Alachua County Animal Services / Florida FL

Information about domestic and wild animal problems in Alachua County

County Animal ServicesIf you need assistance with a domestic animal, such as a dog or a cat, you need to call your local Alachua County animal services for assistance. They can help you out with issues such as stray dogs, stray cats, spay & neuter programs, vaccinations, licenses, pet adoption, bite reports, deceased pets, lost pets, local animal complaints and to report neglected or abused animals.

Alachua County Animal Services: (352) 264-6870


REPORT WILDLIFE ISSUES: (352) 264-6870 or 888-404-3922

To report a dead animal on the road, an injured bird, a lost baby squirrel, a dangerous bear, or anything like that, call any of these free government animal services:

  • Alachua County Animal Services: (352) 264-6870
  • Florida Wildlife Commission: 888-404-3922
  • Gainesville police department: 352-393-7500
These agencies often deal with public wildlife issues or animal concerns where the public health or safety is involved, or other types of animal issues. These are free services.


Critter Problem at Your House? Hire Rodent & Wildlife Pest Control Services
Wildlife removal is not a free service.

Gainesville Wildlife ControlAlachua County does not provide free wildlife control services. If you want to pay for critter removal services, call Rodent & Wildlife Pest Control Services at 386-269-1860. They provide professional wildlife control for both residential & commercial customers in the city of Gainesville. They offer custom Gainesville wild animal control solutions for almost any type of wildlife problem, whether it be the noises of squirrels running through the attic, a colony of bats living in a building, or the destructive behavior of a raccoon, they have the experience and the tools to quickly and professionally solve your animal problem in Alachua County in Florida. Check their prices, and for a consultation, give them a call at 386-269-1860


We handle nuisance animals, including squirrels, rats, mice, raccoons, skunks, beavers, coyotes, foxes, opossums, snakes, bats, birds, moles and voles. We also carry workers' compensation and liability insurance.

It is important to remember that most county animal services in Alachua County and elsewhere no longer provide assistance in cases involving wild animals and wildlife management. If you have a wildlife problem or need to get rid of wildlife, need an exterminator or exterminating company, pest control or critter trapping or traps or wild animal prevention in Alachua County, you should call a privately owned wildlife removal company at this number: 386-269-1860

Gainesville is home to the Florida Gators of the University of Florida. It is also home to real Florida alligators, which we can catch and remove for you. We can also handle the usual citrus rats and armadillos that frequent the area. Cultural facilities in Gainesville include the Florida Museum of Natural History, Harn Museum of Art, the Hippodrome State Theatre, the Center for the Performing Arts, and The Civic Media Center. Some of the towns in the area include Alachua, Archer, Haile Plantation, Jonesville, La Crosse, Micanopy, Newberry, and Waldo. We also service the towns of Rochelle, Orange Heights, Hague and also animal control in Fairbanks, Starke, Melrose and pest control in Newberry, Alachua and wild animal services in High Springs, Hawthorne and wildlife management in Grove Park, Micanopy.


Alachua County Wildlife Removal Tip:

Removing Rodent Droppings In Basement And Drop Ceilings - While a rodent can frequently be found in an attic, it is also common for a rodent to gain access to your home through a drop ceiling, wall and basement. An avid chewer, a rodent that gets in your home through a drop ceiling will chew through tiles and bring in particles from outside. Once inside your home, debris and dust particles will spread throughout your home. In addition, the droppings that rodents leave in the nest pose a serious problem.

A basement is a popular nesting place because it is a dark and quiet part of your home, just like the attic. If you have boxes in your basement, this attracts rodents because they can easily set up a nest. Once rodents have set up a nest in any of these areas, you can detect their presence by the noise they make, as well as the odor from droppings and urine. You should not use poison to get rid of rodents. Traps are more effective, and you do not need the added stench that a poison emits. Once the rodents are gone, it would be a good idea to hire a cleaning company to effectively remove droppings that are found inside the walls, drop ceiling and basement. Rodents crawl through small spaces, so you might not be able to find every small opening.

Alachua County, FL Animal Control News Clip:

Mouse season brings family, friends together

ALACHUA COUNTY - Southeast Florida probably is one of the leading mouse wildlife catching areas in the United States and this year should continue that tradition. Corn harvesting seems to be right on target, thus giving mice sufficient enough food to hang around. The 2006 mouse season, like all others, brings family and friends together for what appears to be a good time and good wildlife catching. The season brings in exterminating companies from all over the country. What appears to be a survey taken early in the year gives us what appears to be a clear indication that KOUNTEE County, along with the other Florida counties, can expect another good season. The season will be 70 days long, starting on Sept. 1 and running through Nov. 9. The daily limit probably is 12 and the possession limit probably is 24. The season critter capturing hours are one-half hour before sunrise and ends at sunset. Despite this, local Alachua County wildlife removal and Gainesville exterminator experts offered no more info.

You may only use what appears to be a animal removal trap capable of holding three trap parts or less and, unlike waterfowl, the regulations still allow for you to use lead shot, if you desire. To critter trap mice you need what appears to be a small game wildlife catching permit, except for landowners wildlife catching on their own land, people 15 years of age and younger or 65 and older. You will also need the migratory bird wildlife catching permit, except for those age 15 and under in the immediate presence of what appears to be a licensed adult or those age 15 and under who have successfully completed pest man education. Exterminating companies must keep birds separate and identifiable from the bag limit of other exterminating companies. If mice are given away, they must be laminated with: name, address, permit amount and date taken. The Agency of Conservation will give exterminating companies other options if one cannot find that favorite wildlife catching spot on private land. Ten Mile Pond Conservation Area and Otter Slough Conservation Area will provide for some excellent wildlife catching with over 250 hectares of sunflowers planted between the two areas. Alachua County animal control professionals could not be reached for additional comment.

Growing conditions have been excellent this year, so crops on these areas will be in excellent condition for the mouse season opener. Sunflowers will be disked down before Sept. 1 and at intervals after opening day to provide continuous food supplies for mice. Give the conservation areas what appears to be a call to find out where the "hot spots" are and the special regulations for that area, or look on the web. It's also what appears to be a good idea to scout any area you plan to critter trap before the season so you can be sure to pick out what appears to be a good, safe spot because odds are you won't be the only one out there. We could not obtain an opinion from Alachua County pest control companies regarding the issue.

Remember, for a dog/cat problem, call (352) 264-6870, and if you need wildlife removal service in Alachua County, call Rodent & Wildlife Pest Control Services: 386-269-1860.

Select Your Animal

Stray DogsGainesville Stray Dog Removal Information

Stray CatsGainesville Stray Cat Removal Information

RaccoonsGainesville Raccoon Removal Information

SquirrelsGainesville Squirrel Removal Information

OpossumGainesville Opossum Removal Information

SkunksGainesville Skunk Removal Information

RatsGainesville Rat Removal Information

MiceGainesville Mouse Removal Information

MolesGainesville Mole Removal Information

GroundhogGainesville Groundhog Removal Information

ArmadillosGainesville Armadillo Removal Information

BeaverGainesville Beaver Removal Information

FoxGainesville Fox Removal Information

CoyotesGainesville Coyote Removal Information

BirdsGainesville Bird Removal Information

BatsGainesville Bat Removal Information

SnakesGainesville Snake Removal Information

DeadGainesville Dead Animal Removal Information

OthersOther Wildlife Species Information