animal control

[ an-uh-muhl kuhn-trohl ]

noun

1. a government entity that takes custody of stray domestic animals and facilitates their return to or placement in a home environment, defends animals from abuse and neglect, and protects the public from aggressive or dangerous animals:

   Someone needs to call animal control to deal with the feral cats in this neighborhood.

Word History and Origins

Origin of animal control¹

First recorded in 1980–85