Dead Animal Removal in Columbus, OH
Dead animal pickup across Columbus and surrounding Franklin County. Columbus anchors the roughly 2.1-million-person Central Ohio metro across Franklin County and its surrounding suburbs — Ohio's largest single metro area. The Scioto and Olentangy river corridors run s...
- Phone quote
- Before any visit
- Independent operators
- Routed by your address
- Quoted on the call
- Once the job is known
- ✓ Ohio Statewide · 11 Metros
Who do I call for a dead animal in Columbus, OH?
In Columbus, public right-of-way carcasses are handled by whichever authority maintains that street; private property (yard, attic, walls, crawlspace) is homeowner-arranged. Ohio Dead Animal Removal connects Columbus homeowners with independent wildlife operators for pickup. The operator quotes on the call from size, location, access and disposal. Call (614) 502-6131.
Is dead animal removal free in Columbus?
Partly — and the split is what most people get wrong. The Division of Refuse Collection collects dead animals in the public right-of-way — call (614) 645-5966 for a carcass on a Columbus street or sidewalk. The same page says dead animals cannot be collected from within a house, basement or garage, or anywhere on private property, and that veterinarians and some funeral homes will accept dead animals. Anything on private property is the owner's responsibility, and that is the paid work we handle.
| Where the animal is | Who handles it | Phone | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public street or city property | City of Columbus Division of Refuse Collection | (614) 645-5966 | City service |
| State highway or interstate | Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) | See DOT district | State service |
| County-maintained road | Franklin County Department of Highway Maintenance (county roads) | (614) 462-3072 | County service |
| Private property — yard, attic, wall, crawlspace | Ohio Dead Animal Removal | (614) 502-6131 | Quoted on the call |
For the statewide version of this breakdown, see our guide to who picks up dead animals in Ohio.
Why Columbus Has the Dead-Animal Calls It Does
Columbus anchors the roughly 2.1-million-person Central Ohio metro across Franklin County and its surrounding suburbs — Ohio's largest single metro area. The Scioto and Olentangy river corridors run straight through the city, and the mature tree canopy in in-town neighborhoods like German Village, Clintonville, and Bexley sits alongside newer wooded-edge suburbs like Dublin, Westerville, and Grove City, creating wildlife pressure across both dense urban blocks and sprawling suburban townships. The I-270 outerbelt ring plus I-70/I-71 through downtown and US-33 to the northwest see the bulk of the metro's deer-vehicle activity, concentrated in the October-December rut.
Common species calls in greater Columbus: Most-called species in greater Columbus: raccoon (dense tree canopy in German Village, Clintonville, Bexley), deer (I-270 outerbelt wooded edges + Dublin/Westerville suburban-rural transition, peak Oct-Dec rut), squirrel (mature urban tree neighborhoods), opossum + skunk (suburban yards in Grove City + Worthington), bird (downtown + inner-ring attic/chimney calls).
Pickup jurisdiction in Columbus: Columbus collects dead animals in the public right-of-way through the Division of Refuse Collection — call (614) 645-5966 for a carcass on a city street or sidewalk; the same page says dead animals cannot be collected from within a house, basement or garage, or anywhere on private property. Private property removal (yard, attic, walls, crawlspace) is the homeowner's responsibility — call a licensed wildlife operator. The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) handles disposal guidance for Franklin County.
Neighborhoods we serve in Columbus: German Village, Short North, Clintonville, Bexley, Dublin, Westerville, Grove City, Worthington.
All Columbus field work is performed by independent partner operators, following Ohio EPA solid-waste rules (OAC 3745-27) and ODH rabies-vector protocols (Ohio Department of Health rabies guidance).
What animals do people call about in Columbus?
Most-called species in greater Columbus: raccoon (dense tree canopy in German Village, Clintonville, Bexley), deer (I-270 outerbelt wooded edges + Dublin/Westerville suburban-rural transition, peak Oct-Dec rut), squirrel (mature urban tree neighborhoods), opossum + skunk (suburban yards in Grove City + Worthington), bird (downtown + inner-ring attic/chimney calls).
Dead Deer Removal
Ohio's biggest seasonal carcass call. Adult white-tailed deer carcasses can weigh 150-250 lbs — beyond DIY for most homeowners. He…
Deer Removal in Columbus →Dead Raccoon Removal
The #1 dead-animal call in Ohio, and the one most likely to be indoors. If the smell is coming from a wall, attic, or chimney and …
Raccoon Removal in Columbus →Dead Skunk Removal
Skunk is the odor call. Musk released at death saturates soil, decking, and siding and will outlast the carcass by weeks if only t…
Skunk Removal in Columbus →Dead Animal in Wall Removal
You can smell it, you cannot see it, and you do not know what it is. Here is the part most sites in this trade will not put in wri…
Animal in Wall Removal in Columbus →Dead Animal in Attic Removal
Heat rises and so does the smell, so an attic carcass announces itself through the ceiling below. Recovery means searching the ful…
Animal in Attic Removal in Columbus →Dead Animal Under House Removal
Animals den under structures and die there, in the lowest and least accessible space on the property. Removing the body is only ha…
Animal Under House Removal in Columbus →Dead Animal in Crawl Space Removal
A crawl space is a confined space, and the air in it is the air in your house. Recovery is a PPE-and-ventilation job as much as a …
Animal in Crawl Space Removal in Columbus →Dead Animal Odor Removal
Removing the body does not remove the smell. Decomposition fluid soaks into insulation, subfloor, framing, and soil, and those mat…
Animal Odor Removal in Columbus →Emergency Dead Animal Removal
Most dead-animal calls can wait until tomorrow. Some cannot: a restaurant that cannot open, a listing with a showing booked, a ten…
Dead Animal Removal in Columbus →Dead Animal Removal Cost
Price is the second question every caller asks and the one most operators refuse to answer online. The price variables by scenario…
Animal Removal Cost in Columbus →Commercial Dead Animal Removal
A carcass in a commercial building is a business problem before it is a wildlife problem: a health inspection, a closed dining roo…
Dead Animal Removal in Columbus →Roadkill Removal
Whether you pay for this depends entirely on where the animal is lying. State route, interstate, and most city streets are covered…
Removal in Columbus →How Columbus Compares to Other Ohio Metros We Serve
Ohio Dead Animal Removal routes calls for 12 Ohio metros under one phone number, one regional brand. Each metro has its own wildlife pressure pattern based on geography, population density, and proximity to parks/forests.
| Metro | County | Metro Pop | Area Code | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo | Lucas County | 640,000 | 419 | Northwest Ohio |
| Akron | Summit County | 700,000 | 330 | Northeast Ohio |
| Dayton | Montgomery County | 800,000 | 937 | Southwest Ohio |
| Youngstown | Mahoning County | 540,000 | 330 | Mahoning Valley / Eastern Ohio |
| Canton | Stark County | 400,000 | 330 | Stark County / Northeast Ohio |
| Columbus ⭐ | Franklin County | 2,100,000 | 614 | Central Ohio |
| Cleveland | Cuyahoga County | 2,050,000 | 216 | Northeast Ohio |
| Cincinnati | Hamilton County | 2,260,000 | 513 | Southwest Ohio |
| Warren | Trumbull County | 201,000 | 330 | Trumbull County / Mahoning Valley north |
| Ashtabula | Ashtabula County | 97,000 | 440 | Ashtabula County / Lake Erie northeast shore |
| Newark | Licking County | 178,500 | 740 | Licking County / Central Ohio |
| Springfield | Clark County | 136,000 | 937 | Clark County / Miami Valley |
Nearby Ohio Metros We Also Serve
The closest metros to Columbus in our dispatch network. Click any for local pickup ordinance, road jurisdiction, and common species.
Dead Animal Removal in Columbus — FAQ
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Columbus Dead Animal Removal
Quoted on the call. No price until the operator knows the job.