State guide
Tennessee
Tennessee handles animal control locally, with city or county agencies and some contracted local programs doing sheltering, enforcement, bite investigations, and stray intake. Wildlife issues are split out to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, which directs residents to wildlife rehabilitators for injured animals and to permitted damage-control operators for nuisance wildlife.
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 handles animal control in Tennessee, sometimes through a local government program or contract shelter.
- State wildlife agency (nuisance and injured wildlife)
- Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
- Nuisance wildlife help
- Official page →
- Reporting an animal bite
- Report bites from wild animals or domestic pets to your local health department and your local animal control office.
- State rabies contact
- Tennessee Department of Health — Rabies (Animal, Human)
Official resources in Tennessee
Use this page to see Tennessee’s rabies reporting instructions, including where animal bites should be reported.
This is the state rabies disease page for immediate reporting and public-health follow-up.
Use this TWRA page for bear conflicts, sick or dead wildlife reports, nuisance-wildlife help, and rehabilitator links.
This is Tennessee’s official wildlife rehabilitator list.
Key facts for Tennessee
- Tennessee says report bites from wild animals or domestic pets to your local health department and your local animal control office.
- The Tennessee Department of Health lists rabies as an immediately reportable condition.
- TWRA says fawns can no longer be rehabilitated due to CWD.
- TWRA says wildlife officers typically do not trap or remove nuisance wildlife but will provide technical assistance.
- Knoxville’s official page says Young-Williams Animal Services handles animal control for both the City of Knoxville and Knox County.
Local animal control offices in Tennessee
| Office | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Animal Care and Control Davidson | Nashville | 615-862-7928 | Nashville-Davidson County’s animal control agency; its page includes animal complaints and animal-bite reporting. |
| Memphis Animal Services Shelby | Memphis | (901)636-6500 | Memphis is the municipal animal control and sheltering agency; the city directs residents to submit requests through 311. |
| Young-Williams Animal Center / Young-Williams Animal Services Knox | Knoxville | 865-215-6599 | The City of Knoxville says Young-Williams Animal Services is responsible for animal control services for the city and county. |
| Rutherford County PAWS Rutherford | Murfreesboro | 615-898-7740 | Rutherford County’s shelter and animal-control program; Murfreesboro’s legal page says PAWS enforces and maintains animal control within the city. |
| Montgomery County Animal Control & Adoption Service Montgomery | Clarksville | Not published* | County animal control and adoption service for Montgomery County’s unincorporated areas. |
| Chattanooga 311 / Chattanooga's Animal Services Hamilton | Chattanooga | (423) 643-6311 | Chattanooga directs residents to 311 for non-emergency animal-services requests. |
* 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 wild animal bites someone, contact both your local health department and local animal control office right away.
- For injured or orphaned wild animals, use TWRA’s rehabilitator list instead of trying to keep the animal yourself.
- For nuisance wildlife on property, check TWRA’s wildlife-damage page for permitted operators and species-specific guidance.
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 Tennessee's population center, for comparison only):
- Bowling Green Neighborhood and Community Services - Code Compliance & Animal Protection, Kentucky · about 79 miles
- Warren County Sheriff / Bowling Green Communications Center animal control dispatch, Kentucky · about 79 miles
- Huntsville Animal Services, Alabama · about 81 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Tennessee Department of Health — Zoonotic Diseases
Website →Phone: (615) 741-7247 (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 Tennessee page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.