Colorado, city by city

Who handles a dead animal in Colorado's larger cities

A street, a park and a state highway each belong to somebody, and in most of these places that somebody is a public agency. A yard, a garage, a crawl space or the gap under a deck almost always belongs to the property owner. Below is what 16 Colorado cities and counties publish, quoted from their own pages.

On your own property and not covered below? Calls route by ZIP where an operator covers the address. Whether one is available for yours is settled on the call.

Call 303-625-6556

Denver metro

Denver

On a street or public land: Denver Solid Waste Management collects dead animals in the public right-of-way only. Call 311 or 720-913-1311. It does not collect on CDOT highways, and an animal in a river or pond is not collected.
On private property: The city publishes that Solid Waste Management does not collect on private property. Denver Animal Protection responds to sick or injured rabies-vector wildlife and birds of prey, not to a carcass in a yard.
What that means for you: A dead animal in a Denver yard, under a deck or in a garage is the property owner's to arrange.

Source: Denver: Dead Animal Collection (read 2026-09-30)

Pikes Peak region

Colorado Springs

On a street or public land: City Code 6.10.108 has the City provide for removing carcasses from streets, avenues, alleys and other public places.
On private property: City Code 6.10.110 requires anyone with a dead animal on their premises to dispose of it immediately, at their own expense, by removal from the city, cremation, a facility certified for putrescible waste, or burial on private property more than two feet deep. The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, which handles animal law enforcement, says it is not licensed to handle wildlife.
What that means for you: On private property in Colorado Springs the cost and the job sit with the person whose premises it is.

Sources: Colorado Springs City Code 6.10.108; Colorado Springs City Code 6.10.110; Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region FAQ (read 2026-09-30)

Denver metro

Aurora

On a street or public land: None of the Aurora pages read for this site describes who removes a dead animal from a city street, so this page does not guess.
On private property: Aurora publishes that its Animal Protection Officers are not available to remove or relocate wildlife from private property, and refers residents to a private animal removal service.
What that means for you: Aurora's own answer for wildlife on private property is a private removal service.

Source: Aurora Animal Services: Wildlife (read 2026-09-30)

Northern Colorado

Fort Collins and Loveland

On a street or public land: NOCO Humane is contracted by Fort Collins, Loveland and Larimer County to remove deceased animals from public roadways. Report one at 970-226-3647, extension 7, or on NOCO Humane's online form.
On private property: NOCO Humane's officers can pick up a deceased animal on private property within Fort Collins, Loveland and Larimer County for a fee of $35 per animal. Its pages do not say whether that covers deer or an animal under a deck, and in Loveland and the county one field officer responds as time permits.
What that means for you: If the animal is lying in the open in Larimer County, ask NOCO Humane about the $35 pickup first. Its pages do not say whether officers reach under decks or into crawl spaces, or whether size matters, so ask.

Sources: NOCO Humane: Fort Collins; NOCO Humane: Loveland; NOCO Humane: Larimer County (read 2026-09-30)

Denver metro

Lakewood

On a street or public land: Deceased wildlife in a Lakewood street goes to the city's dead animal pickup line, 303-987-7960; a deceased domestic animal in the street goes to 303-980-7300.
On private property: Lakewood publishes that disposal of deceased wildlife on private property is the responsibility of the property owner. It also says not to dispose of a dead wild animal that has bitten a pet or a person before contacting Animal Control.
What that means for you: Lakewood's published self-disposal procedure ends with the bag going into an outdoor trash container.

Source: Lakewood: Wildlife in Lakewood (read 2026-09-30)

Denver metro

Boulder and Boulder County

On a street or public land: In the City of Boulder, dead animals on city roads are reported to Transportation Maintenance through Inquire Boulder. On county roads, Boulder County Road Maintenance removes only large, deer-sized carcasses that may cause a traffic hazard.
On private property: Boulder County publishes that property owners are responsible for all animal remains located on private property. The city's Animal Protection scope covers stray, vicious, nuisance, injured and ill animals, and does not mention carcasses.
What that means for you: Boulder County asks residents to bag small animal remains and dispose of them with household trash.

Sources: City of Boulder: Transportation Maintenance; Boulder County: Dead Animal Removal (read 2026-09-30)

Denver metro

Centennial

On a street or public land: A dead animal on a Centennial sidewalk or street is reported through the city's Report a Problem page or the 24-hour Citizen Response Center, 303-325-8000.
On private property: Centennial removes dead raccoons, foxes, coyotes, deer and wildlife of a similar size from single-family residential property when the owner or tenant asks (Animal Services, 303-325-8070, or the online form). It does not take birds, squirrels, rabbits or pets, and does not collect from multi-family or commercial property. No fee is published.
What that means for you: If you live in a single-family home in Centennial and the animal is a raccoon-sized animal or a deer lying in the yard, ask the city first. Its form asks only whether the animal is in the front or back yard, so a carcass under a deck or in a crawl space is not covered by anything it publishes.

Source: Centennial: Request Removal of a Dead Animal (read 2026-09-30)

Denver metro

Unincorporated Jefferson County

On a street or public land: On county roads, Road & Bridge handles animals over 100 pounds (303-271-5200), and Sheriff's Animal Control often removes smaller ones (303-271-5070). For state and federal highways, the Sheriff's page lists the Colorado State Patrol, 303-239-4501, and the county's 311 article gives CDOT, 303-759-2368.
On private property: Sheriff's Animal Control may remove a dead small, non-game wild animal under 100 pounds from residential property as a courtesy, when time and call volume allow, and only if it is readily accessible and at ground level. It does not remove deer, elk or rodents of any size.
What that means for you: A deer, or anything under a deck or porch, is outside what Jefferson County offers.

Source: Jefferson County Sheriff: Wildlife (read 2026-09-30)

Denver metro

Unincorporated Arapahoe County

On a street or public land: The county's Animal Services page does not describe roadway carcass removal.
On private property: Sheriff's Animal Services offers removal of small to medium animals for a fee, by appointment and subject to officer availability; rates are given by phone at 720-874-6750. Large wildlife on private property is the property owner's responsibility.
What that means for you: The county also tells residents they can use gloves and double-bag small wildlife such as rabbits and squirrels for routine trash service.

Source: Arapahoe County: Injured, sick or dead animals (read 2026-09-30)

Denver metro

Douglas County and Highlands Ranch

On a street or public land: Dead animals on public streets are picked up by a removal service run through the Douglas County Sheriff's Office; call dispatch at 303-660-7500. For highways and interstates, the Sheriff's Office page lists CDOT at 303-757-9514.
On private property: Douglas County publishes that its Animal Services does not pick up dead animals, unless the animal is a pet wearing identification.
What that means for you: In unincorporated Douglas County, including Highlands Ranch, a carcass on private property is the owner's to arrange.

Source: Douglas County Sheriff: Animal FAQs (read 2026-09-30)

Pikes Peak region

Unincorporated El Paso County

On a street or public land: The Public Works Highway Division removes dead animals the size of a cat or larger from county roads and right-of-way areas, usually within one working day.
On private property: No county service collects from private property, and the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, the county's animal law enforcement contractor, says it is not licensed to accept wildlife.
What that means for you: On private land outside the city limits, the owner arranges removal.

Sources: El Paso County Public Works: Roadway maintenance; Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region FAQ (read 2026-09-30)

Southern Colorado

Pueblo

On a street or public land: Pueblo's code says an animal that dies on public property may be removed by an Animal Control Officer or a law enforcement officer.
On private property: The same section makes it an offense to let an animal carcass remain on property you own, control or occupy for more than 24 hours, and bars burying it within the city.
What that means for you: Pueblo County public health says a dead bird or squirrel, or a skunk or raccoon nobody touched, can go in a plastic bag into an outdoor trash receptacle. If a person or pet had contact, do not dispose of it: call the health department at 719-583-4300.

Sources: Pueblo Municipal Code 11-4-24; Pueblo County Public Health: Dead animals (read 2026-09-30)

Northern Colorado

Greeley

On a street or public land: Greeley's quick guide sends a dead wild animal in the road to Public Works Streets, 970-350-9336, and a dead domestic animal in the road to police dispatch, 970-350-9600.
On private property: No city service for private property is published; the city code puts removal of an animal that dies on its owner or keeper.
What that means for you: On private property in Greeley, removal is arranged privately.

Sources: Greeley resource guide; Greeley Municipal Code 12-101 (read 2026-09-30)

Western Slope

Grand Junction

On a street or public land: Grand Junction's code says an animal that dies on public property may be removed by an Animal Control Specialist; the city police department's Animal Control Unit began in January 2025.
On private property: No private-property removal service is published. The code requires an animal's owner to dispose of it within 24 hours by burial, incineration at a state-approved facility, rendering or another state-approved means.
What that means for you: For a wild animal on your own land in Grand Junction, plan on arranging removal yourself.

Sources: Grand Junction Municipal Code 6.04.270; Grand Junction Police: Animal Control (read 2026-09-30)

Denver metro

Westminster

On a street or public land: The Westminster pages read for this site do not describe street carcass removal.
On private property: Westminster publishes a self-disposal procedure for dead wildlife that ends with the bag going into an outdoor trash container, and no pickup service.
What that means for you: On private property in Westminster, the owner arranges removal or bags a small animal for the trash.

Source: Westminster Animal Management (read 2026-09-30)

Denver metro

Thornton

On a street or public land: Thornton's code lets animal control officers remove animals injured or killed in the street.
On private property: Thornton Animal Control does not handle nuisance wildlife, and city code section 58-59(e) bars dead animals from city trash and recycling containers and from city collection unless the director approves.
What that means for you: Do not put a dead animal in a Thornton city cart. On private property, removal is arranged privately.

Sources: Thornton 311: Animal Control; Thornton City Code 6-12; Thornton City Code 58-59 (read 2026-09-30)

Not listed here? Colorado has 64 counties and most of its cities publish nothing on this question. Where your city or county is silent, that is silence rather than permission or refusal. The statewide guide covers the state roads and the rules that apply everywhere.