Colorado, private property
Dead Animal in a Yard
An animal lying in the open is the simplest job to reach and the one where your city or county most often has something to say. Most Colorado local governments that publish a position put an animal on private property with the property owner, and a handful offer a service.
Before you pay anyone. Check the local exceptions first. Centennial removes raccoon-sized animals and deer from single-family yards on request. NOCO Humane officers can pick up animals on private property in Fort Collins, Loveland and Larimer County for a fee of $35 each. In unincorporated Jefferson County, Animal Control may remove a small non-game animal under 100 pounds at ground level as a courtesy, as time allows, and unincorporated Arapahoe County's Animal Services removes small to medium animals for a fee, by appointment.
What this covers
- Any of the six animals on this site lying on a lawn, a patio or a driveway
- An animal against a fence, beside a foundation or in a garden bed
- An animal too heavy, or too unpleasant, to move yourself
Where the limit is
An animal on a sidewalk, street or public right-of-way, which belongs to the city or county. Several dead rodents, rabbits or birds in one place, which should be reported to public health or wildlife agencies first.
If you decide to handle a small animal yourself, Boulder County Public Health describes lifting it into a bag with a long-handled shovel, putting gloves on to tie and double-bag it, and placing it in an outdoor trash container. The Jefferson County Sheriff gives similar steps. Check your city first: Thornton's code bars dead animals from city-provided trash carts unless the director approves. Colorado's health department says not to mow over sick or dead animals.
This page promises no arrival time. Calls route by ZIP where an operator covers the address, and whether anyone is available for yours, and what it would cost, is settled on the call.
How a call goes
- Say what the animal is and roughly how big.
- Say whether anyone, including a pet, touched it.
- Say where you are, so the local rule can be checked.
- Where an operator covers the address, the visit and the price are agreed on the call.
Questions about this situation
Who is responsible for a dead animal in my yard in Colorado?
Usually the property owner. We found no statewide Colorado deadline for removing a dead wild animal from private property, but several local governments say animals on private property are the owner's responsibility, and your city or county may treat a decaying carcass as a nuisance.
Can I put a dead animal in my trash can?
For a small animal, several local governments say yes: Boulder County and the Jefferson County Sheriff describe double-bagging it for an outdoor trash container. Check your own city first, because Thornton bars dead animals from city-provided carts unless the director approves. A whole deer will not fit in household trash.
Not sure this is the right page? Who removes a dead animal in Colorado works through the public and private split, and the locations page sets out what the larger cities publish.