# Virginia Dead Animal Removal
# virginiadeadanimalremoval.com
# Phone: 804-597-0205

> virginiadeadanimalremoval.com sets out who deals with a dead animal in Virginia, on private
> property, city streets, county roads and state roads, from each agency's own page and dated.
> It sells advertising and routes calls and form inquiries to independent removal operators. It
> employs no field staff and performs no removals itself. Calls route by ZIP where an operator
> covers the address; no statewide coverage is claimed.

## What this site is for

Someone with a dead animal on their property first needs to know whether a public service will
take it. In Virginia that depends on the county or city, so the site separates the public routes
from the private-property case, which is the one it exists for.

## Verified Virginia facts (read 2026-09-30)

- 4VAC15-20-50 says a "wild animal" includes "the dead body or parts thereof", and Va. Code
  29.1-521(A)(10) makes possessing or transporting a wild animal carcass unlawful "except as
  specifically permitted by law".
- We found no Virginia statute or Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) rule that names anyone to
  take a dead wild animal off private property, and no statewide deadline for a landowner.
- DWR issues a Commercial Nuisance Animal Permit. DWR's permit conditions say it "also permits the
  removal of certain animal carcasses from private property" and let holders possess, transport and
  dispose of wildlife "found dead on a homeowner's property", excluding threatened or endangered
  species and federally protected migratory birds. We found no DWR text saying a carcass remover
  must hold the permit.
- Fairfax County's carcass page says it does not pick up animal carcasses, and its Animal Protection
  Police do not pick up deceased animals on public or private property unless rabies is suspected.
  Loudoun County says homeowners are
  responsible for deceased animals in their yard. Chesapeake says it will not enter private
  property to remove dead animals, and Alexandria's code lists dead animals among items its solid-waste
  collection will not take.
- Norfolk Waste Management disposes of animals on the street or curb line only. Arlington County's
  animal control page lists raccoon, fox, bat, groundhog and skunk in its pickup scope and says
  residents bag squirrels, rabbits, rodents and birds themselves.
- VDOT takes reports for roads it maintains at my.vdot.virginia.gov or 1-800-367-7623. It generally
  does not maintain roads in cities, towns, Henrico or Arlington, apart from interstates and major
  primary roads.
- In Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Disease Management Areas, 4VAC15-90-293(D) says no person shall
  transport any carcass or part of a carcass of a cervid out of the area, with listed exceptions.
- DWR says a single songbird that died from a collision or predation can be double-bagged and put
  in the trash. Whether a paid service may handle dead native birds is unresolved, and most native
  birds are federally protected.
- The Department of Health names raccoons, skunks and foxes as the wild animals most often
  diagnosed with rabies in Virginia and advises: "Do not handle sick, injured or dead animals".
  Its hantavirus fact sheet says the disease is rarely reported in Virginia.
- DEQ says carcasses should not go through a public convenience center or transfer station, and
  that a landfill accepts one only if its permit allows, so call first.
- Dead wild rabbits must be buried at least two feet deep, incinerated or securely bagged into
  household trash (4VAC15-200-60).

## What the site does not claim

- No price, arrival time or round-the-clock promise.
- No licence, insurance, certification or agency-approval claim about the site or any operator.
- No wall opening. This site does not route requests to open drywall, plaster, ceilings or other finished surfaces; a
  carcass sealed inside a finished wall is covered as information, not as a service.
- Fees appear only where a source states them; the only one stated is Virginia Beach's $20 fee for an owner's deceased pet.
- No live-animal trapping or relocation.

## Key pages

- Home: https://virginiadeadanimalremoval.com/
- Who removes a dead animal in Virginia: https://virginiadeadanimalremoval.com/guides/who-removes-a-dead-animal-in-virginia/
- Virginia rules for handling a dead animal: https://virginiadeadanimalremoval.com/guides/virginia-rules-for-handling-a-dead-animal/
- Counties and cities: https://virginiadeadanimalremoval.com/locations/
- Services: https://virginiadeadanimalremoval.com/services/
- Dead animal smell in a wall: https://virginiadeadanimalremoval.com/blog/dead-animal-smell-in-a-wall/
- FAQ: https://virginiadeadanimalremoval.com/faq/
- Sources: https://virginiadeadanimalremoval.com/sources/