How To Get a Dead Animal Out of the House

It is a common sight to see dead animals lying alongside highways as the victims of traffic, in your backyard from starving or being attacked by another animal, and floating in your hot tub or swimming pool from drowning. While it is a horrible feeling to find a dead animal near your house, or if you have accidentally hit the animal, it is extremely important that you dispose of the body in a safe and legal way.

Click the below photographs for examples of dead animal removal jobs I've done:

Dead Opossum

Dead Raccoon

Dead Squirrel

Dead Rat

Dead animal carcasses are very dangerous as they harbor diseases that can seep into the ground and pollute water supplies. You also do not want your family pets sniffing around or trying to eat the dead carcass as this can transfer diseases like rabies, the plague and worms that can kill your pet and infect you too. Every state has a different set of rules as to how to dispose of dead animals correctly and safely. However, here is a brief list of what you can and cannot do when you find a dead animal:

• If you find a dead animal you can absolutely not put it anywhere near or in a body of water as this will contaminate drinking water and can make whole towns sick. You also cannot dump the body anywhere near or on streets, highways, alleys or on any public property. You cannot leave a dead animal within one mile of any residence unless it is buried.
• Sometimes you can burn a dead animal carcass if it is infected with some sort of contagious or dangerous disease, but you need to check with your state’s wildlife office and get permission from the department of agriculture. Do not do it for your own convenience as you can only do this in a designated area where the ashes/diseases will not spread to other’s or water!
• Some things that you can do with a dead animal carcass includes: burying the carcass, but it must be buried at least two feet underground. However, you cannot bury the animal on your land if you live in a flood plains area; have nearby neighbors that would be affected by the animal being buried in the ground; or have strong crosswinds that would carry the smell downwind to neighbors. Please use common courtesy when burying or getting rid of dead animals.
• The best thing that you can do to dispose of a dead animal carcass is to call a public or private wildlife office to come and remove the body for proper disposal. The national wildlife fund and your local humane society offices should be able to direct you to the right people. However, be aware that these services do cost money, but not very much. The usual charge (for a small animal) is around 10 and 30 dollars. The benefit of having the animal removed by one of these service providers is that they clean and sanitize the area where the body was found.
• If you do not have the money to pay for a proper removal, please do not just leave the animal there or burn the carcass. If you cannot pay the removal charge you can either bury the animal or talk to the humane/wildlife office and explain that you cannot pay. They will usually have a fund or be able to waive the fee to get the animal removed safely.

Whether it was from natural or a man-made cause, it is never a good thing to see a dead animal. However, it is very important to dispose of it properly, so make sure to use the suggestions listed above in order to dispose of the carcass in a safe and sanitary way. Always call an animal control office or look online to see your state’s specific guidelines.

Click here for my dead animal removal photo gallery.

For more dead animal information, go back to the dead animal removal page.

If you don't live in Orlando FL, click here for the National Directory of Wildlife Trappers.