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

Example Sentences

And officials request that people report sick or dead birds to local animal control agencies.

From Los Angeles Times

Lawmakers said at the time that the law would also give counties a complete picture of the number of dogs entering their jurisdiction from outside California — a blind spot for local animal control officers as pet sales were increasingly made online, according to files in the State Archives.

From Los Angeles Times

Over the years, she used various aliases — Anna, Jessica, Vickie — in her dealings, according to civil lawsuits, a district attorney report, animal control records and interviews with buyers.

From Los Angeles Times

To report this story, The Times filed public records requests to all 50 states for dog export records, the 58 counties in California for dog import records, several animal control and law enforcement agencies for investigative files and reviewed U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

At the family’s request, the dog was taken by animal control and euthanized, Jones said.

From Los Angeles Times