State guide
Kentucky
Kentucky animal control is highly local, with city or county animal services offices handling most domestic-animal complaints while rabies response runs through local health departments. Wildlife complaints, injured wildlife, and rehabilitator permitting are handled through Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Who handles animal control locally
- Usually city or county animal services offices handle domestic-animal control, while local health departments handle bite follow-up and rabies exposure response.
- State wildlife agency (nuisance and injured wildlife)
- Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
- Nuisance wildlife help
- Official page →
- Reporting an animal bite
- Any physician or other attending medical service provider who treats or consults on an animal bite or scratch incident must report it to the local health department within 12 hours.
- State rabies contact
- Kentucky Department for Public Health Rabies Program / State Public Health Veterinarian
Official resources in Kentucky
Official state rabies program page naming the State Public Health Veterinarian and explaining reporting rules.
Official Kentucky Fish and Wildlife help page for injured or orphaned wildlife.
Official searchable wildlife rehabilitator list by county and animal type.
Official wildlife rehabilitation program page with permit information and links.
Large local government animal-services page residents can use for service requests, lost pets, and licensing.
Key facts for Kentucky
- Kentucky's Rabies Program page names Kelly Giesbrecht, DVM, MPH as the State Public Health Veterinarian.
- Kentucky requires any physician or other attending medical service provider who treats or consults on an animal bite or scratch incident to report it to the local health department within 12 hours.
- Kentucky Fish and Wildlife says if you find an injured animal, contact a permitted wildlife rehabilitator.
- Kentucky Fish and Wildlife maintains a searchable wildlife rehabilitator list by county and animal type.
- Kentucky Fish and Wildlife asks the public to report strangely acting or ill raccoons or skunks to the Information Center at 1-800-858-1549.
- Kentucky regulation 301 KAR 2:075 says if a mammal bites a person or shows rabies symptoms, it shall be dispatched and submitted for rabies testing immediately.
Local animal control offices in Kentucky
| Office | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville Metro Animal Services Jefferson | Louisville | (502) 473-7387 | Metro animal services office; service-request page says to call 473-PETS for animal-control requests. |
| Louisville Metro Animal Services - Animal Control Service Requests Jefferson | Louisville | Not published* | Dispatchers take service requests daily; after-hour emergencies go to 911. |
| Lexington-Fayette Animal Care and Control Fayette | Lexington | (859) 255-9033 | Provides animal care and control services for Fayette County under contract with LFUCG. |
| Kenton County Animal Services Kenton | Covington | (859) 392-1400 | County home page lists Animal Services among county departments; county news says KCAS provides shelter operations, field services, and community engagement throughout Kenton County. |
| Bowling Green Neighborhood and Community Services - Code Compliance & Animal Protection Warren | Bowling Green | Not published* | Animal Control Officers uphold local and state laws on domesticated-animal care, cruelty, bites, public-endangerment, and nuisance issues. |
| Warren County Sheriff / Bowling Green Communications Center animal control dispatch Warren | Bowling Green | Not published* | Bowling Green communications center dispatches animal control and county fire calls for the community. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- If a person is bitten or scratched by an animal, contact your local health department promptly; provider reporting rules do not replace getting medical advice.
- For wildlife babies or injured wild animals, use the Fish and Wildlife rehabilitator list instead of bringing the animal home.
- For city or county domestic-animal complaints, call the local animal-services office first, because Kentucky enforcement is usually local rather than statewide.
Not seeing your office or county?
Not every office publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Kentucky's population center, for comparison only):
- Cincinnati Animal CARE, Ohio · about 99 miles
- Cincinnati Health Department - Animal Bites & Rabies, Ohio · about 99 miles
- Metro Animal Care and Control, Tennessee · about 142 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Injured and Orphaned Wildlife
Website →Phone: (800) 858-1549 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Kentucky page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.