Animal Control
To request a welfare check on an animal, report a loose or injured animal, report an animal bite or file a complaint about an animal, please contact Animal Control Dispatch at 307-635-1453 or after hours 307-286-5089.
If you have a life-threatening emergency, please contact 911.
ANIMAL CONTROL: (307) 635-1453 | DAILY 8 A.M. – 8 P.M.
Press Release of hours and service changes
The mission of the Animal Control Department:
“To provide exceptional service to the people and animals in the community by enforcing local and state laws pertaining to the safe and humane treatment of animals.”
About the Animal Control Department:
The Cheyenne Animal Shelter’s Animal Control Department specializes in the investigations of animal cruelty, rabies prevention and animal attack investigations. Each Animal Control Officer has trained in a classroom setting and in the field about Constitutional Due Process as well as the application of Animal Laws within the Laramie County Area.
Our fully staffed team consists of two (2) dispatchers and six (6) Animal Control Officers. We pride ourselves as the subject matter experts in animal legislation. Our fleet of 6 vehicles are specifically designed for the safe transport of animals to and from the Shelter.
Animal Control Department Services Provided:
Animal Control Officers oftentimes respond to calls where aggressive animals have broken free from containment and are threatening public safety. Calls of this nature will always take first-priority along with assisting other first responder agencies, calls of injured or hurt animals, and animals left in conditions that adversely affect their health or welfare.
Although the Animal Control Department understands it is frustrating if a dog is trespassing on your property, barking excessively, or using your yard as a restroom. These calls fall lower on our priority list and an Officer will follow up with you as soon as possible.
Duties
Enforcement: Enforce state laws and local ordinances pertaining to the humane care and treatment of animals;
Human & Animal Safety: Investigate reports of aggressive animals that may cause harm to humans or other animals; Removal of animals interfering with commerce; Assist other law enforcement when potentially dangerous animals are present;
Animal Treatment: Investigate potential animal cruelty, neglect or abuse; Shelter and care for stray, lost or sick animals;
Public Outreach: Educate the public on the care and treatment of animals in our homes, neighborhoods and adjoining lands; Inform the public of the importance of disease control, population control and prevention.
Important forms
Laws & Ordinances
Animal Control faq
Is Animal Control operated as a division of the City/County?
What types of calls do you get on a typical day?
What are your hours? Is there always an ACO on duty/on call?
How many full-time ACOs does the Shelter employ?
On average, how many animal cruelty cases do you investigate in Laramie County per year?
What penalty is imposed if an animal is found to be neglected or abused?
Minimally, the citations are set ten days out from the date when the officer charges for the crime. However, the time until the defendant’s initial appearance could be slightly longer depending upon various factors such as waiting for all restitution costs to be finalized. In the interim between the charging date and the final disposition of the court, the defendant is required to pay all care and kenneling costs associated with the case starting with the initial impound fee of $75 plus $25 per day in care costs. If the defendant is found guilty, he or she is subject to fines as high at $750 per animal, plus court costs of $55. In some cases, an additional fee of $150 is attached to the fines for the State Victim’s Fund.
Further, if the defendant is found guilty, he or she may be required to permanently surrender the animal to the Shelter; placed on probation for six to twelve months; and/or prohibited from owning animals in Laramie County for up to one year.
Is overpopulation a problem? If so, what happens to the animals that go unclaimed and do not get adopted and why?
What happens to animals in hoarding cases?
Based on circumstances, animals may be in the Shelter’s care for weeks, if not months. This costs the Shelter thousands of dollars in which we may never receive restitution. We work with the hoarders and try to reason with them to surrender the animals so we may sterilize and release them for adoption into loving homes.
This process has proven to be difficult to say the least. We work with local agencies to help assess the deplorable conditions found in the hoarders’ homes, assist in presenting evidence of hoarding and animal neglect/abuse in court, and we must monitor these individuals on-going to prevent recidivism. We do have compassion for these individuals; they are typically in denial about their ability to provide adequate care for their animals and their intent is not necessarily to harm them, but find themselves overwhelmed.
What is the protocol if my dog bites someone? If I am bitten by a dog?
We want to know if this is a first offense or an animal with a repetitive history in biting. In owner/victim cases, we often allow the animal to remain in the custody of the owner and place the animal on a “home quarantine” if it is current on vaccinations.
Depending on other factors, especially if the animal is NOT vaccinated, we will bring the animal to the Shelter for a medical observation quarantine. Finally, bite cases often involve medical restitution costs. In those cases, the owner of the animal will be charged for public nuisance or harboring a vicious animal and MUST appear in Circuit Court. It is not uncommon, if the owner is found guilty, for the animal to be permanently surrendered to the Shelter. In addition, the owner will be fined and made to pay all out of pocket expenses, specifically the medical costs associated with the bite.
Are there any laws/ordinances requiring pets to be brought inside due to freezing temps?
Wyoming Statute 6-3-203 (B) is clear, that every animal owner must provide their animals with the proper food, drink, and protection from the weather; and any owner that cruelly abandons the animal, or in the case of immediate, obvious, serious illness or injury, fails to provide the animal with appropriate care, is subject to penalties for animal cruelty.
f there is an injured animal in traffic, do I call 911 or Animal Control (or both)?
ACOs strongly suggest you do not enter into traffic to rescue a dog. Typically, the dog will run blind into traffic without considering the movement of vehicles when the dog is being pursued. Of even greater concern is the individual pursuing the dog in traffic where a strong possibility exists of being struck by a vehicle.
What steps do you take to remove a dog from a hot car; what are the consequences to the owner if an ACO must do so?
If the owner does not return to the vehicle and the animal is taken to the Shelter for care, a reclaim fee may be charged. If there is a case for animal cruelty or neglect, and the case goes to court, the owner may be charged up to $750 for the violation.
How much is the ticket for off-leash?
The officer always has the option to charge for “at large” violation through the Circuit Court even if the offense took place in the City of Cheyenne. Fines in the County are higher for “at large” violations than in the City.
Are all pets required by law to have rabies shots? Are older or sick dogs exempt due to immunity or weakened health?
If I have a complaint about an animal, can I request to be anonymous?
Is Animal Control run through mostly employees, volunteers, or a mixture of both?
How many calls do you respond to, on average, per day?
Do you just cover the City of Cheyenne or the whole of Laramie County?
Do you answer calls for any and all types of animals?
If you conduct a welfare check based on possible neglect or abuse, can you take the animal?
Is overpopulation a problem? If so, what happens to the animals that go unclaimed and do not get adopted and why?
Is overpopulation a problem? If so, what happens to the animals that go unclaimed and do not get adopted and why?
The Cheyenne Animal Shelter does not euthanize dogs for time or space, however we do sometimes have to euthanize the ones who are not safe for placement, who are too sick and cannot be treated by our dedicated vet staff, or who are too young and do not have foster placement. We actively continue to strive towards increasing our life-saving efforts. For dogs, our live release rate is over 90 percent! We have seen our live-release rate for cats steadily increase over the years and will continue working to achieve ever-higher live release numbers.
What is considered unreasonable animal noise? Are there certain hours in the day it is enforced?
The County does not have an ordinance restricting barking dogs. Excessive and unnecessary barking (without intervention to stop the barking) becomes the substance of the offense.
Are dogs allowed to be tethered/chained?
A chain should be at least three times the length of the dog as measured from the tip of its nose to the base of its tail, and the dog must be allowed convenient and safe access to food, water and shelter.
Are dogs allowed to ride in the back of pickup trucks?
How do you decide to rescue a dog left in the car in hot or freezing temperatures?
What fine is imposed for a dog running-at-large and being taken into the Shelter to be reclaimed? First offense, second, third?
In the City, the fine for first offense for an altered dog is $60/for an unaltered dog it’s $75, and no rabies tag displayed is $60. Second offense is $85/$100. Third offense is $100 for altered dogs, and for unaltered dogs, it is a mandatory appearance in court.
In the County, first offense is $50, no rabies tag displayed is $50. Second offense is $100 or must appear in court. For a third offense, there is not a graduated increasing fine, but the ACO can mark the citation as a “must appear” which removes the option to simply post bond and not appear in court.
Are licenses required for dogs and cats in the City/County? What is the fine?
The fine for no rabies tag displayed in the City is $60. The fine for no rabies tag displayed on an animal when it is off its property in the County is $50. Second offense is $100. However, the owner must produce rabies vaccination of any animal in the County upon request.