collected on call, and additional fees may apply. We did not confirm that either service is still offered.

What that means for you

In the street, request a Solid Waste pickup. In the yard, the county's pages disagree, and none of them sends a crew into the yard. The Dead Animal Pickup Request page says to place a dead animal from your yard at the curb, then contact Solid Waste. FAQ 142's size rule (armadillo, raccoon or opossum or larger) is written for street and right-of-way collection. The other routes are hauling it to the ACC Landfill and paying the posted fee, or calling a wildlife removal company, which is what FAQ 142 suggests. Independent operators set their own prices; price and availability are settled on the call.

Call 404-609-1114

Three Athens-Clarke pages, two answers

We read three Athens-Clarke pages for this question on 2026-10-01, and they do not agree about yards. The Dead Animal Pickup Request page, with content last updated August 12, 2025, tells a resident with a dead animal in the yard to place it at the curb and then contact Solid Waste by email or at 706-613-3501, option seven. FAQ 279 says an animal that is not in the street or on the right of way is the resident's responsibility. FAQ 142 tells private-property callers to contact a wildlife removal company or take the animal to the ACC Landfill, where fees apply. The unified government's code adds a fourth thread: sections 5-2-5(e) and 5-2-14(e) describe a bagged, on-call curbside service for a dead house pet or other small animal, with a $2.00 sticker on the bag, and we did not confirm it is still offered. We have not tried to decide which page reflects current practice. If you plan to use the curb route, ask Solid Waste when you call.

Pages for the animal or the place you found it

Questions about Athens-Clarke County

Will Athens-Clarke County pick up a dead animal from my yard?

Not from the yard itself. The county's Dead Animal Pickup Request page, last updated August 12, 2025, says to place a dead animal from your yard at the curb, then contact Solid Waste. FAQ 142's size rule (armadillo, raccoon or opossum or larger) is written for street and right-of-way collection. FAQ 279 says an animal off the street or right of way is the resident's responsibility, and FAQ 142 points private property to a wildlife removal company or the ACC Landfill. Ask Solid Waste which applies when you call.

How big does a dead animal have to be for Athens-Clarke to collect it?

For street and right-of-way collection, the county FAQ says animals must be the size of an armadillo, raccoon or opossum, or larger.

How do I request a dead animal pickup in Athens-Clarke?

Email collections@accgov.com or call the Solid Waste Department at 706-613-3501 and press seven, as the Dead Animal Pickup Request page directs.

What does the Athens-Clarke landfill charge for an animal carcass?

The ACC Landfill's fee page lists animal carcasses (cat, deer, dog) at a $20 minimum and asks you to call first for larger carcasses. That is a disposal fee for an animal you bring in.

Who removes a dead animal on a state road in Athens-Clarke?

The county FAQ says dead animals on a state highway in Athens-Clarke County will be picked up by the Georgia Department of Transportation, and it gives 706-583-2644 as the number to call.

Who handles a dead animal in an Athens-Clarke park or on a trail?

The county FAQ lists ACCGov Leisure Services at 706-613-3801 for parks and trails.

Nearby areas

Sources for this page