Public Health Madison & Dane County

Get Help with Animals or Pests

Stray cat sitting on the street.

Our Animal Services Officers:

  • Respond to calls about animal bites, stray animals, and animal welfare concerns.
  • Educate people about animal care and staying safe around animals.

Animals

Animal Bites

  • Submit an online report or call 608-255-2345. See our Animal Bites page for more information on bites.
  • Your report will be sent to an Animal Services Officer, who will follow up with you as soon as possible.

Lost or Found Animals

  • You can call us at 608-255-2345 for lost or found animals.
  • The best thing you can do is report the animal for free on 24Petconnect. You’ll get real-time updates on the animal to help it get back home and avoid a trip to the Humane Society.

Other Animal Issues

Call 608-255-2345 for:

  • Aggressive animals
  • Animals in traffic
  • Domestic animals running loose
  • Investigation of cruelty or neglect
  • Rabies quarantines and testing
  • Sick or injured stray domestic animals
  • Wildlife that poses an immediate threat to health or safety
  • Accumulation of animal poop

We Do Not Help With

  • Barking dogs. Please call your local police department. If you live in Madison, the number is 608-266-4275.
  • Healthy wild animals on your property. Please call a private pest control service. Pest control companies are licensed to remove or relocate healthy wildlife and can help you determine how to keep the problem from reoccurring.
  • Rats and mice on your property. For rat infestations on your property, contact a pest control company for removal. Learn how to prevent and control a rat or mouse infestation. Call us at 608-242-6515 if you have a problem with rats in your neighborhood or you live near a property with garbage or food accumulation that may attract rats.

Non-Urgent Animal Issues

Call 608-267-1989 or email for:

  • Information about animal care and health
  • Education about staying safe around animals and preventing rabies
  • Non-urgent complaints
  • General information

Pests

We work to control pests and prevent people from getting diseases they carry.

Report a Bed Bug Problem

We give advice on controlling bed bugs and investigate reports of bed bug infestations in apartment and rental units and in hotels and motels.

  • Apartments & Rental Units: Ask your landlord to hire a pest control company. If your landlord won’t deal with the problem, call your local building inspector. For the City of Madison Building Inspection Office, call 608-266-4551. If there is no Building Inspector in your area, call us at 608-242-6515.
  • Hotels & Motels: Call us at 608-242-6515.
  • Home you own: Contact a Pest Control Company familiar with treating bed bugs.

Learn More & Resources

Mosquitoes & Ticks

Visit our Mosquitoes & Ticks webpage for:

  • Data dashboards
  • Dane County trends in mosquito and tick illnesses
  • Mosquito and tick bite prevention tips

Report a Rat Infestation
  • We investigate reports of rat infestations and provide information to tenants, property owners, and neighborhoods on dealing with rat and mouse problems.
  • When needed, we issue orders to property owners to correct issues that are contributing to rat and mouse problems.

How to Prevent and Control a Rat or Mouse Infestation

  • Rats and mice are not only a nuisance, they also cause property damage and disease. Getting rid of food and places to live is the key to keeping your home, business, and neighborhood rat/mouse free.
  • Watch our video, Protect Your Home From Rats. It explains how to make sure your property is not friendly to rats and mice.

Learn More & Resources

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Get Help with Animals or Pests

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