Who Picks Up Dead Animals in Minnesota?
The complete Minnesota answer: who's responsible for what, when service is free vs paid, and how to get private pickup if it's on your private property.
- ✓ Cite-able · Updated 2026-06
- ✓ Minnesota statewide, routed by ZIP code
- ✓ Private pickup
Private-property removal · Phone quote before any visit · Independent operators routed by your address.
Who picks up dead animals in Minnesota?
Three different bodies, decided by where the carcass lies. City public works clears the public right-of-way — streets, sidewalks, parks — at no charge. MnDOT clears state highways and interstates, also free. Anything on your own property is yours: a licensed operator, or handle it yourself.
The Minnesota Dead-Animal Pickup System in One Page
Three actors share dead-animal pickup duty in Minnesota depending on WHERE the carcass is found. Get the jurisdiction right and you get the fastest, cheapest response.
🏛 City Public Works
What: Carcasses in the public right-of-way — city streets, sidewalks, alleys, public parks.
Cost: Free (it's part of municipal solid-waste service).
Response: 1–3 business days, sometimes longer in winter.
Limits: Many won't enter private property. Some won't handle rabies-vector species (raccoon, skunk, bat, fox, coyote) — they refer to Minnesota DNR or a private operator.
How to call: Call your city's general non-emergency line or 311 if available.
🛣 MnDOT
What: State highways and interstates (I-35, I-90, I-94, US-52, US-53, US-10, etc.). MnDOT’s pages describe highway-hazard reporting (“debris in the road”), not a dead-animal policy; a carcass in a live lane is reported as a hazard.
Cost: Not stated; it is state maintenance, not a service you hire.
Response: Not published.
Limits: MnDOT does NOT handle city streets, county roads, or private property. County public works or highway departments handle county roads.
How to call: Metro District dispatch 651-234-7110; outside the metro, the MnDOT district office (St. Cloud’s city page lists 320-223-6500).
🏠 Private Property (You)
What: Yard, driveway, garage, attic, crawlspace, under deck or chimney, anywhere on your property it can be reached without cutting a finished wall or ceiling.
Cost: Paid service — priced on the call from the animal's size, where it is, access and disposal.
Response: Varies by operator and location (licensed wildlife operator).
Limits: You DIY (gloves + double-bag, non-vector species only) OR call a licensed operator. City public works won't enter private property; MnDOT doesn't either.
How to call: (507) 203-2223. Calls route by ZIP where an operator covers the address.
City-Specific Pickup Details by Minnesota Metro
Each Minnesota metro has a slightly different setup for who handles what. Below is the breakdown for the metros documented here.
- Minneapolis (Hennepin County): Minneapolis Animal Care & Control (612-673-6222) is the city’s animal agency, but its pages do not describe street pickup, so responsibility turns on the road: a city street, a Hennepin County road, or a state highway (MnDOT metro dispatch 651-234-7110 for a hazard). Private property: licensed wildlife operator.
- St. Paul (Ramsey County): Saint Paul Animal Control (651-266-1100) says its officers do not respond to healthy wildlife and suggests a wildlife trapper; the city publishes no dead-animal pickup policy. MnDOT metro dispatch (651-234-7110) for a hazard on I-94, I-35E or US-52. Private property: licensed wildlife operator.
- Rochester (Olmsted County): Rochester’s non-emergency dispatch (507-328-6800) takes “removal of dead animal carcasses” calls; where it collects from is not stated. MnDOT handles US-52/US-14/I-90. Olmsted County Solid Waste District handles disposal questions. Private property: licensed wildlife operator.
- Mankato (Blue Earth County): No published city street-pickup policy in the pages we reviewed. MnDOT handles US-14/US-169/MN-22. Blue Earth County solid-waste program handles disposal guidance. Private property: licensed wildlife operator.
- St. Cloud (Stearns County): St. Cloud Animal Control (320-650-3164) for road kill on city streets; Stearns County Public Works (320-255-6180) for county roads; MnDOT (320-223-6500) for state highways, per the city’s wildlife page. Stearns County Solid Waste District handles disposal. Private property: licensed wildlife operator.
- Duluth (St. Louis County): Duluth Animal Control (218-730-4346) removes a deceased domestic animal from a city street, boulevard or sidewalk and takes all deceased-wildlife calls. MnDOT handles I-35/US-53/MN-194. St. Louis County solid-waste program handles disposal. Private property: licensed wildlife operator.
- Moorhead (Clay County): No published city street-pickup policy in the pages we reviewed. MnDOT handles I-94/US-10/US-75. Clay County solid-waste program handles disposal. Private property: licensed wildlife operator.
Who Picks Up Dead Animals in Minnesota — FAQ
Will the city pick up a dead animal from my yard?
Who handles dead deer on Minnesota roads?
Is dead animal pickup free in Minnesota?
How fast will the city or a private operator respond?
What if it's a rabies-vector species (raccoon, skunk, bat, fox)?
Who handles a dead cat (stray, owner unknown)?
Official sources
Every legal statement on this page traces to one of the sources below. Each was retrieved and read on the date shown. Where a source is agency guidance rather than law, it is labelled as such in the text.
- Minn. Stat. § 35.82 — Disposal of carcasses — burial at a depth adequate to prevent scavenging (no number in Minnesota law), disposal as soon as reasonably possible, and the subd. 4 exclusion of animals kept in the home
- Minnesota Board of Animal Health — The board named in § 35.82 as the approver of alternative disposal methods
- MnDOT Metro District — maintenance contacts — Highway hazards such as debris in the road are reported to Metro District dispatch at 651-234-7110; the page does not name dead animals
- CDC — Rabies — Federal guidance on handling animals that may be rabies vectors
Accuracy and review
- Last reviewed
- Reviewed against
- Minnesota Statutes · Minnesota Board of Animal Health · CDC
- Editorial process
- See our methodology and correction process
This page is general information for Minnesota homeowners, not legal advice. Statements of law are quoted from the state's own code or administrative rules and linked to the official text. Statements of agency guidance are labelled as guidance, not law. Local ordinances, county health rules and waste-hauler policies vary and can be stricter than state law — confirm locally before acting. Minn. Stat. § 35.71 is REPEALED and must not be cited. § 35.82 subd. 4 expressly excludes animals “maintained in the home of the owner” and preserves local government authority over those carcasses, so pet disposal in Minnesota is a municipal question rather than a state one.
Think something here is wrong? We would rather be corrected than be cited incorrectly. Tell us what is inaccurate and, if possible, the official source that says otherwise — send a correction or call (507) 203-2223. Corrections to law or agency contact details are reviewed and, where verified, applied and dated.
If no public agency covers it
Calls route by ZIP where an operator covers the address. Minnesota Dead Animal Removal is an advertising service, not a removal company. Where a city, county or state office does cover it, the routes above are free — try them first.