Reporting Animal Issues

Our Role in Public Safety
Animal Control officers patrol our streets each day. Officers are also on call overnight in case an emergency occurs. While our officers are constantly looking out for the welfare of animals, their number one priority is public safety. Reports of dangerous animals, dog bites, or animals in immediate distress take precedence over barking dogs and nuisance wildlife. Still, every call is important. We rely on community members to alert us when they see stray, mistreated, or unhealthy animals.

If you find a stray animal you can report it to Animal Control online or by calling 910-875-4148. Please have the location and description of the animal available to give to the officer. Do not attempt to approach an animal that appears to be aggressive. All strays that are picked up by Animal Control are taken to the Hoke County Animal Shelter.

Owner Surrender

If you reside in Hoke County and have an animal that you would like to surrender to the shelter you can drop it off at the shelter during normal business hours. The shelter requests that you bring any vet records that you have for the animal. You must also provide proof that you reside in Hoke County. The shelter does not accept any animals from outside the county.

If you have a non-emergency animal control issue please call the Animal Control department at 910-875-4148.

Animal Bites
Dog Bites, cat bites, or any incidents involving a warm blooded mammal either domesticated or wild, that breaks the skin of a person, need to be reported to animal control immediately. While rabies transmission is rare among domesticated animals, it is still found today and can be fatal to humans.

Steps to Take if Bitten

• Identify the animal if possible. This is vital. If the animal is a pet, a quick check with the owner and veterinarian will indicate whether or not it has been vaccinated.
• If no animal can be located - the victim will usually be forced to undergo preemptive rabies shots. Although not as painful as they were in the past, rabies shots are expensive, unpleasant, and best avoided if possible.
• Seek necessary medical treatment for the victim.
• Contact Animal Control at 910-875-4148. Officers will arrive to contain the animal, make a report, explain the procedures and issue any necessary citations.
• Animal Control quarantines the bite animal. All pet animals identified as having bitten are to be quarantined for a period of 10 days for observation. If the animal has a current rabies vaccination and has not been designated "dangerous" it can be quarantined at the owner's home. If the animal has no rabies vaccination, or no owner can be located, the animal will be quarantined at the Hoke County Animal Shelter at the discretion of the Animal Control Officer or by a licensed veterinarian. Wild animals are tested immediately for rabies.

Reporting the Outcome
Once testing or quarantine is complete, Animal Control officers will finish their report. Requests for bite reports must be made to the Animal Control Department.

Barking Dogs

Barking dogs are inevitable. Lets face it, dogs bark. But when the noise continues and the owners do nothing to stop it, it becomes a nuisance to neighbors.

• The first step is to talk to your neighbors about their barking dog. If they leave their dog outside when they're not home, chances are they don't know the dog is creating a ruckus.
• If the owners do nothing about the noise, or are unreachable, your next option is to call Animal Control. You need to call when the dog is barking.
• For more information, please refer to the County Animal Control Ordinance (PDF) regarding nuisance animals.