I run a web site for dead animal removal and get a lot of dead pet calls. I am finding many potential customers calling that do not know what to do with Fido when Fido or Fifi passes.

I am not asking for your business but I am more interested in how a WCO can add these their local services. Dead pet removal, dead animal transport, pet euthanasia. How would you charge?

Would you as a business add dead pet removal ?

Would you provide transportation to a local vet,or pet cemetery willing to pay you for the trip?

Now here is new one will you offer to put Fido or Fifi down at home for a fee? Pet Euthanasia Services?

I would think that to put fido or fifi down humanely may run you afoul of a few local/city/state laws depending on your locale, let alone the methods many folks might be allowed or able to employ. While I grew up in the woods as many on here have and know that a .22 is a good humane method of euthanasia, someone coming to my house and doing this would have a different outcome....

I did recently talk to someone who is in that vein of transport, and is setting up a service for remains, they were crossing over into wildlife control without any knowledge of it. I'd say the same thing goes here, while that individual should avoid wildlife control, I'm not about to step into the AVMA's world of domestic animal euthanasia with the set of tools most possess legally in each state.

Interested to hear though if anyone is or has or does intend to...

For anyone wanting to euthanize a pet in Georgia, I do believe, is a felony. Ask Warrior but I do believe that the laws have changed to the effect that a vet has to euthanize a dog or cat.

Guess who? Well, actually we don't advertise this service because watching adults cry has never been something I wanted to do. We have taken some large sized dogs to be cremated and it pays as well as almost anything else we do. Being a farm kid, dead animals are not something that bothers me. I'm sure we will continue to do pets if people call. I know of one case where an elderly woman actually seemed to die of a broken heart because of a lost pet, so getting deeply involved in this business is not on our immediate agenda.

Fred, I'm not aware of that but I will look into it. I would never offer euthanasia as a service but for it to be illegal to make that decision for my own livestock is something I will not tolerate.

Fred, if you are refering to our felony animal cruelty statute GA 16-12-4. You will see that NWCO operations are exempt as long as we follow good practices.

GEORGIA CODE
Copyright 2012 by The State of Georgia
All rights reserved.

*** Current Through the 2013 Regular Session ***

TITLE 16. CRIMES AND OFFENSES
CHAPTER 12. OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC HEALTH AND MORALS
ARTICLE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

O.C.G.A. § 16-12-4 (2012)

§ 16-12-4. Cruelty to animals


(a) As used in this Code section, the term:

(1) "Animal" shall not include any fish nor shall such term include any pest that might be exterminated or removed from a business, residence, or other structure.

(2) "Conviction" shall include pleas of guilty or nolo contendere or probation as a first offender pursuant to Article 3 of Chapter 8 of Title 42 and any conviction, plea of guilty or nolo contendere, or probation as a first offender for an offense under the laws of the United States or any of the several states that would constitute a violation of this Code section if committed in this state.

(3) "Willful neglect" means the intentional withholding of food and water required by an animal to prevent starvation or dehydration.

(b) A person commits the offense of cruelty to animals when he or she causes death or unjustifiable physical pain or suffering to any animal by an act, an omission, or willful neglect. Any person convicted of a violation of this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor; provided, however, that:

(1) Any person who is convicted of a second or subsequent violation of this subsection shall be punished by imprisonment not to exceed 12 months, a fine not to exceed $5,000.00, or both; and

(2) Any person who is convicted of a second or subsequent violation of this subsection which results in the death of an animal shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature and shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than three months nor more than 12 months, a fine not to exceed $10,000.00, or both, which punishment shall not be suspended, probated, or withheld.

(c) A person commits the offense of aggravated cruelty to animals when he or she knowingly and maliciously causes death or physical harm to an animal by rendering a part of such animal's body useless or by seriously disfiguring such animal. A person convicted of the offense of aggravated cruelty to animals shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years, a fine not to exceed $15,000.00, or both, provided that any person who is convicted of a second or subsequent violation of this subsection shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years, a fine not to exceed the amount provided by Code Section 17-10-8, or both.

(d) Before sentencing a defendant for any conviction under this Code section, the sentencing judge may require psychological evaluation of the offender and shall consider the entire criminal record of the offender.

(e) The provisions of this Code section shall not be construed as prohibiting conduct which is otherwise permitted under the laws of this state or of the United States, including, but not limited to, agricultural, animal husbandry, butchering, food processing, marketing, scientific, research, medical, zoological, exhibition, competitive, hunting, trapping, fishing, wildlife management, or pest control practices or the authorized practice of veterinary medicine nor to limit in any way the authority or duty of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Natural Resources, any county board of health, any law enforcement officer, dog, animal, or rabies control officer, humane society, veterinarian, or private landowner protecting his or her property.
(f)(1) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed as prohibiting a person from:

(A) Defending his or her person or property, or the person or property of another, from injury or damage being caused by an animal; or

(B) Injuring or killing an animal reasonably believed to constitute a threat for injury or damage to any property, livestock, or poultry.

(2) The method used to injure or kill such animal shall be designed to be as humane as is possible under the circumstances. A person who humanely injures or kills an animal under the circumstances indicated in this subsection shall incur no civil or criminal liability for such injury or death.

HISTORY: Code 1933, § 26-2802, enacted by Ga. L. 1968, p. 1249, § 1; Ga. L. 1992, p. 1654, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 754, § 12.

By my layman's interpretation a sick or dying pet is not a pest to be removed so would not be covered under the definitions above.

I do offer dead animal removal and in special cases live animal removal. All live domestics are surrendered to the animal control authority of the county where picked up.

Just some cautions based on experience. Do not get involved in any obvious case of neglect or abuse, I'm still waiting to give testimony in such a case. There are those out there who will call us to clean up their mess when they have starved a dog. No when to walk and when to make the call.

And before I get away let me share one from back when that illustrates the exemptions we have from GA 16-12-4.

One of the counties I serve does not have an established animal control authority. The local cities though do have ordinances on pets. In this case a citizen was cited for having to many dogs and was scheduled to go before the magistrate judge unless he got rid of three of them. He contacted me in some desperation as these dogs were wild and unapproachable bordering on the dangerous. I arrived on the day of court and made several best efforts including cages, catch pole and nets to no avail. As a matter of fact every time I made the move on one I had others circling to my rear and these were large dogs. I also had an audience as the local constabulary was monitering the situation to see to it that these dogs were removed. Since it looked like a no win for me and the client was rather desperate to avoid the judge I agreed to speak to the chief of police that had issued the summons. He expressed that the dogs must go and his words were to the effect of by any means possible. I asked him to confirm this and he did so so I asked him to have his officer go take a coffee break. Once the scene was clear old reliable came out of the truck and three pops later I was stuffing the body bags.

I also have the experience of a magistrate judge in Spalding county who's exact quote was, "Mr McLeod, state law does not apply in Spalding county". So take that with a grain of salt.

Got to be careful, there is a lot of language out there "in" and "trying to get in" legislation about "companion animals". I'm scared to hang out much with my hogs before butchering. USDA could be hiding in the bushes. When I briefly worked for a municipality I saw a beautiful hound in the pound. The guy working there said they were going to gas him because he had killed a cat. Vicious dog status reached for killing a ditch cougar, must be put to sleep. Had a friend that wanted his vet to put down a dog that had gotten old, blind and senile. Bit anything that went on the porch. His vet told him that he couldn't put anything down that didn't have anything "physically" wrong with it, according to new laws.
Bottom line is, I would make darn sure of local, state, and federal laws before putting anything down. I would also have some chain of custody papers signed before I transported anything that might be construed as a "companion animal". Welcome to the nanny state, pretty sure Travis would go to jail now for shooting 'ol Yeller.

You guys in those sissy states have my sympathy. I had a black lab that was old and not living a decent life anymore. I swore that I would not let any of my dogs live a life of agony like some old dogs I have seen, so I took him to my dad's vet. The vet said "Hold him", gave him a shot, and he died in my arms.

Taught me a great lesson. I killed every animal I owned since then. There should a national law that you kill every pet that you own when the time comes. Can you imagine how many fewer feral cats there would be? And the stupid pet business would be almost non-existent. What I mean by stupid pets is the pet cougar, jaguar, and other crazy animals that you can't even pet. ( Yeah, like those pythons slithering all over Florida. )

When you have to pull that trigger, with a tear in your eye, because your favorite setter has a cancerous tumor, then you know that you're doing the right thing by the animal and you're not just thinking about your own feelings.

Paul, in that vein I think every kid should grow up on a working farm where every animal has a value only as long it has something to contribute.

Yes,indeed. All very valid points,Paul.

Warrior is correct as well. 'Working farm' animals are not ornamental,they serve a purpose.


Charlie

I do offer the pet removal service but don't offer pet euthanization mainly because what we do with wildlife is not generally the preferred method for pets.
Some of my memorable episodes involved Wilbur the 300# pot belly pig, he needed the truck bed mounted winch to load. And then there was the wheelchair bound gentleman that needed his dog that died "yesterday" removed. That carcass was already split open, drained of fluids and maggot infested, I told him Fido has been dead a few days. "I guess that's why he didn't come when I called".

My best story was during a small deck exclusion, I was back filling the dirt dug from under the steps when the young couple watching me work asked if I would bury their dog. Their young frisky Scottish terrier was also standing there watching me work, the look of horror on my face made them realizes what they asked. "OH no not this dog, our old dog died a while back and we had him cremated, we want his ashes buried under the steps, that was his favorite summer time sleeping spot".

Great stories Dave; with the number of crazies buying summer homes in Montana, you should have business, as well as goofy stories, from now on.

Rick pm me your counties for Livestock.
Gratis.

Because the dead-animal-removal.com site attracts dead horse calls and I honestly don't know anyone who does livestock anywhere

The main question is "What do you do with it, after removal"? What do you tell the owners is going to happen to their beloved friend? Do a peta, and dump it in a dumpster out back? Compost? Incinerate? Bury or just lay it out in the woods to go back to the soil?

BigBob, our garbage dump is a half mile high and a mile or two square. They convert the methane gas from your rotting pet and sell it back to you in the form of electricity. It's mighty comforting to know that you will continue to pay for Rover forever. Rotting animal carcasses are especially good at producing large amounts of methane which is probably why they try to throw the biggest, fattest, gangsters into the dump.

Robb I've always done carcasses up to 500# and at one time was this [--] close to buying either an old tow truck with tilt bed and winch or a trailer with tilt bed and winch for horse and cattle. A rendering company moved into town and was picking them up for $75 because they got the value of the rendered carcass, I couldn't compete. This was all several years ago and I had it penciled out that my minimum charge would be $250 so how could I compete against $75?

Yeah, but what do you tell Mom/Dad, and what do they tell the kids?