State guide
Massachusetts
Massachusetts handles ordinary animal control at the municipal level: each city and town must designate an animal control officer annually, and that officer may be a police officer or constable. For wildlife help, MassWildlife directs residents to licensed wildlife rehabilitators and notes that municipal ACOs mainly deal with domestic animal issues while licensed PAC agents handle nuisance wildlife problems.
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 town animal control; Massachusetts requires every municipality to designate an animal control officer, who may be a police officer or constable.
- State wildlife agency (nuisance and injured wildlife)
- Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife)
- Nuisance wildlife help
- Official page →
- Reporting an animal bite
- Report animal bites or other potential rabies exposures to the local Municipal Animal Inspector.
- State rabies contact
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology and Immunization; Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Division of Animal Health.
Official resources in Massachusetts
State list of municipal animal control officers reported to MDAR.
MassWildlife map and table for licensed wildlife rehabilitators.
State rabies control page for bite reporting and animal quarantine rules.
DPH rabies hub for public, provider, and surveillance information.
Key facts for Massachusetts
- Each mayor or board of selectmen must designate an ACO yearly.
- MassWildlife says licensed PAC agents differ from municipal ACOs, who mainly handle domestic animal issues.
- Animal bites or potential rabies exposures are reported to the local Municipal Animal Inspector.
- MDPH Division of Epidemiology makes human rabies exposure decisions.
- MassWildlife’s rehabilitator list was updated September 24, 2026.
Local animal control offices in Massachusetts
| Office | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Care and Control Suffolk | Boston | 617-635-5348 | Enforces animal laws, issues dog licenses, investigates cruelty and neglect, and has after-hours emergency response. |
| Animal Control Worcester | Worcester | 508-799-1211 | Handles unlicensed and unvaccinated animals, leash issues, animal bite quarantine, stray pickup, and other complaints. |
| Animal Commission Middlesex | Cambridge | 617-349-4376 | Facilitates animal control and welfare, licenses dogs, rescues sick or injured pets and wildlife, and enforces animal laws. |
| Animal Control Hampden | Springfield | 413-781-1484 | Listed in the city contact directory as Springfield’s animal control service through the Thomas J. O’Connor center. |
* 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 pet or person was bitten, contact the local Municipal Animal Inspector right away and keep the biting domestic animal available for quarantine.
- For injured or orphaned wildlife, use the MassWildlife rehabilitator list before moving the animal.
- For wildlife damaging property, look for a licensed Problem Animal Control agent rather than your town ACO.
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 Massachusetts's population center, for comparison only):
- Animal Shelter, Rhode Island · about 28 miles
- Providence Animal Control Division, Rhode Island · about 31 miles
- Nashua Police Department / Animal Control Officer, New Hampshire · about 33 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Municipal Animal Control Officers in Massachusetts
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Massachusetts page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.