Animal Care
If you’re reaching out about a request regarding an animal related issue, you can put in a request with Animal Care and Control. Click on the type of request that most matches your request:
Picking up after dog
If you have a pet, please be sure to pick up after it. It is not only the neighborly thing to do, but it is also the law. If you notice a neighbor is not picking up after their pet, the best thing to do is to talk to them directly. If you’ve spoken to your neighbor and not seen any improvement, you can contact our office at info@aldermanmartin.com, and we can send a letter to the neighbor.
Some people are interested in displaying signs reminding their neighbors about their responsibility to pick up after their pets. A number of online vendors sell these types of signs online for a nominal price.
Steps
Talk to your neighbor and remind them about their responsibility to pick up after their pet.
If you spoke directly to your neighbor and have not seen improvement, please feel free to reach out to our office at info@aldermanmartin.com.
Stray Animal
If you spot a stray animal in the neighborhood, you can report the location of the animal to Animal Care and Control. Please know that this request does not apply to wildlife which are not domesticated and do not have an owner.
Skunks and possums are protected by state law and cannot be trapped or reported as strays. Animal Care and Control will not remove them from their habitats. If a skunk or possum is inside your home, please contact our office at info@aldermanmartin.com. We can contact Animal Care and Control which can trap and remove the animal from inside your home.
Steps
Go to CHI311 to report a “Stray Animal.”
If you need help submitting your request through 311’s online portal, view our help article on submitting service requests.
Vicious Animal
If you were attacked by an animal or one attempted to attack you, you can contact our office at info@aldermanmartin.com. Please include the address of the incident, the type of animal, and any contact information for the owner. Animal Care and Control will investigate the incident. It is important that your contact information is included for the department in the case that they cannot immediately make contact with the animal’s owner, so that they can continue following up with you about the request.
Steps
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. Our office is available to assist during regular business hours. Feel free to email our office at info@aldermanmartin.com. Be sure to include any information you have about the incident, including the address, date and time, type of animal, and any contact information for the owner of the animal.
Coyotes
While coyotes population in Chicago is slightly increasing, they generally do not pose a serious threat to humans. Be sure to not approach, feed, or intimidate coyotes, and in most cases, coyotes will prefer to avoid human contact. If you do spot a coyote in your neighborhood, you can report the sighting to Animal Care and Control so they can continue to monitor coyote populations.
Steps
If you need help submitting your request through 311’s online portal, view our help article on submitting service requests.
Have a suggestion about how to improve services?
We always welcome suggestions on how to improve city services, so we can pass the feedback along to the Department and the Mayor’s office. Please send feedback and suggestions to info@aldermanmartin.com. It’s important to know that our city budget plays a significant role in determining the quality and timeliness of service that departments can provide. You can sign up for updates about the budget process and our town halls here.