You’ve got a raccoon in the attic, a snake in the garage, or bats circling the porch light. Your first thought is probably the same one everyone has: call animal control. It’s free, it’s the county, they must handle this.
Here’s the truth we tell every homeowner on the Treasure Coast who calls us after animal control turned them down: county animal control in Florida does not remove nuisance wildlife from your home. Not raccoons, not bats, not snakes, not rats. That’s not a Swift opinion. That’s the official policy of St. Lucie, Martin, and Indian River county animal control offices, and it’s on their own websites.
This article is the honest breakdown. Who to call, when, and what it will cost.
Quick Answer: Who Handles What in Florida
County animal control handles domestic animals only. Dogs, cats, livestock, cruelty investigations, and rabies control. They don’t come out for wildlife inside your home.
FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) regulates wildlife, but they don’t send someone to trap a raccoon out of your attic either. Their role is issuing permits, running the Nuisance Alligator Program, and licensing private wildlife trappers.
A licensed private wildlife removal company is who actually shows up when a wild animal is inside your home. That’s the whole industry Swift Wildlife operates in.
Here’s the quick-decision chart:
| Situation | Who to Call | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Loose or stray dog or cat | County animal control | Free |
| Injured wildlife on public property | County animal control (in some counties) | Free |
| Nuisance wildlife inside your home | Licensed private wildlife company | $150 to $2,500 |
| Alligator over 4 feet threatening people or pets | FWC SNAP Hotline (866-392-4286) | Free |
| Snake in the pool cage or garage | Licensed private wildlife company | $150 to $600 |
| Bat colony in attic | Licensed private wildlife company | $800 to $2,500 |
| Dead wildlife on your property | Licensed private wildlife company | $150 to $300 |
| Sea turtle or manatee in distress | FWC hotline (see below) | Free |
| Sick or rabid-looking wildlife | County animal control (Martin) or FWC | Free/varies |
What Florida Animal Control Actually Does
Florida county animal control offices are public-safety agencies focused on domestic animals. Their job is protecting the public from dog bites, running the animal shelter, enforcing leash and vaccination laws, investigating cruelty, and controlling rabies.
Wildlife inside your attic isn’t a public-safety issue in the way a loose aggressive dog is. That’s the reason it falls outside their scope.
St. Lucie County Animal Safety
St. Lucie County Animal Safety serves the unincorporated areas of the county. Their own website is clear: they handle “nuisance domestic animals (No wildlife)” and “wildlife calls are not handled afterhours.” They refer all wildlife issues to FWC.
Contact: 772-462-8120
Emergency after-hours (domestic animal only): call 911 or 772-465-5770 and ask for an Animal Safety Officer
If you live inside the city limits of Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, or Lakewood Park, city ordinances may apply and city police may be the initial contact, but wildlife referral is the same.
Martin County Sheriff Animal Services
Martin County is slightly different because the Sheriff’s Office runs animal services. They handle sick or injured wildlife (transported to Treasure Coast Wildlife Hospital), and they do respond to rabies-related calls. But their public page is explicit: “The Animal Services Unit does not respond to nuisance wildlife complaints.” They refer those to licensed trappers.
Contact: (772) 463-3211
Wildlife concern? Their page directs you to the FWC website and to hire a licensed private trapper.
Indian River County Animal Control
Indian River County Animal Control focuses exclusively on domestic animals. Their page states their scope is “the possession, ownership, care and custody of domestic animals.” For wildlife, they refer to FWC.
Contact: (772) 226-4799
Address: 4305 43rd Ave #B, Vero Beach, FL 32967
They also list direct FWC hotlines on their page:
- General wildlife: FWC Northeast Region, 352-732-1225
- Alligators: 866-392-4286
- Manatees: 800-342-5367
- Sea turtles: 727-896-8626
- Wildlife law violations: 888-404-3922
What FWC Actually Does
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is the state agency that regulates all wildlife. FWC does not send someone to trap the raccoon in your attic, even though they run the rules that govern how it can be trapped.
What FWC actually does:
- Registers and licenses private nuisance wildlife trappers
- Manages protected species (gopher tortoise, bats, sea turtles, manatees)
- Runs the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP)
- Enforces wildlife laws and investigates violations
- Publishes rules on which species can be trapped, how, and when
When county animal control tells you to call FWC for a raccoon problem, they’re not sending you to a removal service. They’re sending you to the agency whose rules the private trapper you hire has to follow.
When to Call FWC Directly
Call FWC first, not a private company, in these specific cases:
Alligator over 4 feet posing a threat
Call the FWC SNAP hotline at 866-392-4286. SNAP contracts with licensed alligator trappers to remove nuisance gators at no cost to the homeowner. Private wildlife companies, including Swift, do not trap gators over 4 feet. That’s the SNAP trapper’s job.
Sea turtle stranding or nesting disturbance
Call the FWC Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-3922 or the marine turtle hotline listed by your county. Never touch a sea turtle. All species are federally protected.
Manatee injury, stranding, or harassment
Call the FWC Manatee Hotline at 800-342-5367. Federal protection applies.
Injured bald eagle, hawk, or protected bird
Call FWC. Most private wildlife companies including Swift will refer these cases to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
Suspected wildlife crime
Call the Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-3922.
For everything else on this list — raccoons, rats, mice, squirrels, bats, non-venomous and venomous snakes, opossums, armadillos, iguanas, skunks, birds, bees — you’re calling a private wildlife company.
Why “Free Wildlife Removal” Isn’t a Real Thing in Florida
Some homeowners search for “free raccoon removal near me” hoping there’s a public option. There isn’t. Not on the Treasure Coast, not anywhere in Florida.
Anyone advertising “free wildlife removal” is doing one of three things:
- Running a bait-and-switch: free inspection, then a high quote for the actual removal
- Operating without a license, which is illegal and dangerous
- Offering “free removal” of an animal they plan to sell for pelts or meat, which is rare but does happen
The honest option is a licensed wildlife specialist who does a free inspection with a written estimate, and charges only if you hire them for the work. That’s how Swift’s free inspection works. You keep the estimate whether you hire us or not.
Animal Control vs Private Wildlife Removal: Real Cost Comparison
| Service | Animal Control | Licensed Private Company |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic dog or cat pickup | Free | Not applicable |
| Nuisance wildlife inside home | Not offered | $150 to $2,500 |
| Sick or injured wildlife pickup | Free (Martin only) | $150 to $300 |
| Dead animal in yard | Free (some counties) | $150 to $300 |
| Wildlife inspection | Not offered | Free at Swift |
| Written estimate before work | Not applicable | Included with Swift |
| Exclusion (sealing entry points) | Not offered | $500 to $2,000 |
| Attic decontamination | Not offered | $250 to $3,000 |
| Warranty on the fix | Not applicable | 1 to 2 years standard |
| After-hours emergency | Domestic only | Yes (Swift is 24/7) |
The comparison is not “free vs paid.” It’s “not offered by animal control, only available privately.”
Emergency Scenarios: Who to Call Right Now
Snake in your living room, bedroom, or garage
Do not call county animal control. Call a private emergency wildlife service. Swift answers 24/7 at (772) 227-1522. Identify the snake if you can safely see it, but don’t get close. Close the door on the room and wait for the technician.
Bat flying inside your house
Call animal control first only if there’s been potential contact with a person or a pet, which is the rabies exposure protocol. Otherwise, a private bat removal technician handles this. Isolate the bat in one room, turn off lights, open a window if safe, and step back.
Raccoon in your child’s bedroom or living space
Call a private wildlife company for immediate response. Close the door. Do not corner the animal. Emergency raccoon removal is a same-day service on the Treasure Coast.
Alligator over 4 feet in your yard or pool
Call FWC SNAP at 866-392-4286. Do not approach.
Alligator under 4 feet
This is treated as non-threatening under FWC guidelines. A private company can handle it if the gator is in a swimming pool or otherwise trapped in an enclosed space. Otherwise, most homeowners are advised to leave small gators alone.
Dead animal in your yard or attic
Some counties will pick up dead wildlife from public land. For private property, dead animal removal is a private service. Same-day dispatch.
How to Pick a Licensed Private Wildlife Company
Not every company that answers the phone for wildlife is qualified. Ask these before hiring:
- Are you licensed by FWC and insured in Florida? Real companies show it on the spot.
- Is the inspection free with a written estimate? If there’s a fee, does it credit back?
- Do you use rodenticide or poison anywhere in your work? Poison creates dead-animal-in-wall problems and secondary poisoning risk to pets and hawks. Swift uses none.
- What’s your written warranty on the exclusion seal? Standard is 1 to 2 years.
- Are you FWC-compliant with maternity seasons and protected species? A trapper who doesn’t know the bat exclusion window is not the right call.
When Swift Steps In
Swift Wildlife Removal is a licensed, insured, FWC-compliant family-run company serving 28 communities across St. Lucie, Martin, and Indian River counties. We handle the full call spectrum county animal control refers away:
- Raccoon removal from attics, chimneys, garages, decks
- Bat exclusion within FWC’s legal window (August 16 through April 14)
- Snake removal including venomous species identification
- Rat and rodent control with humane trap-and-seal (no poison)
- Iguana removal including monthly plans and HOA patrols
- Wildlife exclusion to seal entry points and keep animals out for good
- Dead animal removal with odor treatment and sanitizing
Our line is answered by a real person 24/7. No robots, no next-business-day. Free inspections with written estimates come standard.
Get a Free Inspection or Emergency Response
Call (772) 227-1522 for a 24/7 live answer, or book a free wildlife inspection online.
We cover Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Stuart, Jensen Beach, Palm City, Sebastian, Vero Beach, and 21 other communities on the Treasure Coast — see the full list of areas we serve.