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Anchorage Animal Care & Control Center
 (Back to Administration Division)
 The Department of Health and Human Services contracts with Animal Licensing and Placement Services (ALPS), a subsidiary of Doyon Universal Services, JV, to provide domestic animal control services to the entire municipality. Animal Control Officers (ACOs) respond to an average of 800 citizen requests for service per month regarding animal cruelty, animal bites, loose animals, barking dogs, injured animals, and other requests for service. The center handles an average of over 700 live animals per month. Animal Control also:
- Accepts unwanted animals from owners.
- Rescues injured animals.
- Reunites lost pets with their owners.
- Provides an adoption service to people who want pets.
- Investigates charges of animal cruelty.
- Provides public education programs on responsible pet care and ownership to schools and organizations.
- Coordinates an avid volunteer program.
- Euthanizes animals upon request of the owner.
The Animal Care & Control Center is open to the public for customer service during the following hours:
Monday through Friday 11:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.
Saturday and Sunday 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Closed: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
| Animal Care and Contol Center |
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Main phone: 343-8118 |
| 4711 Elmore Road |
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Dispatch: 343-8119 |
| Anchorage, Alaska 99507 |
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Customer Service: 343-8122 |
Adopting a Pet
When you adopt a pet from the Animal Care and Control Center you are making a lifelong friend and you are also saving a life. Animal Care and Control has a great selection of adult animals for adoption. We also often have kittens and puppies, mixed breed, and purebred animals. (Click here for the current database of adoptable pets!) Many pets at the Animal Care and Control Center are waiting for new homes because they were obtained by someone with unrealistic expectations of the time, effort, and money required to sustain a lifelong relationship with their pet. Animals at Animal Care and Control are eager to find a new home and are just waiting for someone like you.
Animal Care and Control screens our dogs and cats for sound health and temperament. When animals are relinquished by owners, we make every attempt to collect a thorough history of that pet. Staff and volunteers try to learn as much as they can about all the animals in our care.
Don't be discouraged if you do not find the right pet for you the first time you visit the shelter. We receive new animals every day.
Care is taken to place the animals at the Animal Care and Control Center in safe, loving, permanent homes. Adopting a pet is a decision that should be considered carefully. We ask that you take the time to review our adoption information packet before choosing a friend for life. The packet contains information about required vaccinations, spaying/neutering and other helpful information. The packet can be obtained by visiting the center.
All animals adopted from the center will be spayed or neutered and microchipped prior to going to their new home. Spaying and neutering assists in reducing the number of unwanted pets coming into animal shelters. A microchip provides permanent identification to help return pets home in case they become lost. If the adopted pet is not already spayed or neutered at the time of adoption, it will be transported to a veterinary clinic for the surgery. The Municipality contracts with VCA Animal Hospitals to provide these services. The following fees are charged at the time of adoption.
Now that you've learned more about the adoption process and fees, be sure to check out our online database of pets currently available for adoption.
Animal Bites
Every year in the United States, animals bite nearly five million people, most of them children; seriously injure thousands of people; and kill about 100 people. You can prevent many bites by knowing how to recognize the warning signs of an animal that is likely to bite. You can also learn how to avoid situations that provoke bites and how to defend yourself if you are attacked.
The warning signs of a dog likely to attack will be an aggressive posture with the animal's hackles up, growling or barking, ears erect, body stiff or tense, stiff-legged stance with tail held high and possibly moving rapidly. The dog may also attack if afraid and will assume a fearful posture with ears back, body crouched, head held low, and tail tucked between his legs. Most animals' "warning signs" are similar to a dog's.
- Never touch or approach an animal you don't know to be friendly.
- Never threaten or tease any animal.
- Even a small dog or cat can inflict a painful bite.
 If you are bitten or scratched by an animal:
- First, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and warm water, then apply a sterile dressing. Seek immediate medical help. Ask the physician about a tetanus booster and/or rabies vaccination. Remember as many details as possible. Write down a description of the animal, time and location of the incident and try to remember where the dog went.
Anchorage law requires that all animal bites be reported to the Animal Care & Control Center. Call 343-8119 to make a report. The animal will need to be quarantined for rabies observation.
Barking Dogs
 Download our educational brochure "What You Should Know About Barking Dogs" here (PDF): Barking Dog brochure
Few things in life are as annoying as having to listen to the constant bark, howl, whine or cry of another person's dog. The noise from barking can disrupt sleep, lower the quality of your leisure hours, disturb your work, and make being at home unpleasant. The first reaction of many people faced with a barking dog problem is to call the authorities. Believe it or not, this is not always the best route to resolve the problem. This problem has been looked at nationally and the conclusions reached have been uniformly the same: Barking is a neighborhood problem. Here are a few facts about the owners of barking dogs that may help you deal with what the situation:
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The owner of a barking dog often doesn't know the dog is barking. Owners may leave for work with a quiet dog in the back yard and return home to a quiet dog. The dog may only be barking because its owner is gone.
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The dog barking may be a comfort to the owner. Barking may tell the owner the dog is well and the property is protected. The owner may assume it gives neighbors the same feeling.
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The owner may be desensitized to the barking. People that are around barking dogs all of the time learn to tune out the noise.
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The owners may assume that because they haven't had anyone complain about the noise, that the barking doesn't bother anyone.
Owners of barking dogs falling into the above categories are best dealt with as  neighbors. Letting the owner know, on a personal level, that the dog's noise is disrupting your life can be very effective. People that do not first attempt to solve the problem as neighbors often begin long-term neighborhood feuds. Tell the person, very politely--in person, in writing, or by phone--exactly what the nature of the annoyance is. Communicate things such as "I can't sleep"; "I can't hear my television"; "I work nights and sleep days"; or "I can't study because of the noise your dog is making". Neighborhood communication is a very important part of neighborhood security. Even the act of telling someone his or her dog is bothering you can further communication.
If these methods fail then you should call the Anchorage Animal Care & Control Center at 343-8119. Do not try to silence the animal yourself or wait until you can no longer handle the barking. Tackle the problem early on. Animals are family and disciplining someone else's family member can result in violence.
Licenses are required by Anchorage Municipal Code Title 17 ("Animals") for all dogs and wolf hybrids over the age of four months. Anchorage city boundaries (shown below) extend from the Knik River bridge in the north to several miles beyond Portage in the south--including Eklutna, Chugiak, Peters Creek, Eagle River, Anchorage, Girdwood, Portage, and all points in between. Unlicensed dogs are subject to a Notice of Violation, which carries a fine of $75. Any dog or wolf hybrid transported into the municipality must be licensed within 15 days of its arrival in the municipality.
A license identifies your dog as yours, showing everyone your dog is not a homeless stray and that the owner cares enough to register the pet legally. Your dog's personal data is kept on computer. Should your dog be found by an Animal Control Officer or a private party who contacts us, you will be notified by the Animal Care and Control Center as soon as possible. If your dog becomes accidentally injured and impounded, Animal Care & Control guarantees emergency or life saving treatment and stabilization of a sick or injured animal bearing a license tag. Local veterinarians are also more willing to invest emergency treatment in a sick or injured animal bearing a license tag.
Download the Dog License Application form here (PDF): Dog license application
Licensing Your Animal Facility
The following special purpose licenses are required for people or facilities keeping animals within the municipality:
Animal Litter License: A person who sells or reconveys not more than three litters of dogs and/or cats in a calendar year. Each litter must be registered with the Animal Care and Control Center
Multi-Animal Facility License: A person or facility with four or more dogs, four or more cats, four or more rabbits, four or more ferrets, four or more horses, or any combination of seven or more of the animals listed above.
Commercial Facility License: A person or facility that boards or grooms dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, and/or horses for fees or services, or reconveys four or more dogs or cats in a calendar year, or breeds more than three litters of dogs and/or cats in a calendar year. A pet store is a commercial facility.
Download the Special Purpose License Application form here (PDF): Special Purpose license application
If your pet becomes lost, don't give up. How carefully you search and how persistent and resourceful you are can determine whether or not your pet will be found. Look closest to home first and ask for help. Ask everyone if they have seen your lost pet. Place ads in newspapers, offer a reward, post "lost" signs, check with local veterinarians, notify neighbors, and visit Animal Care & Control.
Animal Care and Control now offers an online database (with photos) of "found pets." While this online search is a valuable resource, in addition to this, we strongly recommend you come to the Animal Care and Control Center in person because you are the only one who can positively identify your pet. Complete a Lost Report when you're at the center. Check the Anchorage Animal Care and Control Center every other day. Check the kennels, puppy room, and the cattery, as well as the Found Book and DOA files at the front counter.
Check in at the customer service area to have a staff member escort you to the back of the shelter to view animals that have just arrived.
If you find your animal at the center, you may be subject to impound fees.
Download our educational brochure "Responsible Pet Ownership and the Law" here (PDF): Restraint brochure
A leash is a great way to protect your pet from the dangers of the outside world such as cars, wild animals, and other people's pets. By keeping your pet on a leash, you are also acting as a good neighbor.
The municipal ordinance (Title 17) requires generally that a person who owns an animal, such as a dog or cat, shall control it at all times. In a public place, with some exceptions, the municipal ordinance requires that an owner shall have his/her animal under control and shall not allow it to roam neighborhoods or have access to other people's property.
Control means to simultaneously monitor, direct, and restrict an animal's movement and activities. Five types of control are defined in the municipal ordinance.
- Control by command means to control an animal by visual or audible commands, or a combination thereof, to which the animal responds promptly and accurately.
- Control by confinement means to control an animal in a humane manner within any fully fenced pen, kennel, yard or structure, which prevents the exit of any animal confined therein solely on its own volition and the protrusion through the outer perimeter of the enclosure of the animal's paws and/or teeth.
- Control by leash means to control an animal by securely attaching a leash, chain, or an item which is physically capable of restraining the animal, including electronic collar, to the animal which is in the secure possession of a person physically and mentally capable of monitoring, directing, and restricting the animal's movements and activities.
- Control by attachment means to control an animal by a harness or other similar device attached directly or indirectly to a person or immovable object by means of a chain, leash or similar device in such a manner that when the animal is on private property, it cannot travel off the private property or into in any public vehicular or pedestrian way, or other public easement; or when the animal is on public property, the animal cannot travel more than three feet from the immovable object and is not unattended by the owner.
- Control by harness means to control an animal by a harness or other similar device attached directly or indirectly to a person or object during an event of competition, training, demonstration, or show.
 Anchorage has a municipal ordinance requiring pet owners to "scoop up" after their pets, both at home and in public places. Dog droppings are a nuisance and a health hazard. They attract flies, spread disease, and are one of the largest causes of water pollution in Anchorage streams and creeks.
Anchorage has an estimated 65,000 dogs. Dogs relieve themselves every day, producing an average of 3/4 pound of waste per dog. That's over 48,000 pounds or about 24 tons of dog waste each and every day.
It's important for pet owners to "scoop up" after Rover on bike trails, in parks, and wherever Rover goes. Many city parks now have convenient refuse stations, like the one pictured to the left. But just in case there is not one at your park, or in case it is empty, you should carry a supply of plastic bags to clean up after your dog. Slip a bag over your hand and collect the droppings. Then pull the bag off of your hand so that the droppings are inside (like pulling off a sock cuff-first). Tie the bag shut and dispose of it in a trash can or animal refuse station.
You can be cited for violating care and sanitation laws if the waste is allowed to build up in your own yard, which often creates an unpleasant and unsanitary nuissance to neighbors.
There are many reasons why you should have your pet spayed or neutered:
- It is the best solution to uncontrolled breeding. A spayed or neutered pet will never add to the tens of thousands of surplus puppies and kittens born each day for which there are no homes available.
- It is good for your pet's temperament. Neutered males are often better behaved, less likely to roam or urinate in the house to.
- It is convenient for you. Spayed female pets never have "heat" periods. Male dogs or cats do not congregate in your yard during certain times. Neutered male pets are less likely to roam or get into fights.
- Spaying and neutering helps the health of your pets. Spaying your female pet before her first estrous cycle reduces the incidence of mammary cancer by 99.5%. Spaying also prevents an often fatal disease of the uterus and prevents ovarian and uterine cancers. Neutering your male pet eliminates the risk of testicular cancer and reduces the risk of prostate cancer.
- It permits your pet to live a more natural life. Unspayed and unneutered pets can be subject to almost constant frustration because their mating habits have been changed by thousands of years of domestication. Pets that are spayed or neutered live a more natural existence, much like that of animals in the wild.
Contact your local veterinarian or spay/neuter clinic to have your pet spayed or neutered.
The Anchorage Animal Care and Control Center provides live dog and cat traps for nuisance animal problems. If you are interested in acquiring a live dog or cat trap, please do the following:
- Call the Animal Care & Control Customer Service line (343-8122) during open hours. Ask the customer service representative if the particular type of trap (cat or dog) is available.
- Come to the Animal Care & Control center during the hours the center is open to the public. Deposits are required when checking out a trap and may be paid by cash, check, Visa, or Mastercard. Completion of an Animal Trap Agreement is required in addition to the deposit. The deposit will be refunded to you after the trap is returned.
Animal Control Officers will empty the trap as you catch stray animals. The Trap Agreement explains how to have that done.
Alaska state law mandates that a rabies vaccine must be given to all dogs, cats and ferrets which are over four months of age. Rabies vaccinations must be current for the issuance of health certificates, dog licenses and kennel licenses.
Diseases commonly vaccinated for in puppies include: canine distemper virus, Adenovirus 2 (upper respiratory disease virus, which cross protects for canine hepatitis), parainfluenza, leptospirosis, and parvo virus enteritis.
Kittens are routinely vaccinated for feline distemper, rhinotracheitis and calicivirus or FDCVR vaccine. Some owners, especially of show cats or which have increased exposure to other cats, may also elect to vaccinate for pneumonitis, a respiratory disease caused by Chlamydia. A vaccine is also available to protect against feline leukemia virus.
Please contact your veterinarian for a vaccination program for your pet.
Becoming a volunteer at the Center:
- Volunteers must be 12 years of age and accompanied by an adult if under 16 years of age.
- Complete a Volunteer Application.
- Attend one Volunteer Orientation and Training.
If you are interested in volunteering at the Center or have any questions please call the Volunteer Coordinator at 343-8252.
Requests for hearings may be filed on Notice of Violation(s) (NOVs) issued by the Animal Control Officers, as well as administrative decisions (classification, etc.) made under Title 17, to the Animal Control Hearings Office. All requests for hearing must be filed within 15 business days from the time you are served with an Animal Control NOV or administrative decision. The Hearing Office is located at 632 West 6th Avenue, Suite 740 (7th floor, City Hall). The Hearing Office is not a part of the Animal Care & Control Center.
Forms are available to file a request for Notice of Violation and/or administrative decision hearing at the Hearing Office and on this webpage, below. You may file the request by mail, in person, or by facsimile. The request must be filed at the Administrative Hearing Office. You should confirm by telephone whether the hearing office received your filing.
The Animal Control Center can provide information on appeal issues. You may contact the legal aid officer at 343-8128. When preparing for a hearing, you should file a Request for Information with Animal Control to request information pertaining to your case.
Hearing Office Location and Contact Information
| Animal Control Hearing Office |
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Phone: 343-4535 |
| 632 W. 6th Ave., Suite 740 |
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Fax: 343-4541 |
| Anchorage, Alaska 99501 |
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Hours: Weekdays 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. |
Download the informational brochure "Answers to Frequently Asked Questions on Title 17" here (PDF): Title 17 brochure
Download the Animal Control Appeal/Request for Hearing form here (PDF): Request for Hearing
Download the Request for Information form here (PDF): Request for Information
The key to keeping your family safe during a disaster is to have a disaster plan already in place. If you are a pet owner, that plan must include your pets. Being prepared can save their lives. Some tips for developing your plan include:
- Always keep a collar and tag on those animals that should normally wear collars.
- Identify possible locations where you can take your animals should you have to evacuate. People shelters generally cannot accept pets due to health and safety regulations and other considerations. Do not leave your pets behind if you must evacuate.
- Start a buddy system with someone in your neighborhood so that they will check on your animal during a disaster in case you aren't home.
- Store at least a one week supply of dry animal food and water. Also store bowls and a cat litter pan.
- Take several pictures of all your animals and keep these pictures with your important insurance papers that you would take with you if you have to evacuate. Store them in a resealable plastic bag in case you have to post them in the rain.
- Talk to your Veterinarian to see if he/she has a disaster plan. Your animal may need medical attention after a disaster has struck and you need to know where to take your animal. If your regular veterinarian does not have a plan, locate a veterinarian in your community who does.
- Keep a backup supply of your long term animal medications.
- Have assembled and ready to go a carrier to evacuate each cat, bird, reptile, or hamster in your household.
- Have a harness, stake out chain, and a leash for all the dogs in your household.
- If your dog is kept in an outdoor run, make sure it's in a location where falling debris (tree limbs, shingles, power lines, chimney bricks, etc.) won't fall on the run and possibly injure the dog.
- Be sure and comfort your animals during a disaster. They are frightened too, and having you near to give them a hug will help.
- Know where the animal shelters or animal rescue organizations are in your area. It is important to start looking for a missing animal as soon as you realize it is gone.
Download AK-Prepared's list of items to include in a disaster supply kit for your pets in PDF format here: Disaster Supply Kit for Pets
For more information on disaster planning for pets please visit the following web sites:
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