Minnesota Makes You Remove a Dead Animal From Your Own Land, but Pets and Livestock Follow Different Rules
November 15, 2026
A dead animal on your property in Minnesota is your responsibility to remove. Neither the state nor most cities will come and pick it up from your yard, and the rules change depending on whether the animal was a pet, a wild animal, or livestock.
This article covers who to call, what you can legally do with a carcass, and when a dead animal is a reason to contact the state. It also covers walls, attics, rentals, and the health precautions that matter before you touch anything.
What to Do When You Find a Dead Animal on Your Property in Minnesota
Start by leaving the animal where it is and figuring out what kind it is. A dead songbird or mouse is a different job than a dead deer, a dead pet, or a dead bat. Keep children and pets away while you decide how to handle it.
Most people will end up handling a small animal themselves with gloves and a bag. For large animals, or any animal you are unsure about, calling a professional is the safer choice.
- Keep people and pets away from the animal.
- Identify the animal if you can do it from a distance. Look for signs of sickness in the area, such as other dead animals.
- Put on disposable gloves before any contact. Use a shovel or a bag turned inside out over your hand rather than bare skin.
- Decide on a disposal route: trash, burial where allowed, a hauler, or a removal service.
- Wash your hands and tools with soap and water afterward.
Who Is Responsible for Removing a Dead Animal on Private Property in Minnesota?
You are. Minnesota cities that publish guidance say it plainly: if the animal is on private property, the homeowner is responsible for having it removed, and the DNR does not remove dead animals from private property. The City of Shorewood publishes this directly, and the City of Chanhassen says the same thing about both city staff and the DNR.
The Minnesota DNR states that it does not offer wildlife removal services and does not have the staff capacity to do so.
If the animal is a pet, livestock, or died in a rental, the responsible person may be someone other than the property owner. Those cases are covered further down.
Who to Call for Dead Animal Removal in Minnesota
Your first call depends on where the animal is and how big it is. Start with the lowest-cost option and work up.
| Situation | Who to Contact |
|---|---|
| Small animal in your yard | Your own gloves and bag; ask your trash hauler about its policy |
| Large animal such as a deer | Your trash hauler, a private dead animal or wildlife removal company, or your city’s animal control for instructions |
| Animal inside walls or attic | Private wildlife control or dead animal removal company |
| Five or more dead wild animals in one spot | DNR Information Center |
| Dead livestock | Rendering service, composting, or burial following state rules |
Hennepin County tells residents with a dead animal on their property to call the city’s animal control unit for instructions or help with disposal. In Hennepin County, that is where to begin, even though the city may not remove the animal itself.
For private property, many cities point residents to their trash hauler. The City of Shorewood notes that some haulers will take a dead animal, and says residents should confirm this with the hauler directly.
The DNR Information Center is reachable at 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367, according to the National Loon Center, which lists both numbers for reporting sick or dead wildlife.
Dead Animal on Your Property vs. a Public Road or Right-of-Way in Minnesota
Who removes the animal depends on who owns the road, not on how close the animal is to your house. A deer lying in the ditch beside your driveway may be on public right-of-way, and a different agency handles it.
Shorewood’s guidance shows how the split works in practice. City streets go to Public Works, county roads go to Hennepin County, and state highways go to a state number, 651-582-1550. Those phone numbers are specific to Shorewood and Hennepin County, so check your own city or county for the equivalent.
If you are not sure who owns the road, call your city first. They can tell you whether it is a city street or whether to call the county or the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Pro Tip: Take a photo and note the nearest cross street or mile marker before you call. It helps whichever agency answers locate the animal quickly.
Can You Throw a Dead Animal in the Trash in Minnesota?
Often yes for small animals, but it depends on your hauler and your city. Minnesota has no single statewide rule that tells you to put a mouse or songbird in the garbage or keeps you from doing so, so the answer comes from your waste hauler’s terms and your city’s solid waste ordinance.
The practical approach is to double-bag the animal in heavy plastic, tie it off, and call your hauler to ask whether it accepts animal carcasses in the regular cart. Shorewood’s guidance specifically suggests checking with your trash collector first, since some will take them and others will not.
Large animals, including deer and pets, generally do not belong in a household cart. Livestock carcasses are regulated separately under state law.
Can You Bury a Dead Animal on Your Property in Minnesota?
For livestock and most domestic animals covered by the statute, yes, with conditions. Under Minnesota Statute 35.82, an owner of a domestic animal that dies must bury the carcass at a depth that prevents scavenging by other animals, burn it thoroughly, or dispose of it by another method the Board of Animal Health approves.
The statute does not name an exact depth in feet. It sets a performance standard: deep enough that other animals cannot dig it up.
The statute also excludes domestic animals that are normally kept in the home, which covers most pets. According to the Hallowed Paws pet cremation guide, that means the state carcass rules do not cover pets, and the statute says nothing in it limits local governments from regulating those animals. Pet burial is therefore decided by your city, county, HOA, or landlord.
For a wild animal, nothing in the state statute requires burial. The practical limit is that burying near a well, creek, or high water table can cause problems, and some cities restrict it.
Other Legal Ways to Dispose of a Dead Animal in Minnesota
You have more options than burial or the garbage cart. Which ones apply depends on the animal and your location.
- Burning: The state statute allows thorough burning of domestic animal carcasses, but local open-burning rules and fire restrictions still apply.
- Natural decomposition: Chanhassen’s guidance says a homeowner can move a small wild animal to a secluded part of the yard and let it decompose, which takes a couple of weeks.
- Hauler or removal service: A trash hauler or private company can take the animal for a fee.
- Rendering: Livestock owners can use a licensed rendering service. The statute lets the Board of Animal Health issue permits to rendering plants to transport carcasses of domestic animals.
- Composting: The statute lets a sheep producer compost sheep carcasses on their own land without a permit, and the Board of Animal Health sets best management practices for other livestock.
- Pet cremation: Minnesota does not license pet crematories for consumers, since its cremation statute covers human remains, but private pet cremation services operate widely.
Leaving a carcass to decompose is only practical for small wild animals on larger lots. In a neighborhood it will draw scavengers and odor complaints.
How Soon Must a Dead Animal Be Removed in Minnesota?
For livestock and covered domestic animals, state law requires disposal “as soon as reasonably possible.” Under the disposition of carcasses provision, the owner must bury, burn, or otherwise dispose of the carcass in that timeframe.
The statute does not set a number of hours or days. Some secondary sources cite a 72-hour limit for livestock, but the statute text itself uses the “as soon as reasonably possible” standard, so that is the safe one to work from.
For a dead wild animal on your own yard, state law does not set a deadline. Your city’s nuisance or property maintenance ordinance may, and odor and flies in warm weather make speed practical regardless. Aim to remove it within a day or two.
Dead Wild Animal on Your Property in Minnesota
A dead raccoon, squirrel, opossum, or bird is yours to deal with, and most people handle small ones with gloves and a bag. The DNR does not collect them, but it does want to hear about unusual die-offs. According to the DNR’s wildlife page, contact them if you find five or more dead wild animals in the same spot that appear to have died around the same time.
Deer get their own channel. The DNR asks the public to report a sick or dead deer that looks suspicious through the DNR Information Center at 888-646-6367 or a local area wildlife office.
If the animal is a species you could not lawfully take, such as an eagle or a protected animal, do not move or keep it. Call the DNR. The University of Minnesota’s Bell Museum salvage project also asks people not to pick up bald or golden eagles and to call a local wildlife rehabilitation center or DNR office instead.
The Bell Museum takes freshly dead, intact birds and mammals for research. If you find one with no maggots or sign of rot, the project may be interested, so check their page before disposing of it.
Dead Pet on Your Property in Minnesota
If your own pet died, the state livestock carcass statute does not govern it, and local rules do. That leaves you with several options: bury it on your property if your city and county allow it, use a veterinarian’s disposal or cremation service, or use a private pet cremation company.
Before burying, call your city hall or check your ordinance, and read your HOA rules or lease if you have one. Dig deep enough that animals cannot reach the remains and stay away from wells, water lines, and waterways.
If you find someone else’s pet dead on your property, check for a collar or microchip and contact local animal control or a veterinarian, who can scan for a chip and help reach the owner. For more on the legal side of wildlife and pet control visits, see this article on whether animal control can enter your property in Minnesota.
Dead Livestock on Your Property in Minnesota
Livestock is the one category where Minnesota has real statewide rules. Under state law, the executive director of the Board of Animal Health is responsible for regulating disposal of livestock mortalities from disease and from non-disease causes, and the board must seek input from the Pollution Control Agency where disposal may affect ground or surface water. The text is in Minnesota Statutes Chapter 35.
Under Statute 35.82, the owner of a dead domestic animal must dispose of it as soon as reasonably possible by burial deep enough to prevent scavenging, burning, or another board-approved method. A violation of the burial or burning requirement is a misdemeanor, according to the Minnesota Criminal Justice Statute Service.
The statute also tells the Board of Animal Health to develop best management practices for dead animal disposal, which the Pollution Control Agency’s feedlot program distributes to livestock producers. If the animal may have died of a reportable disease, call your veterinarian or the Board of Animal Health before moving it.
Pro Tip: Keep disposal away from wells, streams, and drainage ditches. State oversight explicitly considers ground and surface water, and that is where most carcass disposal problems start.
Dead Animal on a Neighbor’s or Rental Property in Minnesota
If the animal is on your neighbor’s land, it is your neighbor’s responsibility, not yours. Tell them in person or by note, and if they do not respond and the smell becomes a problem, report it to your city’s code enforcement or nuisance department.
If you rent, check your lease first. In most cases the landlord or property manager is responsible for animals in shared yards, crawl spaces, and building systems, while a tenant handles a small animal inside their own unit or on a private patio.
Put the report in writing, with the date and a photo. If a dead animal in a rental is creating a health problem and the landlord does not act, contact your city’s housing or inspections office.
Dead Animal in Your Walls, Attic, or Crawl Space in Minnesota
This is the situation most likely to require a professional. You may only notice a smell at first, and a body in a wall cavity or under insulation is hard to find and unpleasant to reach.
A licensed wildlife control company can locate the animal, remove it, and deal with the odor and any contaminated insulation. Because bats and some other animals are protected under Minnesota law, a company that knows the rules can also avoid removing protected species improperly. The state classifies bats, snakes, and turtles as protected wild animals, which is a reason to confirm the species before acting.
- Ask whether the company will find the entry point, not just remove the body.
- Ask whether odor treatment and insulation replacement are included in the quote.
- Do not seal a hole until you know no live animals are inside.
Odor from a dead rodent or squirrel usually fades over a few weeks. Larger animals such as raccoons can take much longer and attract flies, so removal is the better route.
Health Risks of Handling a Dead Animal
Most dead animals are harmless to handle with basic precautions, but some carry disease. Rabies is the best known, and bats, skunks, foxes, and raccoons are the animals most associated with it. Never handle a bat with bare hands.
Wear disposable gloves, avoid touching your face, and use a shovel or a bag over your hand. Do not pick up an animal that has visible maggots on a hot day without protection, and wash your hands and tools afterward with soap and water.
If a pet has been in contact with a dead wild animal, or you have a bite or open wound that touched the carcass, call your doctor or veterinarian. Do not wait to see whether symptoms appear.
Important Note: This section is general safety information and not medical advice. If you have been bitten, scratched, or have had skin contact with a possibly rabid animal, contact a doctor or your local health department right away.
Reporting Sick or Multiple Dead Animals in Minnesota
A single dead bird or squirrel is normal. A group of dead animals is not, and the DNR wants to know about it. The DNR asks you to contact it if you find five or more dead wild animals in the same place that appear to have died around the same time.
The DNR Information Center is the starting point. The numbers are 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367. Report the location, species, how many animals, and whether any appear sick.
For deer that look suspicious, the DNR has a dedicated reporting line. For dead livestock that may have died of disease, contact your veterinarian or the Board of Animal Health. Do not move or touch a cluster of dead animals until you have talked to the DNR.
Dead Animal Removal Cost in Minnesota
Doing it yourself costs a pair of gloves and a bag. Hiring someone is where cost enters, and prices vary by animal size, location, and whether the animal is in a hard-to-reach spot.
No official state source publishes standard prices for private dead animal removal, so you will need quotes from local companies. Ask for the total, including travel, disposal, and cleanup, and ask if there is a flat fee or an hourly rate.
- A trash hauler may take a small animal at no extra charge, or charge a pickup fee.
- Yard removal of a medium or large animal costs less than attic or wall work.
- Wall, attic, and crawl space jobs cost the most because of the search, access, and cleanup involved.
- Rendering and livestock pickup are priced by the animal and distance.
Get at least two quotes for any job involving a structure. Homeowner’s insurance seldom covers dead animal removal, but check your policy.
City and County Dead Animal Rules in Minnesota
Local rules do most of the work in Minnesota. The state sets the livestock standard, but the statute explicitly says nothing in it limits local governments from regulating the disposition of domestic animal carcasses excluded from the statute, which includes pets.
That means your city or county ordinance controls pet burial, whether a carcass can go in the trash, and how quickly a nuisance must be cleared. Rules in a large city such as Minneapolis can differ from those in a small township.
Call city hall, the public works department, or the code enforcement office. County solid waste offices, like the one behind the Hennepin County carcass page, can also point you to the right department.
If you are unsure about wider animal control authority on your property, our article on animal control entry in Minnesota explains how officers can respond. If you hunt or butcher on your land, see the pieces on hunting on your own property in Minnesota and butchering your own animals in Minnesota, since carcass disposal comes up in both.