Georgia, private property
Dead Animal Under a Deck or in a Crawl Space in Georgia
If a dead animal is under your deck or in your crawl space, no current state, county or city service we found will go in after it. Atlanta collects only once you carry the animal to the curb, and Gwinnett takes only small carcasses from private property, bagged and set roadside. Where the carcass can be reached through an existing opening, call 404-609-1114 to see whether an independent operator covers your address. Nothing routed through this site involves cutting decking, floors or walls.
Will any Georgia agency remove a dead animal from under my house?
In the state and local pages we read, no. Columbus's code is an exception on paper. It says city collection crews may enter private property, houses and other structures at the owner's or occupant's request, at the discretion of the chief, and that a fee may be set for large dead animals. We found no current Columbus page offering that service, so ask Columbus 311 or Public Works whether it is still used. If the smell seems to come from inside a wall, read dead animal smell in a wall.
Source: Columbus Code 13-167.9 and 13-167.12, checked 2026-10-01.
Before you pay anyone. Confirm the animal can be reached through an existing opening, such as the open side of a deck, a gap under a porch, or a crawl-space door or hatch. A carcass sealed inside a wall cavity or between floors is a different situation. Nothing routed through this site involves cutting into finished surfaces, and our article on a dead animal smell in a wall covers that case. If someone was bitten, DPH says to report it to the county health department or 1-866-PUB-HLTH (1-866-782-4584). For other contact by a person or pet, ask the county health department what to do with the carcass.
What this covers
- A carcass under a raised deck, porch or stairs, reachable from the open side
- An animal inside a crawl space with a door or hatch that opens
- An animal against a foundation wall or pier at ground level
- A smell from under the house when its source can be reached through an existing opening
Where the limit is
Nothing routed through this site involves cutting decking, removing fixed skirting or lattice, opening floors, drywall, plaster or ceilings, or any demolition. A live animal under the house is outside this site; DNR's Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator permit covers live nuisance wildlife: trapping, possessing, transporting, releasing and euthanizing. No odor treatment, sanitizing or repair is offered. 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.
What a removal service can help with. The current public routes we found for a dead wild animal stop at the curb, the road edge or other public property, and we found no current Columbus page offering the entry its code allows at the owner's or occupant's request, at the chief's discretion, so for a carcass under a structure the options we found are removing it yourself or hiring someone. Augusta and Clayton County offer paid pickup for owned pets only. Before calling, estimate the clearance under the deck or the size of the crawl-space opening, and how far in the animal lies, since that decides whether the carcass can be reached.
What Georgia law and DPH say. We found no statewide rule that sets a deadline for a homeowner to remove a wild animal carcass from their own property, or that requires them to remove it. Your city or county may have its own. For raccoons, skunks and foxes, DPH's Rabies Control Manual says all bites and scratches must be considered possible exposures to rabies, and that the state lab accepts a specimen for rabies testing only when a person or domestic animal was exposed to the animal.
How a call goes
- Say what the animal might be, if you can tell, and whether anyone or any pet had contact with it.
- Describe the space: deck height or crawl-space clearance, and where the opening is.
- Say roughly where the animal is from the opening, or where the smell is strongest.
- Give the address or ZIP. Calls reach this site's routing line, which passes them to an independent operator where one covers the area, and price and availability are settled on the call.
Questions about this situation
Will someone cut into my deck or floor to reach a dead animal?
Not through this site. Calls here are for carcasses that can be reached through an existing opening, such as the open side of a deck or a crawl-space door. If the source is sealed inside a wall or between floors, our article on a dead animal smell in a wall covers that case.
Does any Georgia city remove dead animals from under houses?
Columbus's code says city collection crews may enter private property, houses and other structures at the owner's or occupant's request, at the chief's discretion. We found no current city page offering it, so ask Columbus 311 or Public Works whether the code is still used. We found no other city or county service for under a structure in the pages we read.
Is a dead raccoon under the house a rabies concern?
DPH names raccoons, skunks and foxes as rabies vector species in Georgia and says all bites and scratches by them must be considered possible exposures. DPH's manual says the state lab accepts a specimen for rabies testing only when a person or domestic animal was exposed to the animal. If someone was bitten, DPH says to report it to the county health department or 1-866-PUB-HLTH (1-866-782-4584). For other contact by a person or pet, ask the county health department what to do with the carcass. This site gives no medical advice.
Can I leave a dead animal under the deck?
We found no statewide rule that sets a deadline for a homeowner to remove a wild animal carcass, but some local codes set disposal limits. 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. Unincorporated Cobb County's code, section 10-7(c), requires burial or incineration in a county approved incinerator within 12 hours of death or discovery unless the carcass is properly refrigerated or frozen; 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's section 4-1-26(f) sets 12 hours after death or discovery. 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. Check your city or county.
Which animal it is
- Dead deerSince June 2025 a statewide rule has limited where and how a deer carcass may be disposed of. Henry County DOT takes deer from county-road rights of way, and Cherokee Public Works takes a deer 'in roadway or impeding traffic'; we found no current public service that collects one from a yard.
- Dead raccoonDPH names raccoons, skunks and foxes as the land wildlife most often infected with rabies in Georgia. The local services we found collect raccoons only from streets, rights of way or public property, or at the curb once you carry one there.
- Dead skunkDPH lists skunks with raccoons and foxes as the land wildlife most often infected with rabies in Georgia. Some road crews collect roadkill; we found no current public service that collects one from a yard.
- Dead opossumDPH says opossum bites are generally not considered a rabies risk. Henry County's request page names the possum among small wildlife it does not remove, though its code (3-4-8) makes dead animals in county-road rights of way a county duty (both read 2026-10-01).
- Dead squirrelDPH says squirrels are almost never infected with rabies. Henry County's request page names squirrels among small wildlife it does not remove, though its code (3-4-8) makes dead animals in county-road rights of way a county duty (both read 2026-10-01).
- Dead birdMost wild birds are protected by Georgia and federal law. DNR gives homeowners steps for one dead bird and asks for reports of certain others.
Not sure who is responsible? Who picks it up · How to dispose of it · Dead deer in the yard · Georgia dead animal laws
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