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Animal control says wildlife calls go to DNR; agency will not trap wild hogs
Summary
Senior Officer Watts and Supervisor Howard said the animal-control unit does not handle wildlife removals and advised residents to contact the Department of Natural Resources for wild hogs; the agency will respond for potential rabies exposures and coordinate with the Department of Health.
Senior Officer Watts and Supervisor John Tavius Howard made clear that wildlife removals fall outside the animal-control unit's routine responsibilities and that residents should contact the Department of Natural Resources for those issues. "I'm just sorry to announce that we're not in the hog catching business," Senior Officer Watts said, addressing concerns about wild hogs in Stonecrest.
Howard said DNR staff typically operate on an appointment basis and may take about a week or two to respond, and that they sometimes refer residents to third-party contractors for removal. He qualified the wildlife-exclusion rule by saying animal control will respond when there is a potential rabies exposure, coordinating with the Department of Health when public-health risk is involved.
Watts urged homeowners associations and neighborhood groups to coordinate trapping and relocation efforts and noted that trappers are required for relocations. The presenters emphasized that animal-control resources are limited and that interagency coordination or private contractors are often necessary for nuisance wildlife problems.
