State guide
Montana
Montana’s official guidance points residents first to local animal control officers or the county sheriff for suspected rabies animals, reflecting the state’s mix of city animal control programs and rural law-enforcement response. For injured or orphaned wildlife, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks operates the Montana WILD Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and publishes a help page that also lists permitted raptor rehabilitation facilities.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
- Who handles animal control locally
- Usually city animal control in larger municipalities, but Montana’s official rabies guidance specifically tells residents to report suspect animals to local animal control officers or the county sheriff’s office, which matters in rural areas.
- State wildlife agency (nuisance and injured wildlife)
- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
- Reporting an animal bite
- Rabies in a human or animal, or exposure to a human by a species susceptible to rabies infection, must be reported to the local health department in Montana.
- State rabies contact
- Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Communicable Disease Epidemiology Section
Key facts for Montana
- Montana’s livestock rabies page says descriptions of suspect animals should be reported to local animal control officers or the county sheriff’s office as soon as possible.
- DPHHS says rabies in a human or animal, or exposure to a human by a rabies-susceptible species, is reportable to local health departments.
- FWP says if you are unsure whether wildlife needs help, call the Montana WILD Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at 406-444-9942.
- FWP says no wildlife rehabilitators in Montana, including Montana WILD, may rehabilitate ungulates, canids, or rabies-vector species.
- FWP’s injured-wildlife page lists permitted raptor facilities in Helena, Bozeman, Missoula, and Kalispell.
- DPHHS lists its communicable disease line as 406-444-0273 and identifies a Vaccine-Preventable Disease and Rabies Epidemiologist on the contact page.
Local animal control offices in Montana
| Office | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billings Animal Control Yellowstone | Billings | (406) 657-8226 | City animal control under the Billings Police Department; handles bites, cruelty, dangerous animals, noisy animals, and wildlife loose in the city. |
| Animal Control/Urban Wildlife - Helena Police Department Lewis and Clark | Helena | Not published* | City officers handle cruelty, strays, citations, quarantines, deceased animals, and urban-wildlife coordination with FWP. |
| City of Bozeman Animal Control Gallatin | Bozeman | Not published* | Official city animal-control documents show the Animal Control Officer contact for barking-dog and kennel-related matters; Bozeman Police monthly report says ACOs investigate cruelty, neglect, and bite cases. |
| Kalispell Police Department Administrative Division Flathead | Kalispell | 406-758-7780 | Administrative Division includes one animal control warden within the police department. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- If the animal may be rabid, do not handle it; report it to local animal control or the county sheriff, then contact local public health for exposure guidance.
- For injured or orphaned wildlife, call Montana WILD before moving the animal and follow FWP instructions on species they cannot accept.
- Use your county or tribal health department for bite and rabies-exposure reporting when possible.
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 Montana's population center, for comparison only):
- Idaho Falls Animal Services, Idaho · about 231 miles
- Town of Jackson Animal Shelter, Wyoming · about 231 miles
- Sheridan Police Department, Wyoming · about 253 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Montana page on USA.gov can point you to the right office.
- Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.