It is the policy of the Animal Control Unit to provide the citizens of Mesa with courteous, professional and effective animal control, and to ensure the rights of animal owners and non-owners are protected and served.

Mesa is one of the few cities in the East Valley that has its own Animal Control unit within the Police Department. Other cities such as Cave Creek, Chandler, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Higley, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Queen Creek, Scottsdale and Tempe contract the services of Maricopa County Animal Care and Control. If you live in those cities and have an animal issue, please contact Maricopa County Animal Care and Control at 602-506-7387. Apache Junction residents can contact Apache Junction Police Animal Control at 480-983-4405. If you live in the West Valley cities of Avondale, Buckeye, Peoria or Surprise, please contact their own Animal Control units within their Police Departments. For all other cities in West Valley or if you live in a County Island, please contact Maricopa County Animal Care and Control at 602-506-7387.

If you are looking for a lost dog or cat, please go to the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control shelter at 2630 W. 8th Street in Mesa to look through the kennels. Remember, all dogs must be vaccinated for rabies and licensed through Maricopa County Animal Care and Control.

With only four Animal Control officers to cover the entire city of Mesa, presently service is seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.  Hours and waiting times may vary, depending on availability of an animal control officer. All calls for animal control service must be made to the police non-emergency number, (480) 644-2211, which is available 24 hours a day. This includes dead animal pickup, which is handled by an independent contractor. Dead animal pickup service is also provided daily as long as calls are received between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.; otherwise pickup will be the next day.

For information on Mesa's Animal Control, call (480) 644-2268. Mesa Animal Control handles all animal calls including dogs at large, wildlife, fowl, livestock, reptiles, unsanitary premises, noise disturbances (by an animal), animals at large, vicious dog incidents, animal bite reports, animal rescues, and cruelty/abuse/neglect situations. Mesa Animal Control also provides traps for Mesa residents to use in catching nuisance cats or other small animals.

There are no leash or license laws on cats and no agency picks up cats. Trapped cats can be taken to the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control shelter at 2630 W. 8th Street in Mesa or the Arizona Humane Society in Phoenix and do involve fees determined by the shelter.

Download our FAQs Brochure (PDF) or view it on the Web here.

The supervisor is Diane Brady who is available from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. She can be reached at (480) 644-2044. The office is also manned by an Animal Control Specialist, who can be reached at (480) 644-2268 or (480) 644-2084.