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1. How do I report stray animals, nuisance animals, or animal cruelty situations?

Animal Control and Rescue Center's hours are listed to report stray, loose, or nuisance animals. We will need a description of the animal(s) causing the problem, a description of the problem, and your name, address and phone number so we can get back in touch with you if necessary. The owner’s name and/or address is helpful, but not required. Cruelty and neglect complaints, dog fights and cockfights can be reported anonymously, but it’s important for you to provide as much information about the problem, as possible.

If you think someone is neglecting an animal, let us know. According to law, animals must be provided with adequate food, water and shelter, adequate space, clean living conditions and basic veterinary care. “Shelter” means an actual dog house; the dog being able to duck under a porch, car, or boat doesn't count. If a dog is kept on a chain, the chain must be at least five times the length of the dog (not counting the tail) and it must be set up so the chain doesn’t get tangled on bushes, posts, etc. Animal fighting is considered cruelty to animals.

If loose animals are causing a problem in your neighborhood, simply call the Animal Control and Rescue Center at 225-774-7700. Be able to give the dog’s location and a good description. If you think you know who the dog might belong to, tell us. You must give your name when you report a loose or stray animal, and if the owner turns up, he or she has the right to ask who called about their pet.

2. What should I do if I find a stray pet?

Call the Animal Control and Rescue Center. If the animal is wearing a rabies tag on its collar, you can read the tag number to us over the phone and we can trace the animal’s owners so you can contact them. If the animal is not wearing tags, you may want to take care of the animal for a few days while you run a “found” ad in the paper. The Advocate runs “found” ads for free (4 lines for 3 days; call 225-388-0111).
You may also want to post “found” flyers in your neighborhood and in adjacent subdivisions. It’s a good idea to place a few flyers at local gas stations, veterinary hospitals, grocery stores, etc. If you can’t find the owner, or if you are not able or willing to try, just give us a call during normal business hours and we will pick the animal up. If you have kept the animal for more than a week, ran a “found” ad in the paper, and the animal is unclaimed, you may keep the dog or cat if you’d like to give it a home.

3. What about pet licenses, and how many pets may I keep?

When your dog or cat receives its rabies shot and gets its tag at a licensed veterinarian’s office, it becomes officially licensed in East Baton Rouge Parish. City-Parish law requires both dogs and cats to be vaccinated for rabies at the age of three months, then once a year afterwards, and to wear a rabies tag on the collar. Even if you think your full-time indoor pet will never get out, accidents can happen. The serial number on your pet’s rabies tag will trace it back to you. Be sure to save your vet’s receipt — if your pet loses its rabies tag, you will be able to prove it is up-to-date on its shots.

If you’ve just moved to East Baton Rouge Parish, you must have your pet licensed and vaccinated by a veterinarian in the parish within 30 days. Don’t worry if your pet was recently vaccinated somewhere else. The “extra” shot won’t hurt if your pet is in good health, but take your vet’s advice. Sometimes a veterinarian will advise you to postpone the rabies shot if your pet is sick, pregnant, or taking medication. Please be aware that the rabies vaccinations and tags one can purchase at feed stores does not count as a legal vaccination in East Baton Rouge Parish for dogs, cats or ferrets. These animals must be vaccinated at a licensed veterinarian’s office.

Most birds, reptiles and other small animals commonly available in pet shops require no license or permit, but some do. It is illegal to keep certain wild or exotic animals as pets in East Baton Rouge Parish. If you have an unusual pet, or if you think you might want to get one, contact Animal Control and Rescue Center to find out if your pet is allowed in East Baton Rouge Parish or if any special permits are required. This information is also available in the online copy of the ordinance. We require that a person keeping more than 12 animals over four months of age apply for and obtain a kennel permit.

4. A barking dog in our neighborhood keeps us up at night. What should we do?

If barking dogs are a problem in your neighborhood, we suggest the neighborly approach as a good place to start. Maybe the dog’s owner isn’t aware that the dog is a problem to others, and the solution might be, as simple as asking the owner to bring the dog inside during the hours when you are trying to sleep. It’s surprising how often people are willing to cooperate when they become aware that their pet is keeping someone else awake. If the neighborly approach fails, you must write a letter describing the problem. Give as much detail as possible, including:

• Your name, address and phone (this must be included in your letter)
• Location (address) of the dog(s) causing the problem
• Description of the animal’s problem behavior
• Description of how the animal’s behavior is affecting you

When we receive the letter, we can dispatch an officer to discuss the problem with the dog’s owner. A warning notice will be left to document the visit. If the dog continues to bark, and you make another complaint within 15 days, the owner will receive a summons. Be aware that, according to the definition used in the law, nuisance barking or noise-making must be excessive before a summons will be issued. 

5. Raccoons are getting into my garbage. What can I do?

Many problems with raccoons, opossums and other wildlife often can be solved simply by building an enclosed pen for your garbage cans. It should have a top and four sides. Use a spring-type latch — this lets the garbage collector in but keeps raccoons out. You can also buy ready-made, raccoon-proof pens at some feed stores. Tamper-resistant garbage cans are another good solution. Or you could try stretching a piece of bungee cord across your garbage can lid. Just anchor the bungee cord to the handles. It’s also important to avoid leaving pet food out at night.
If raccoon and opossum problems persist after you’ve removed food sources and secured your garbage, you can rent a humane box trap from the Animal Control and Rescue Center. A $40 deposit is required. This allows you to keep the trap for one week. Your deposit is returned when you return the trap. When you rent the trap, you will be given detailed instructions on setting it up and baiting it. When you catch your raccoon, or other nuisance animal, call the Animal Control and Rescue Center at 225-774-7700 and an officer will come and pick up the trapped animal. You never have to touch it.
Please do not feed raccoons. Sure, raccoons are cute. But rabies isn’t. Raccoons can carry rabies, which is transmittable to humans, pets and livestock. Raccoons also carry distemper, a serious disease which can be transmitted to dogs and cats who aren’t up-to-date on their shots. If a raccoon bites a human, a doctor must be called immediately. Treatment may be needed for exposure to rabies and other diseases. If a raccoon bites a pet, take the pet to a veterinarian right away. View more information on how to humanely discourage wildlife (PDF).

6. Who do I call to help me with a dead animal?

Call 311 to report a dead animal on an East Baton Rouge Parish street. If you’re a good Samaritan and you notice that a dead dog or cat is wearing its rabies tag, you can call us and tell us what the tag number is, and we can track down the owner to notify them of the situation.

Dead animals on an interstate or on a state highway should be reported to 225-231-4131. For dead livestock call 225-389-3254.

7. Someone has been bitten by an animal. What needs to be done?

Because of the danger of rabies, which is always fatal if untreated, animal bites and scratches must be reported to the Animal Control and Rescue Center. A bite report will be taken, and every effort will be made to find the animal, quarantine it, and observe its health for ten days. Anyone who has been bitten is safe from rabies if the dog or cat which bit them is still alive ten days later.

If you, a family member, or a visitor to your home was bitten by your own pet, if it is up-to-date on its rabies vaccination, and if it was not running loose or otherwise in violation of the animal control ordinance at the time the bite occurred, you must report the bite, but you may be allowed to keep your animal confined in your own home and examined by your own veterinarian after ten days have passed. The animal must not be allowed to run loose or make contact with other animals or human visitors for ten days. You may also choose to kennel your pet at your veterinarian’s office during this time. If the animal dies for any reason during this time, you must contact the Animal Control and Rescue Center so your pet’s remains can be examined for rabies. Please call us at 225-774-7700 or read the online ordinance for details on what criteria must be met for the animal to be allowed to remain at home.

If the dog or cat was not up-to-date on its rabies vaccination, or if it was running loose or otherwise in violation of the ordinance at the time the bite occurred, the animal will be impounded in our Rabies Observation Kennel here at the Animal Control and Rescue Center for ten days. The owner may reclaim the animal after ten days have passed, and must be ready to pay any fines (such as, failure to vaccinate against rabies) that may apply. In some cases, you may pay your fines at the ACRC and then we will transfer your pet to your own veterinarian's office for observation. If you are bitten by a wild mammal, such as a fox or raccoon, notify Animal Control and Rescue Center immediately and we will make every effort to capture the animal and examine it for rabies. Birds, reptiles, fish, and other animals do not carry rabies. If you are not sure whether or not the animal that bit you is a mammal, please call the ACRC at 225-774-7700 and we can help identify it for you.