Animal Management

Please read applicable Georgia State Law and Wayne County Ordinances first!!!!!!!!

OCGA 4-8-1:  Under no circumstances shall a local government or any employee or official of a local government be held liable for any damages to any person who suffers an injury inflicted by a dog as a result of a failure to enforce the provisions of this article. Note, this does not relate to a shelter adopting out dangerous dogs. 

The primary mission of this office is the enforcement of the Georgia Responsible Dog Owner Law.  Dogs of known origin, i.e., identifiable neighbor dogs in violation of state law and county ordinances will receive priority over all other calls.  Stray dogs of unknown origin and questionable disposition should be dealt with by the landowner/tenant as with dealing with any wild animal that could potentially be a threat.  WCAM does not have the manpower or resources to respond to every stray dog call that is received and citizens will ultimately have to deal with aggressive stray dogs on their own at some point.

Landowners/tenants are protected by law when using force to protect themselves and their property against the threat of aggressive stray dogs.  All services will be in accordance with applicable State law, and Wayne County Ordinances.  Misrepresenting the status of an animal to an officer is a violation of state law and punishable by a fine of up to $1000 and a year in jail.

CATS: If you have a cat problem and have a landlord, the landlord needs to address your problem through a local pest service.  Feral cats will only be taken for elimination purposes as time and space permits.  Pet surrenders are only taken by appointment as time and space permits.  Cat impounds are limited solely to lost pets for the purpose of returning them to an owner and not as a means to eliminate an existing stray cat population.

DOGS: Stray dogs of unknown origin are picked up as time, space, and manpower is available.  The Jesup City Pound will not exceed capacity just to pull a non-aggressive dog off the street.  Owner surrenders are only taken by appointment as time and space are available. A dog reported as aggressive must be supported by a written statement from the reporting individual.  If an owner does not come forward that dog will be euthanized without regard to rescue services.  If an aggressive dog comes on your property and attempts to bite, chases people, or attacks pets or livestock, that animal may be killed by the landowner and a report should be made to the local sheriff's office of the incident.  Owners of said animals are liable for damages caused due to their irresponsible ownership of the dog/s.

WCAM does not pick up chickens, pigs, goats or similar livestock. While ordinances apply to livestock, the Jesup City Pound does not house them. The same rules apply to livestock as a domestic pet with regards to aggressive behavior. Most stray livestock belongs to someone within a  hundred yards of you.

All services are rendered as they are received via our recorded call system.  Due to the vast number of calls you may or may not get contact from the office on the day a request is placed.

Due to a lack of space available at the Jesup Pound, if the county officer is conducting investigations into active cases, performing administrative duties required by the position, conducting in-service training required by the Georgia Public Safety Training Center, or on leave service may be delayed.

Service does not include wild animal control or infiltration into areas under or inside homes.  If you have problems of this nature contact an insured and licensed pest service.

Service may also be denied for other reasons based on the situation at hand or circumstances not listed here at the officer's discretion. Issues involving property damage should be directed to the Wayne County Sheriffs Department.

Please include a name, address, phone number, and full description of the problem when leaving a message.  If stray animals are involved that roam the area include size, color, and breed if possible.  If a neighbor's pets are involved the neighbor's name and address should be provided when possible.

Contact the County

Administration Building (more)
341 E Walnut St
Jesup, GA 31546
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  • Phone: (912) 427-5900
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