Report animal concerns | Clark County

Clark County Animal Protection and Control covers all of unincorporated Clark County and the city of Vancouver. We are here to take reports of animal emergencies and complaints of possible animal cruelty and neglect. Between the hours of 8am-5pm, you can call 564.397.2488. If you do not reach our dispatcher during these hours, it is because they are busy answering other calls. Our dispatcher can receive upward of 75 calls per day. It is very important that you leave a voice mail so we can follow-up with you.

As an alternative to calling, we encourage you to file a complaint online here: online complaint form. You can file the information anonymously. Please review the public disclosure information at the bottom of the form before you submit your online complaint.

Due to current workload volume and staffing shortages, after-hours emergency responses are currently limited to the assistance of law enforcement personnel only.

Nuisance and cruelty violations

Bees are considered agricultural, and therefore, are not currently subject to regulation. Learn more...
Inflicting pain or suffering - Intentionally or negligently causing or allowing animals to endure pain, suffering or injury, including not providing needed veterinarian care.
Loose dogs - "Running at large" means to be off the owner's property and not under the control of either the owner or a person authorized by the owner.
Neglect - Neglect or failure to provide minimum care sufficient to preserve the health and well-being of an animal within reasonable care, custody and control of the owner. This does not include emergencies or circumstances beyond the owner's control.
Too many animals - "Kennel" means either:
- Any premises used to conduct commercial business involving buying, selling, breeding for sale, letting for hire, boarding or training of dogs.
- Any premises where 10 or more adult dogs are kept for any purpose, including animal shelters, in unincorporated Clark County; or over 6 dogs in urban growth areas; or 4 or more dogs in the city of Vancouver.
Vicious animals - "Vicious" means showing an unprovoked tendency to endanger the safety of people, animals or property.

Horse neglect and abuse

If you observe any of the following conditions, please contact Animal Control at 564.397.2488:

No dry area for horse to shelter in or stand on
Little or no food and water
No regular caretaker visits
Visible hip bones and ribs
Questionable physical appearance of other animals on the property

Animal noise nuisance

Due to an increase in animal emergency calls and cruelty and neglect complaints, we are unable to prioritize most animal noise nuisance complaints. There may be a delay in responding to noise nuisance complaints and we appreciate your patience and understanding.

People living in urban and suburban areas of Clark County should expect to live with some level of noise. Even rural areas can be impacted by noise. Traffic, neighborhood children, lawn equipment, and barking dogs are just a few examples. As a resident, you are expected to tolerate most of these noises within reason. However, in the case of excessive noise caused by a pet, there are several things you can do.

Communicate with the pet owner
Try to talk to the pet owner about the problem. Sometimes owners are not aware of the problem, especially when they are not at home. A neighborly discussion can be helpful. Try to work out a mutually agreeable solution, and allow the pet owner a reasonable amount of time to remedy the situation. Make note of dates and times of your contacts with the pet owner and responses received.

Educate the owner
Send the pet owner our barking dog letter. It is designed to let pet owners know about the problem. This is the first step in a three step process towards resolution. Often this will solve the problem.

Evidence and a sworn statement will be required for animal control officers to follow up on these calls. You cannot report a noise nuisance complaint anonymously. Anonymous complaints will be closed immediately with no follow up. Resolution is generally a three step process and is not immediate.

Community Mediation
If the noise continues, you can try resolving the issue with your neighbor by contacting Community Mediation Services (CMS). CMS provides county residents with an informal, private way to improve communications and resolve disputes. Mediation is successful in over 85 percent of cases. Mediators will contact the other party for you to arrange a productive meeting. Contact CMS by phone 360.337.5862 or email info@mediationclarkcounty.org.

For noise nuisances that are a result of animal cruelty or neglect, contact Animal Control by filing an online complaint or calling 564.397.2488.