Who to Call for Animal Related Emergencies

Feb 24, 2024   ComfortAtHomePetServices   Pet Safety

Animal lovers are always the first to want to help and are more than willing to jump into action when seeing an animal in need. However, knowing who to call is just as important as making the call. Getting connected to the right person or agency can save valuable time if an animal is at risk!

Foremost, if you see an animal in immediate mortal danger or the animal is threatening the welfare of the public, call 911.

Dog wardens work to ensure that laws about dogs and other animals are enforced. They investigate dangerous dog charges, enforcing laws governing strays and dogs running at large, and rabies and county dog licenses. Dog wardens are also called for stray dogs and can scan for a chip on any lost dog that find. They also check do kennel inspections and have the power to pull a license or issue fines to dog owners. Dog wardens don't have kennels of their own and can't hold a pet, and they will be transferred to animal control.

Allegheny County Dog Warden is Steven Stoehr 412-418-2163 and Westmoreland County Dog Warden is Jerome Shepler 724-496-9421

Animal Control handles all loose dogs in the neighborhood and will pick up and temporarily shelter a lost pet. They will also handle calls of large groups of domesticated animals gathering in a public area or threatening the welfare of the public.  In the unfortunate circumstance of a deceased pet, animal control can be called to retrieve the corpse. Please be aware, Animal Control is not able to respond to calls regarding loose cats that are not contained.  

To report a loose animal in the city of Pittsburgh limits, please call the Animal Care and Control office at 412-255-2036.

Local animal control numbers:

Monroeville Animal Control (Corye Ramsey) 412-856-3343, 412-737-0111, 412-856-3355, For emergencies  412-856-1111

Sable Kennel Animal Control (Dawn Weichler) 412-660-2350

Hoffman Kennel Animal Control (Gary Hoffman) 724-468-5505

Humane Officers can be called in cases of animal cruelty. Cruelty towards any animal is a crime in Pennsylvania. Penalties for animal cruelty can vary from summary to felony levels. Humane officers can be called in cases of a pet not having sufficient food, water or clean and sanitary shelter, pets left out in inclement weather for long periods of time without shelter and sick, injured or mistreated animals. In Pennsylvania, Humane Officers are not permitted to enforce dog laws concerning licensing, rabies, vaccinations, dangerous dogs, dog attacks, dog bites, barking complaints, nuisance violations and running-at-large issues. Humane offices can also investigate cases of animal abuse or neglect and can hold dogs for court. The pets will then be transferred to a kennel or rescue to be held until there court date.  

Westmoreland County Humane Officers (724) 837-3779 

Allegheny County Humane Officers (412) 345-7300

Angela Fry of Animal Friends 412-536-3892 

Robin Gaydos-Behanna of White Oak Animal Safe Haven 412-720-9477

 Jamie Wilson of Humane Animal Rescue Northside Shelter and Clinic 412-321-4625 

Local Humane Societies can be contacted for found animals, animals looking for a home, or for those needing low cost veterinary care, vaccination or spaying and neutering.  The Humane Society also works with law enforcement to investigate cases of animal abuse, hoarding situations, puppy mills and dog fighting rings.  They also have the capability to scan for a chip and attempt to reunite lost pets with their owners.  

Game Commission handles wild animals that are wounded, possibly rabid or are in an area where they could cause harm to the public. They manage Pennsylvania's wild birds, wild mammals, and their habitats for current and future generations hunting license and violations of hunting.  The Game Commission can also handle found or injured wild animals and take them to a wildlife center or facilities for rehabilitation. Please be advised, it's not recommended to attempt to pick up or touch an injured wild animal as they make feel threatened and attack or you could accidentally injure them!

CART can handle animal related emergency or disaster related calls that are beyond the capabilities of first responders, such as fire calls, vehicle accidents rapped animals, floods, hazmat assistance. CART can also provide temporary shelter for domesticated animals coming from an emergency or disaster situation. Our County Animal Response Team handles any 911 calls involving domesticated animals, including technical rescue (like a fire department) or for temporary emergency sheltering (like the Red Cross).

Wanting to help animals is admirable, but knowing who to call will help the animals get help quickly.