Dead Animal Removal in Cleveland, OH
Private-property removal · Phone quote before any visit · Independent operators routed by your address.
Dead animal pickup in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, routed by ZIP where an operator covers the address. Cleveland anchors the roughly 2-million-person Cuyahoga County metro on the Lake Erie shoreline. The Cuyahoga River valley and the Cleveland Metroparks 'Emerald Necklace' (a ring of wooded reservation...
Who do I call for a dead animal in Cleveland, OH?
It depends on where the animal is. On a public street or city property, City of Cleveland Division of Waste Collection & Disposal (via 3-1-1) handles it free. Call 3-1-1 or (216) 664-3711. On private property (your yard, attic, wall or crawlspace) no agency will collect it; that is the owner's responsibility. For private-property pickup in Cleveland, Ohio Dead Animal Removal routes calls by ZIP to an independent operator where one covers the address. Call (614) 412-5656. The price is quoted on the call.
Is dead animal removal free in Cleveland?
City of Cleveland Division of Waste Collection & Disposal (via 3-1-1) handles carcasses on public property at no charge, but removes dead animals from public areas and tree lawns. Does not collect from private yards. Anything on private property is the owner's responsibility; calls route by ZIP where an operator covers the address.
| Where the animal is | Who handles it | Phone | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public street or city property | City of Cleveland Division of Waste Collection & Disposal (via 3-1-1) | 3-1-1 or (216) 664-3711 | Free |
| State highway or interstate | Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) | See DOT district | Free |
| Private property (yard, attic, crawlspace) | Independent operator where one covers the address, via Ohio Dead Animal Removal | (614) 412-5656 | Quoted on the call |
Who not to call: Cleveland Division of Animal Care & Control at (216) 664-3069. That line is for INJURED LIVE wildlife, not dead-animal pickup; Cleveland Police non-emergency.
For live nuisance groundhogs, raccoons and skunks, the City of Cleveland contracts Freeman Nuisance Animal Removal and Remedy at (440) 647-8772 under a pilot program running through October 31, 2026.
For the statewide version of this breakdown, see our guide to who picks up dead animals in Ohio.
Why Cleveland Has the Dead-Animal Calls It Does
Cleveland anchors the roughly 2-million-person Cuyahoga County metro on the Lake Erie shoreline. The Cuyahoga River valley and the Cleveland Metroparks 'Emerald Necklace' (a ring of wooded reservations circling the metro) push heavy deer and raccoon pressure into both dense in-town neighborhoods (Ohio City, Tremont, Detroit-Shoreway) and the mature-canopy inner suburbs (Lakewood, Shaker Heights, Cleveland Heights). Outer suburbs like Parma, Strongsville, and Westlake see the bulk of the metro's deer-vehicle activity along the I-480 and I-271 wooded edges, concentrated in the October-December rut.
Cleveland residents report a dead animal on a public street or curb through the city's 311 system (call 311 or 216-664-2000). The city's 311 explicitly notes it will 'request a dead animal removal from a street, public property, or curb,' and that any animal on private property must be placed at the curb for pickup. Interior recovery (attic, walls, crawlspace) is the homeowner's responsibility. Call a licensed wildlife operator for anything reachable without cutting into a finished wall. The Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District (cuyahogarecycles.org) handles broader disposal guidance.
Neighborhoods around Cleveland: Ohio City, Tremont, Lakewood, Shaker Heights, Cleveland Heights, Parma, Strongsville, Westlake.
What animals do people call about in Cleveland?
Most-called species in greater Cleveland: raccoon (dense urban tree cover in Ohio City, Tremont + inner-ring suburbs), deer (Cleveland Metroparks reservations + outer-suburb wooded edges, peak Oct-Dec rut), squirrel (mature-canopy neighborhoods like Shaker Heights + Cleveland Heights), opossum + skunk (Parma + Strongsville suburban yards). Found one in your Cleveland yard? Start here. Can smell it but can't find it? This walks the search.
Dead Deer Removal · Dead Raccoon Removal · Dead Skunk Removal · Dead Opossum Removal · Dead Squirrel Removal · Dead Bird Removal · Dead Animal in a Wall · Dead Animal in Attic Removal · Dead Animal Under House Removal · Dead Animal in Crawl Space Removal · Dead Animal Odor Removal · Emergency Dead Animal Removal · Dead Animal Removal Cost · Commercial Dead Animal Removal · Roadkill Removal.
What does dead animal removal cost in Cleveland?
Cleveland's older East Side and inner-ring housing stock produces a high share of attic recoveries, which price above an open-yard pickup because of confined-space access and sanitizing. Tree-lawn carcasses are a city responsibility and cost you nothing. The paid work begins at the property line.
Nearby Ohio Metros
The closest metros to Cleveland with their own pages. Click any for local pickup ordinance, road jurisdiction, and common species.
Cleveland questions
Does Cleveland remove dead animals for free?
Is (216) 664-3069 the right number for a dead animal in Cleveland?
Who removes a dead animal from my Cleveland yard?
What about a live raccoon, skunk or groundhog in Cleveland?
What does dead animal removal cost in Cleveland?
How fast can someone reach me in Cleveland?
Cleveland Dead Animal Removal
Quoted on the call. No price until the operator knows the job.