animal control

American  

[an-uh-muhl kuhn-trohl] / ˈæn ə məl kənˌtroʊl /

noun

1. a government entity that takes custody of stray domestic animals and facilitates their return to or placement in a home environment, defends animals from abuse and neglect, and protects the public from aggressive or dangerous animals.

   Someone needs to call animal control to deal with the feral cats in this neighborhood.

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Etymology

Origin of animal control

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

Five days earlier, animal control officers in San Francisco captured a mountain lion within the city after an hours-long standoff.

From Los Angeles Times

The owner told an animal control investigator that she feared for her 8-year-old child and wanted to surrender Valerio.

From Los Angeles Times

Two animal control officers spotted the mountain lion as they patrolled the Pacific Heights area around 1:30 a.m., prompting an “hours-long standoff,” the agency said.

From Los Angeles Times

Animal control officers from Pasadena Humane confirmed that a bear was living under an Altadena house Sunday but could not be sure if the latest bear squatter was the same bruin from the earlier incident.

From Los Angeles Times

Multiple monkeys are on the loose in St Louis, Missouri, sparking confusion and concern from the city's animal control officials, who said they do not know where the primates came from.

From BBC