Location

1201 New York Avenue, NE 
(at the corner of New York Avenue and the Brentwood Parkway)
Washington, DC 20002
Telephone: (202) 576-6664

Hours of Operation

The DC Animal Control Facility accepts calls from the public and provides services 24 hours per day. Office hours are on Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm, and on Tuesday and Thursday from 12 pm to 8 pm.

Mission

The Department of Health's Animal Disease Prevention Division is located within the Bureau of Community Hygiene in the Environmental Health Administration.

The mission of the Animal Disease Prevention Division is to prevent and control the spread of diseases transmitted from animals to humans.  The Division provides timely investigations, referrals, follow-up on cases, licensing, enforcement and field services throughout the District. These services are extremely important to prevent and control the spread of rabies, a fatal disease in humans, and to prevent citizens from unnecessarily having to undergo rabies prophylaxis treatment. In addition, these services are necessary to protect the public from dangerous animals and vehicle accidents caused by stray or injured animals. The Animal Disease Prevention Division also seeks to provide humane education and reduce dog bites.

Services/Activities

Department of Health staff at the Animal Control Facility conducts animal control and animal disease prevention services and assists the public with animal-related problems. The services are available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day and include, but are not limited to, animal disease control, rabies suspect control, stray animal control, dangerous dog control, licensing, enforcement, sterilization, and adoption 

Specific Activities Include:

• Investigate, follow-up on rabies cases, and make recommendations for rabies prophylaxis; order quarantine for animal bites
• Conduct disease surveillance, such as for West Nile virus
• Enforce animal control laws
• Prepare and submit brains for rabies testing
• Investigate dangerous dogs, prepare search warrants and other court documents as required
• Pick up, transport and house surrendered, stray, dangerous, and impounded animals
• Dispose of animals by redemption to owner, return to wildlife, humane intravenous euthanasia
• Vaccinate for rabies, distemper
• License animals
• Provide adoption for animals from the Animal Control Facility
• Perform inspections as requested or required
• Provide education via pamphlets, classroom visits
• Maintain records as required
• Assist District agencies, such as the Metropolitan Police Department, as required
• Issue permits and enforce laws governing carriage horses, hobbies, wildlife, yellow fever clinics, pet shops, pigeon housing, animal exhibits, and others, as required
• Investigate reported cases and contacts of other communicable diseases transmitted from animals to humans and provide interventions to prevent further spread
• Prepare reports and documents to support program as needed
• Maintain District-owned facility located at 1201 New York Avenue, NE