Cobb County Animal Control

Frequently Asked Questions What do I do if a dog or cat bites or scratches me? All bites or scratches, where the skin is punctured and bleeding occurs is a possible rabies exposure. The first concern is your immediate injury. If the injury is severe call 911 immediately for medical attention. 911 will notify Animal Control of the bite and an Animal Control Officer will respond. If you are taken to the hospital the Animal Control Officer may meet you at the hospital or contact you when you return home. If the bite/scratch is not severe wash the area with soap and water for ten minutes. Contact you doctor for any further advise on treatment. Your doctor may recommend a Tetanus shot if you have not had one lately and you may need antibiotics to control a risk of infection. What happens after I file a bite report? An Animal Control Officer will contact the owner of the animal and inform them of the bite/scratch if they are not already aware of the situation. The owner will be advised of the quarantine required for a biting/scratching animal. The owner can choose to quarantine their animal at Cobb County Animal Control for the 10 day quarantine period or at a vet. The owner will be given a dead line for complying. If the animal is quarantined at a Vet Clinic, Animal Control must be notified of what Vet Clinic and Animal Control will contact them to make sure they know the time period. The owner can request that their animal be housed at Cobb County Animal Control’s Shelter. The animal will be placed in the kennel in the isolation area for the 10 day quarantine period. During that time employees of Animal Control will care for the animal. The owner can visit the animal, but first must contact Animal Control to arrange an day and time. The owner can also request that the animal be put to sleep. If the animal is put to sleep, we will send the animal to the State Lab for rabies testing. After the confinement period is over or Animal Control has been notified of the rabies test results the victim and the owner will be notified of the findings. If the animal can not be immediately located have-a-heart traps will be set for the animal. An attack without bite or scratch that breaks the skin will be dealt with through the citation process but the 10-day quarantine will not be required. What animals carry rabies? Carnivores such as fox, skunk, raccoon, bobcat, coyote, wolf are not legal to possess and could have the rabies virus without showing any signs. These carnivores should not be handled even if an infant or injured. Any rabies exposure to these animals should be reported to Animal Control so that a report can be made and the animal should be tested. Livestock such as cattle, horses, mules, donkeys, goats, swine, and sheep are not likely to have rabies. However, exposure to saliva from livestock infected with rabies is a concern. If at the time of the exposure the animal is clinically ill with signs suggestive of rabies then treatment and testing must be weighted against the circumstances of exposure. Involve your doctor and the Georgia Poison Control Center in the decision of treatment and testing. Reports of livestock bites are not normally filed with Animal Control. Bats that bite or scratch a person or domestic animal are of great concern regarding potential rabies. Use care with protection to contain the bat and call Animal Control to have a report made and to pick up the bat for rabies testing. If you locate a bat inside you home and are not sure if an bite or scratch has occurred contact Animal Control for guidance before disposing of the bat. Dogs, cats and ferrets should always be vaccinated against rabies. Although these animals are not born with rabies as some carnivores are, they can be exposed and be of risk to humans. Larger animals such as dogs, cats and ferrets can survive an attack of a rabid animal and contract rabies. The state requires that all dogs, cats, and ferrets that bite or scratch where the injury bleeds be confined for a ten (10) day quarantine period. The ten day period is necessary to observe the animal for any signs of rabies. Small animals and rodents such as squirrels, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, chipmunks, rats, mice gophers, moles rabbits and hares seldom survive an attach from a rabid animal and are do not normally carry rabies. Any bite or scratch from these animals should be treated, but Animal Control does not take reports or confine these animals for rabies testing. If you need additional information about a particular incident contact Animal Control at 770-449-4136 What do I do if my dog or cat bites someone? Did the bite location bleed? If so, you will be required to make a decision about the future of your pet. Confinement is a must under the Cobb County Animal Control Ordinance. This quarantine/confinement is necessary for 10 days. You can choose to quarantine the animal at your vet or the Cobb County Animal Control Shelter. If you do not choose to keep the animal because of the bite, you can request that the animal be put to sleep and tested for rabies. Either of these options are not pleasant, but because of the potential for a rabies exposure and/or liability on your part you must make the decision that is best for your situation. Animal Control does not normally adopt out animals that have bitten or scratched, but every situation is considered individually. If the bite location did not bleed we consider it an attack that my result in a citation but the 10-day quarantine is not required. How do I file a complaint about loose animals? You can call 770-499-4136 and request an Animal Control Officer be dispatched to handle the complaint. You can also use our complaint form to email Animal Control regarding this complaint. How do I file a complaint about barking dogs? You can call 770-499-4136 during the hours of 8am to 8pm and request that an Animal Control Officer be dispatched to handle the complaint. During the hours of 8pm to 8am contact Cobb County Police non-emergency number 770-499-3900 and a police officer from your juristiction will be dispatched to handle the complaint. You can also use the online complaint form to report the barking. Please make sure you let us know the date and time of the barking. What do I do if my animal is missing? The best way to locate your missing animal is to come to the Animal Shelter during the shelter’s business hours to look for you pet. The shelter is opened Tuesday through Sunday, excluding major holidays for your convince. Check the dates and times on the Hours of Operation’s page. Calling the shelter is not always the best way to locate your pet because the description of your pet may match several animals or my not be interpreted the same by the individual on the phone. When you come to the shelter bring any pictures of the pet and any vet records. This will help Animal Control employees in the identification of you pet if found in the shelter. If the pet is not found it the shelter the employees will assist you in filling out a lost report and how to continue your search for your lost pet. The best way to ensure the safe return of your lost pet is for the pet to be wearing a collar with an I. D. Tag and/or Rabies tag or to be Micro Chipped. If the animal can be identified in the field by the Animal Control Officer it is likely that the pet will be returned to the owner and not taken to the Animal Control Shelter when at all possible. When the animal is turned into the Animal Control shelter the Animal Control personnel will also attempt to contact the owner with the information provided on the tag or chip as soon as possible. Please remember animals will sometimes lose their tags or have them removed by someone. Even if you animal leaves home wearing a collar and tags, there is always a chance the collar may not be on the animal when it is picked up. What do I have to do to reclaim my animal from Animal Control? The owner must go to the Animal Control Shelter during normal hours to reclaim the pet. You must bring an I.D. (Drivers License or Georgia I. D.) and proof of ownership such as Vet Records. Are animals licensed in Cobb County? Cobb County Animal Control does not license pets, but requires all animals to wear a current rabies tag. What do I need to do to adopt a pet from Cobb County Animal Control? You must have an I.D. (Drivers License or Georgia I. D.) and have the proper fees for the adoption. You must sign a contract to have the animal spayed or neutered if not already done so prior to the adoption. This contract is a legal document and the failure to comply will result in court action. What are my liabilities concerning property damage or personal injury regarding my pet? Any pet you have that damages property or injures another animal or a human could result in criminal and/or civil action against the owner. If a citation is issued regard an Animal Control violation, restitution can be demanded in addition to the court fine at the time of your hearing. In addition the citizen who is injured or have property damage can sue you in civil court. What constitutes a “barking dog”? It is in violation for a dog to bark in a manner that disturbs the peace of a neighborhood. We are aware that dogs will bark when they see something or someone. We look for a cause of the dog’s barking or whether the dog is barking for no reason. The Cobb County Ordinance address barking dogs in the Nuisance section Ordinance Section 10-9: “… animal which habitually barks, whines, howls or cause objectionable noise:…” What constitutes “cruelty to animal”? Pet owners must provide proper food, water and shelter for animals at all times. Animals also are considered to be cruelly treated if they are mistreated by acts of violence directed toward the animal. Cobb County Animal Control Ordinance 10-121 addresses Cruelties and the details. My pet has died, how do I dispose of the body? County Animal Control Ordinance Section 10-7 requires that you dispose of the animal body on you own property within 12 hours of death and should be buried at least three feet below ground level. Details are listed in this ordinance section. You may also bring the animal body to the Cobb County Animal Control Shelter for disposal. Where do go to pay a fine for an animal violation? Some violations are payable prior to the court date. Contact Cobb County Magistrate Court to check to see if they citation you have can be paid prior to the court date. How long do you hold animals? Strays are held five (5) working days (Animal Control working days) prior to the animals being determined to be property of Cobb County – by County Ordinance Section 10-67. After that time animals are held for an indefinite period of time. If space is available and the animal is health and not aggressive the animal will be held until such time it is adopted or the animal no longer qualifies for adoption. Animals turned into the shelter by their owner and available for adoption will remain adaptable as long as we have space for the animal and the animal remains healthy and non-aggressive. Since space is required to be available for strays when brought to the shelter so unfortunately some animals are pulled to provide space even if healthy or non-aggressive. Can I bring my animal to Cobb County Animal Control for adoption? Yes, but we would love to provide you with other options before you resort to bringing your animal to us. We have employees and volunteers that would love to try to help you keep your animal or help you place the animal in a new home yourself. Sometimes the issue that is causing you to contemplate getting rid of your pet can be resolved with additional information about your particular animal or assistance from a rescue group. How old do I have to be to adopt an animal? Eighteen (18) years of age, because the adoption agreement is a legal binding agreement. What identification do I need to adopt an animal or reclaim my animal? Driver’s License or Georgia I. D. Card. Do you accept checks, debit cards, or credit cards? We accept personal checks drawn on local banks, credit or debit cards. Cash is also accepted. What do I do if I am looking for a specific type animal to adopt? We have more pure bred animals that most people think. If the animal you are looking for is not at the shelter we can get you in contact with individuals or rescue groups that may be able to help you. Do you adopt any other type animal besides cats and dogs? No, animals such as fish, birds, ferrets, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs and reptiles are rarely turned into the shelter. When we do get them we have rescue groups that are take possession of them. These groups are very knowledgeable of the specific needs of these animals and they adopt them out from their rescue groups when healthy to do so. Why is Cobb County Animal Control asking me about nuisance animals in my neighborhood? Sometimes it is not possible for an Animal Control Officer to witness a violation, but that does not mean that the violation does not occur. We will ask for neighborhood help to document problems so that we can address them. Also if we do not witness the violation the neighbor that does witness the incident may be the only witness we have for a court case. I found a red card on my door, what does it mean? This card is used to advise you that a complaint has been issued against your residence and you are being warned about a possible violation of a certain area of the Animal Control Ordinance. You can contact the Animal Control Officer to find out more details about the complaint. Warnings do not have to be issued before a citation is given, but when possible we like to advise citizens of a violation and ways to correct it before court action is taken. I found a yellow card on my door, what does it mean? This card is information, usually because you have called Animal Control with a complaint. There are times when you are not home when your issue is addressed and we want you to know that we have been out and have tried to address the problem.