Dead animals

Dead animals

If you find a dead animal it will need taking away and disposing of.

This includes wild animals like badgers and foxes, as well as pets and livestock. 

Find out about:

If you find a dead animal please don't remove it as we can't collect from your home or workplace.


Choose a location below to find out who is responsible for removing the dead animal.


Who is responsible? Expand all

If you spot a dead animal causing an obstruction on a dual carriageway (anything bigger than, for example, a squirrel), it will need to be moved to a safe place by Derbyshire County Council before we can dispose of it.

Report a dead animal that is on the A61 (Dronfield by-pass and inner relief road) or A617 (Hasland by-pass) to Derbyshire County Council here.

Once the animal has been moved to a safe place we will collect it and dispose of it.

We are not responsible for removing dead animals from private property, such as people's homes, gardens or businesses.

Dead animals can't be put in your wheelie bin or trade waste bin.

You can ask us to dispose of a dead animal for you but we may charge for this service.

Contact your vet if a pet has died, they may be able to dispose of it for you for a fee.

If you find a dead animal on private land you should contact the land or property owner and let them know.

We are not responsible for disposing of dead animals on private land or premises.

If you see a dead animal in a field you should report it to the landowner. 

If you don't know who this is, please contact the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as it could be a health hazard to the livestock in the field. 

Call the DEFRA helpline on 0345 933 5577 or email helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk

If you come across a dead animal on a public right of way, such as a country footpath on private land, please report it to the landowner.

If you don't know who the landowner is please contact Derbyshire County Council's rights of way officer.

Contact Call Derbyshire on 01629 533190 or use their online reporting form

We will clear away dead animals on public land, such as parks, playing fields, grass verges, pavements and on most roads (except dual carriageways).

We also deal with dead animals on land around council housing - such as housing courts and flats.

Report a dead animal in a public place

Let us know if we need to remove a dead animal from a public place. You will need to tell us the address where the animal is or be able to mark it on a map.

You can send us a photo of the location, but don't take photos if you feel it isn't safe.

 

Report a dead animal

Protecting your privacy - find out how we keep your information safe.

 

Cats and dogs

If we collect a dead cat or dog we will scan it to see if it has been microchipped. We also cross-check the details with our lost dog register, to try and reunite the animal with its owner. We keep a record of all dead animals that we pick up. 


Report a vehicle accident with an animal

You must stop and report the accident to the police if you hit a dog, horse, cow, pig, sheep, goat or donkey with your vehicle.

You must do this as quickly as you can, whether the animal has died or not. 


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Last updated on 22/11/2023