Animal control calls per 1,000 residents
Animal control laws in the county are in place to ensure both humane treatment of animals and a safe and clean community. Many factors affect the number of animal control calls in an area, such as the density of residents, the number of animals owned, proximity to undeveloped land, and the diligence of residents - both animal owners and not. Maintaining a safe environment is possible by promoting responsible pet ownership, decreasing the overpopulation of domestic pets through spay-neuter programs, placing adoptable animals in good homes, and following safety precautions around wildlife such as raccoons, coyotes and geese.
In 2020, The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Animal Care and Control Division adopted or transfered out 5,939 cats and dogs.
Charlotte Animal Care and Control offers free rabies shots and spay/neuter clinics to Mecklenburg County residents. Charlotte is also an ASPCA Partnership Community, working to save more at-risk and homeless pets. Animal Care and Control earned a "No-Kill" Animal Community Designation for historically high save rates in 2020. The agency achieved a 90% "save rate" to earn the coveted designation.
311 Requests
Disorder-related Calls
The number of calls for animal care and control in the fiscal year divided by the total population, multiplied by 1,000.
Note: The county-wide totals are not comparable over time periods due to the addition and subtraction of town data. However, trend data are available for areas that have data in multiple time periods.
Source: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department; Cornelius Police Department; Matthews Police Department
| Resource | Learn More and Take Action |
|---|---|
| Animal Control | Volunteer with Animal Control in shelters, at adoption drives, and in other capacities. |
| Pet registration | Registration of pets is required in the county. |
| Wildlife Concerns | Wildlife, such as coyotes, surround the city, and interactions are inevitable. |
| Coyote Information | Mecklenburg County's Park and Recreation has a group that studies coyotes in the county. |
| Adopt a pet | Adopt a rescue animal for a low price. |