Administration 706-613-3540 Superintendent Patrick Rives Office & Shelter Location 45 Beaverdam Road Extension Location Map Mailing Address P.O. Box 1868 Athens, GA 30603 Shelter Hours Every day except Wed. 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Wed. & Holidays Closed Service Hours  Mon. - Fri.: 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.  Sat. & Sun.: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Animal Control is a division of the ACC Central Services Department.

New! National Animal Control Appreciation Week, sponsored by the National Animal Control Association, is being celebrated the week of April 13. It gives Animal Control officers a chance to show off their pride and get the recognition for all the important services that they provide to the public. Please join the community in recognizing all Animal Control officials.

New! Leaving a dog in a hot car can not only be dangerous, but life threatening as well. Dogs can collapse in minutes from heatstroke on a hot day because a car left in 78 degree weather can heat to 120 degrees in a very short amount of time.

Opening windows and parking in the shade can still lead to serious problems for your pet. Dogs pant and sweat through their paws to cool off, and panting hot air only raises their body temperature. As the weather gets warmer, please remember to leave your dog at home.

Volunteers Welcome: Animal Control continues to host volunteer groups. Volunteers get to walk dogs, bathe puppies, and enjoy the animals.  The shelter appreciates the help it receives from volunteers and encourages those needing a puppy to snuggle to come help out.

Tethering Ban: The Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission have enacted changes to the ACC Code of Ordinances [tethering ban ordinance is online there] that prohibits unattended tethering of domestic animals. Domestic animals may not be chained, tied or tethered unless the owner is physically present with them.

Upon receiving a complaint, Animal Control will give the owner 30 days to come into compliance by keeping the animal inside the home or by constructing a pen, fence or other enclosure for the animal. Be sure to check your local neighborhood covenants and with the ACC Planning Department to make sure any structure you plan to construct is permitted.

For more information or to report a violation, contact ACC Animal Control at 706-613-3540.

Online listing of dogs at the Animal Control shelter

Animal Control Wish List

• Small wool blankets or thick fleece (less than 4x6 in size). Best gift for cold dogs.
• Pull-tab canned dog food (small and large)
• Dry puppy food
• Pig ears
• Munchy sticks
• Treats (Eukanuba, Beggin Strips, not too many milkbones or bland treats)
• Knotted rawhides
• Catnip, cat treats (Pounce)
• First-aid kits (gauze, band-aids, coflex, etc.)
• Frontline spray, Capstar pills (to kill fleas)
• Dog earwash and eyewash
• Esbilac milk replacer
• Flannel sheets

Animal Control Snake Removal Procedure - Since snakes are so common in Georgia and complaints can be numerous, Athens-Clarke County Animal Control typically responds only to complaints of snakes within the living area of a residence if the complainant currently sees the snake. Most of the time, if the complainant is unable to keep an eye on the snake, the officers cannot find it upon arrival. Animal Control also responds to complaints of venomous snakes whether indoors or outdoors. However, for non-venomous snakes outside a residence, callers are advised to leave the snake alone or call a licensed wildlife removal company.

Shelter from Elements Required for Domestic Animals - Local ordinances state that "all domestic animals shall be provided with protection from the elements." Upon receiving a complaint, the owners are usually given a warning and a date by which to provide shelter for the animal. If the compliance date has passed and the animal is observed in the elements without shelter, a citation is usually issued. To report an animal without shelter during inclement weather call Animal Control. Please have the address where the animal is located when calling.

Services
Animal Control provides the following services for citizens. . .

• Public safety from dangerous or seriously sick animals and at-large dogs
• Investigations of allegations of animal cruelty
• Enforcement of the Athens-Clarke County Animal Control Ordinances
• Adoption or reclaim of impounded and surrendered dogs
• Public education on a variety of topics related to animals
• Information regarding lost or found dogs

Emergencies
Animal Control has officers on-call 24-hours a day. You can reach Animal Control by dialing 911 after regular business hours. Emergencies include animal bites, seriously sick animals, seriously injured animals, and trapped animals. We do not respond to any other complaints after regular service hours.

• Lost Dogs
• Adoptions
• Barking Dogs
• Animal Cruelty
• Surrenders
• Reclaims
• Donations
• Rabies
• Animal related phone numbers

Help Stop Dog Fighting
In a continued effort to stop illegal dog fighting, Athens-Clarke County Animal Control asks that citizens report ads in local newspapers offering to sell dogs or puppies bred for fighting. Look for advertisements for pit bulls that carry the terms "game," "game bred," or other terms that may imply the seller may be dealing in fighting dogs.

If you find an ad you think may be promoting the sale of dogs bred for fighting, please send it to the Southeast Regional Office (SERO) of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) at: HSUS-SERO, 1624 Metropolitan Circle, Suite B, Tallahassee, FL 32308. If The HSUS-SERO agrees that the ad is suspicious, it will then contact the newspaper that printed the ad and request that it institute a policy to screen out such ads.