Show All Answers

1. What is considered an animal emergency?

A sick or injured animal, aggressive animals, and animal bites.

2. Does the Town of Needham have a leash law?

Yes. The Town of Needham has a strickly enforced leash law as well as a pooper scooper law. There are many parks and wooded areas to walk your pet. Your dog must remain leashed while on the public property at all times. We are seeing a huge increase of dog bites in town. Many of them happen while the dog is running at large. Animal Control will issue a citation for unleashed dogs as well as not picking up after your dog.

3. I found a baby racoon. Can I keep it?

No. It is illegal in The State of Massachusetts to keep or try to raise a wild animal without a license from the state. You will put your self in danger as well as the animal. It is not all fun and games raising a baby animal. They need certain things to survive and thrive as they grow. Only licensed rehabilitators know how to do this properly. If you have found a baby wild animal please do not touch it. Call Animal Control right away.

4. There is a dead bird in my yard, does it need to be tested for the West Nile Virus?

No. The state is no longer collecting dead birds for testing because they have sufficiently established that the virus is in the state. Additional testing will not reveal any more information for them. They need the time to do more research projects to find out more about the virus.

5. Will Animal Control come and remove the dead animal from my yard?

Animal Control does not remove deceased animals from private property. You need to dispose of it yourself. Avoid using bare hands. Gloves or an inverted plastic bag will work to place the animal in a garbage bag. Dispose of the animal with your routine trash.

6. What is a feral cat?

Feral cats are typically cats that were born outdoors and have never had any kind of human contact other than the occasional person who feeds the neighborhood cats. They pick an area and form a "colony" of cats. Feral cats over the age of 8-10 weeks old are not likely to become housecats. They were born and raised in the outdoors and are better left there. Needham Animal Control has been working with the Medfield Animal Shelter to trap Feral Cats around Needham, spay and neuter them so that they may not reproduce, and returns them to the colony from which they came. The Medfield Animal Shelter has been very generous to our town and runs only on donations. If you would like to make a donation to the Medfield Animal Shelter please call 508-359-8989.