Animal Control Service for Tompkins County

Tompkins County Animal Control (TCAC) services the municipalities of Caroline, City of Ithaca, Danby, Enfield, Newfield, Town of Ithaca, and Ulysses locally in Tompkins County. TCAC is a division of the SPCA of Tompkins County.

Contact Tompkins County Animal Control

Joe Hoffer, Animal Control Manager/Senior Investigator
Email: investigator@spcaonline.com
animalcontrol@spcaonline.com
Office: (607) 257-1822 ext. 229
Animal Control Line: (607) 319-5067
After Hours/Emergency: (607) 592-6773

Stray Dogs and Injured Animals

Tompkins County Animal Control services the municipalities of Caroline, City of Ithaca, Danby, Enfield, Newfield, Town of Ithaca, and Ulysses locally in Tompkins County. If you are trying to report a Stray Dog in Lansing, Groton, or Dryden, please see below.

Tompkins County Animal Control (TCAC) is a division of the SPCA of Tompkins County. Local municipalities contract with TCAC to provide stray dog control services. TCAC officers will respond to calls regarding stray dogs and injured stray cats and will work with members of the public to resolve "nuisance" complaints (barking, abandonment, dangerous dogs etc.).

Although TCAC has not been contracted to provide animal control services in some municipalities, TCAC responds to reports of abuse, cruelty or neglect of any animal, anywhere in Tompkins County. Here is a brief outline of what TCAC does and does not do.

What TCAC does:

  • Provide emergency stray dog service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
  • Enforce dog licensure
  • Pick up stray dogs and provide impoundment services to contracted municipalities
  • Pick up distressed or injured stray dogs or cats
  • Respond to calls concerning:
    • Nuisance dogs
    • Dogs at large
    • Dangerous dogs
    • Cruelty, abuse, or negligence of any animal
  • Trap domestic animals under certain circumstances
  • Coordinate Trap Neuter Release program initiatives

For stray dog control residents of Lansing and Groton should contact:

Country Acres Pet Services
Office: (607) 749-2734
Cell: (607) 423-2888
Address: 5852 West Scott Road, Homer, NY 13077


For stray dog control residents of Dryden should contact:

Dog Licensing – Town of Dryden

Reporting Animal Cruelty

Every year, the SPCA of Tompkins County and TCAC rescues hundreds of animals from abuse, neglect and abandonment and prosecutes animal cruelty crimes. Our humane investigators respond to all reports of animal cruelty. This includes both pets and livestock. To report suspected animal abuse, neglect, abandonment or other concerns about an animal's well-being anywhere in Tompkins County, please contact us by calling (607) 257-1822 x229 or (607) 592-6773 in the event of an emergency.

Feral cats and TNR

The SPCA can provide help and resources in managing a feral or unowned cat population with the assistance of concerned members of the public.

A feral cat is one that has little or no human contact. Typically they have been living in the wild since birth or have been abandoned and have reverted back to the wild. Feral cats avoid human contact and adults usually cannot be socialized and are most content living outside away from people. Feral kittens, up to ten weeks of age, can often be tamed and made adoptable as pets.

Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) is an effective way to control feral cat or large unowned cat colonies. Feral and unowned cats are found in almost every community and their offspring bond together in groups called colonies. Typically the colonies stay where there is a steady food source and often times people care for colonies and provide food, water, and shelter.

To manage colonies, and the prevention of unwanted litters each and every year, TNR is an incredibly effective solution. Cats are trapped, brought to the SPCA for Spay or Neuter surgery, given rabies vaccinations, and ear tipped and tattooed at the surgical site for future identification so as not to duplicate spay neuter efforts.

If you are struggling to manage a colony of feral or unowned stray cats and need assistance in managing them or to report a colony of feral or unowned cats you believe need intervention, please contact us at (607)257-1822 x244 or via email at info@spcaonline.com.

Wildlife Nuisance

Please be aware that the SPCA of Tompkins County and TCAC officers are not licensed to handle wildlife in Tompkins County. Please do not bring injured or sick wildlife to our facility. If you find suspected abandoned wildlife, there is a link below to an article from our friends at the Humane Society of the United States with some great tips. If you suspect that wildlife is the victim of abuse or cruelty here in Tompkins County, you can report it to us at the number above. If you have found injured wildlife who may need immediate assistance, you can contact the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Center at Cornell University by calling (607) 253-3060. If you need assistance for “nuisance” wildlife we recommend contacting John Hatfield at Wildlife Resolutions Inc. at john@wildliferesolutions.com.com or at 607-351-7274 or visit their website at wildliferesolutions.com.




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