State guide
New Hampshire
New Hampshire animal control is usually handled at the city or town level, often through the local police department, dog officer, or another locally designated animal-control function. Injured or orphaned wildlife is handled through New Hampshire Fish and Game, which licenses wildlife rehabilitators and directs residents to contact the department before moving wildlife.
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 towns or cities, commonly through the local police department, dog officer, or another local animal-control function designated by the municipality.
- State wildlife agency (nuisance and injured wildlife)
- New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
- Nuisance wildlife help
- Official page →
- Reporting an animal bite
- NH DHHS says animal exposures must be reported under New Hampshire law to the Division of Public Health Services, Bureau of Infectious Disease Control; local animal control is also used for capture, confinement, and rabies testing arrangements.
- State rabies contact
- Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, NH Department of Health and Human Services
Official resources in New Hampshire
New Hampshire Fish and Game rehabilitators page
Official statewide list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators.
NH Fish and Game fawn and young wildlife guidance
Official Fish and Game guidance for injured, orphaned, or abandoned young wildlife, with contact directions.
NH DHHS Rabies and Animal Bites
State public-health handout for rabies exposures, bites, and reporting.
NH communicable disease rules (He-P 300)
Official state health rules listing rabies in humans or animals as reportable.
RSA 466:1-c
Official statute defining local law-enforcement officers for dog licensing and animal-control functions.
Key facts for New Hampshire
- New Hampshire law says a local law enforcement officer can be the local police department, the dog officer in a city or town, or a humane society designated by the local governing body.
- RSA 466:31 says if a dog punctures a person’s skin and the incident is reported to the animal officer or town clerk, that officer or clerk must notify the injured person within 24 hours whether town records show the dog is appropriately immunized against rabies.
- NH DHHS says animal exposures must be reported under New Hampshire law to the Division of Public Health Services, Bureau of Infectious Disease Control.
- NH Fish and Game says only qualified people with special rehabilitator permits may take in and care for injured or orphaned wildlife.
- NH Fish and Game says if you believe wildlife is abandoned, injured, or orphaned, do not move it and contact the department at (603) 271-2461.
- Manchester’s Animal Control Unit investigates complaints, enforces laws and ordinances, impounds strays, and handles wild animals that stray into the city.
Local animal control offices in New Hampshire
| Office | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester Police Department Animal Control Unit Hillsborough | Manchester | 603-792-5461 | Investigates animal complaints, enforces laws and ordinances, impounds strays, and handles wild animals that stray into the city. |
| Nashua Police Department / Animal Control Officer Hillsborough | Nashua | (603) 594-3500 | City materials show Nashua Police and the Animal Control Officer work with the Humane Society of Greater Nashua on shelter, pound, isolation, and quarantine services. |
| City of Rochester Animal Control Officer Strafford | Rochester | (603) 330-7122 | City page lists the Animal Control Officer and gives dispatch at (603) 330-7127 for additional help. |
| Rochester Police Department Strafford | Rochester | (603) 330-7127 | Police department page lists the Animal Control Officer on staff and provides department contact information. |
| Dover Police Department animal control function Strafford | Dover | Not published* | Official police page says the animal-control function operates within the patrol component and answers to the Day Shift Commander. |
| Town of Alton Animal Control Belknap | Alton | 603-875-3752 | Town page says animal control is reached through the Alton Police Department dispatch line and assists with rabies cases and dog bites. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- After any possible rabies exposure, wash the wound immediately and report the exposure to local animal control and to your medical provider.
- For injured or orphaned wildlife, do not take the animal home; contact NH Fish and Game first, then use the licensed rehabilitator list if directed.
- Because animal control is local in New Hampshire, start with your town or city police or animal-control officer if you need help with a stray, bite, nuisance dog, or rabies concern.
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 New Hampshire's population center, for comparison only):
- Animal Commission, Massachusetts · about 60 miles
- Animal Care and Control, Massachusetts · about 64 miles
- Animal Control, Massachusetts · about 66 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.New Hampshire Fish and Game rehabilitators page
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 New Hampshire page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.