Dead Animal Removal in Colorado: Questions and Answers
21 answers taken from what Colorado cities, counties and state agencies publish: whose job a dead animal is, what the rules let you do with one, what an operator can reach without cutting, and when a health department needs to hear first.
Start here
Who answers when I call this number?
A routing line, not a field crew. Colorado Dead Animal Removal sells advertising and passes calls and form inquiries to independent operators where one covers the address. Nobody here handles a carcass. Whether an operator is available for your address, and what it would cost, is settled on the call.
Will my city take a dead animal out of my yard?
Most Colorado cities that publish a position say no. Centennial is the clear exception for raccoon-sized animals and deer on single-family property, NOCO Humane charges $35 per animal in Fort Collins, Loveland and unincorporated Larimer County, and two counties offer a courtesy or a paid appointment. The locations page sets out each one.
Does this include an animal that died inside a wall?
Only if it can be reached without cutting. Operators do not open drywall, plaster, ceilings or other finished surfaces, so a carcass sealed inside a finished wall is not a removal job. One that can be reached from the attic, a crawl space or an existing opening is.
How much does dead animal removal cost in Colorado?
No price is published here, because it turns on the animal, where it is lying and how it is reached. A deer in an open yard and a raccoon under a low deck are different jobs. Where an operator covers the address, the price is agreed on the call before anyone sets out.
Do you deal with live animals too?
No. This site is about animals that are already dead. Trapping or moving a live animal is regulated separately by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and state health laws do not permit relocating a skunk.
Private property, roads and the state
Whose job is a dead animal on private property in Colorado?
Usually the owner's. Denver, Lakewood and Boulder County publish that a dead animal on private property is not theirs to clear, Aurora's officers do not remove wildlife from private property, and we found no state law that assigns the job to anyone else.
Who do I call about a dead animal on a Colorado road?
Start with whoever maintains the road. CDOT clears state and U.S. highways and interstates through its regional offices, and several cities and counties publish routes for their own streets and roads, though not all do. The guide on who removes a dead animal lists the routes we found.
Will Colorado Parks and Wildlife collect a dead animal?
We found no CPW page offering that. CPW says it will not remove nuisance animals from your property, a statement about live animals. It does want a call about a dead bear or mountain lion, an unusually thin adult deer, or several dead birds in one place.
I rent, or live in an apartment. Who handles it?
Start with the landlord or the property manager. Centennial does not collect on multi-family or commercial property, and Jefferson County Animal Control refers apartments and multifamily properties to their own maintenance staff.
Deadlines, the trash cart, burial and parts
Is there a legal deadline to remove a dead animal in Colorado?
Not statewide, as far as we found. Pueblo's city code sets 24 hours, Colorado Springs' code says immediately, and elsewhere a decaying carcass may be treated as a nuisance by your city or county.
Can a dead animal go in my trash cart?
A small one often can: Boulder County, the Jefferson County Sheriff and Pueblo County's health department describe bagging it for an outdoor trash container. Thornton is an exception, because its code keeps dead animals out of city-provided carts unless the director approves.
Can I bury a dead animal in my yard in Colorado?
Ask your county health department first. Pueblo's code bars burial anywhere in the city, and the burial distances that circulate online come from state guidance written for livestock.
Can I keep antlers or a skull from a dead animal?
Not on your own say-so. Parts that CPW's Regional Manager judges to have trophy or commercial value are disposed of under the Regional Manager's direction, and any part of a bear or mountain lion needs CPW authorization. Ask CPW, and keep the carcass whole.
Walls, smells and what can be reached
Can a dead animal be removed from inside a wall in Colorado?
Yes, if someone can get to it without cutting: through the attic above that wall, an unfinished basement or crawl space below it, or an opening that is already there. Operators do not cut drywall, plaster or ceilings, so an animal sealed inside a finished wall is not a removal job. As a field pattern, not a laboratory figure, its smell usually eases as it dries out, and our article on smells inside walls covers what to check in the meantime.
Is a smell in the wall always a dead mouse?
No. Dry drain traps and standing water in an appliance pan can smell much the same. If it smells of rotten eggs, get out of the house and phone the gas utility from outside.
How long does a dead mouse smell last in a wall?
No one can give you a reliable number of days. The field pattern, which is not a laboratory figure, is that a mouse's smell usually eases as the body dries out, and that a bigger animal, a warm bay, damp or still air make it last longer.
What can an operator reach without cutting anything?
An animal in open ground, under a deck or shed with removable lattice or skirting, in a crawl space with a working hatch, in an attic within reach of the access, or in a garage. That is the scope of the work.
Rabies, bird flu, hantavirus and plague
Can my dog catch rabies from a dead skunk?
Colorado's health department treats it as a real risk. Skunks and bats are the state's main rabies sources. Call your vet and your local health department, and keep the skunk for possible testing instead of throwing it away.
Is a dead bird in my yard a bird flu risk?
Colorado Parks and Wildlife's advice is never to handle sick or dead wild birds. If it must be done, wear gloves, protective clothing, eye protection and a fitted face mask, double-bag the bird, and contact CPW, which especially wants to hear when three or more are found dead in one area.
Why shouldn't I vacuum up dead mice or droppings?
Because of hantavirus, which deer mice carry in Colorado. The state health department says never to sweep or vacuum rodent-infested areas, since that can put virus particles in the air.
Can a dead squirrel or prairie dog carry plague?
Plague occurs naturally in Colorado wildlife. The state health department says it is frequently detected in rock squirrels and other ground squirrels, and that prairie dogs are very susceptible. Do not handle one bare-handed, and report several dead rodents or rabbits in one area to local public health.
Still not sure whose job it is?
Describe where the animal is and how close anyone can get to it. If it turns out to be a public-property case, you get pointed at the agency instead of sold a visit.