Waterford-East Lyme Animal Control

Waterford-East Lyme Animal Control The Waterford-East Lyme Animal Control is a full-service municipal animal shelter, serving the towns of East Lyme and Waterford Connecticut.

~~~~~~~Important Information~~~~~~~
Welcome to the Waterford East Lyme Animal Control! Location, Hours of Operation
Our hours are weekdays between 9 and 4 we CANNOT make appointments because we often get called out on the road to handle calls, we have to handle every animal call for 79 square miles of territory and there are only two ACO's handling the workload. If we are not at the shelter, call

the WPD routine number 860-442-9451 and they can let you know our ETA back to the shelter. The Waterford facility has been permanently closed, we are now operating out of the New London Animal Shelter which is located in the rear of Bates Woods Park at 120 Chester Street New London. While we are sharing space in the New London facility, we are still separate agencies, New London personnel do not respond or handle calls in Waterford or East Lyme. Impounded animals
All animals impounded at the shelter must by law be advertised in the paper and held for 8 days, giving the owners the opportunity to claim their animal. In that time period we are observing the animal's behavior and evaluating its adoption potential. Sadly, due to liability issues, animals showing aggression for any reason WILL NOT be considered candidates for adoption. For the animals that are adoptable, interested parties should come to the animal shelter in person and meet the animal and the ACO, complete an adoption application that will be used to help us determine the best candidate for adopting the animal. NO ONE will be considered for an adoption candidate if you do not come to the shelter to meet the ACO and the animal. Most animal adoption fees are $50.00 and include a voucher from the State of Connecticut good for money off getting the animal fixed plus 2 free vaccinations. However, some animals are available for whatever you would like to make as a donation to the animal shelter. Wildlife
Wildlife concerns in the State are handled primarily by the State DEEP, they can be reached at 860-424-3011. The ONLY time we would become involved would be the suspicion of rabies, then as a public service a Police Officer or an ACO will respond to evaluate the animal's behavior and symptoms, and if necessary, shoot and remove the animal. Any animal displaying aggression to humans or that appears "drunk" should be reported. Rabies is a neurological disease that affects the brain like alcohol, so any animal that is staggering, falling over, extremely wobbly such as a highly intoxicated person, should be reported. Wild animals that are attacked and killed by domestic dogs should be reported and may be tested at the UConn Health Lab at your expense. Sadly, the State of Connecticut will no longer pay for rabies examinations for only and animal exposure. Please do not claim you think the animal is rabid just to get a response, because if the animal is not showing signs or symptoms of rabies, the animal will not be removed. We cannot come remove foxes, coyotes, fisher cats, bobcats or other predators just because you don't want them around. Please keep your cats indoors and go outside with your dogs, keep them close especially at dusk, dawn and nighttime. Skunks, although smelly, are another animal we cannot evict from your property unless they are displaying symptoms of rabies. You can contact a nuisance wildlife control company, they are in the phone book under pest control. If you see any animal that is injured, please contact the routine number and we will make an effort to assist the animal, some can be captured and taken to wildlife rehab facilities, others need to be humanely euthanized to ease their suffering, still others may be left alone for nature to take its course. Mange is another disease that affects some animals in this area. Mange is a skin parasite that makes the animals look very unhealthy, their fur falling out as they scratch and itch. This may cause a nocturnal animal to be out in the daylight because they are not hunting as well as they would and they are looking for food. Mange is not a symptom of rabies and we cannot come out and trap or shoot animals showing symptoms of mange. Again, your concerns for these animals could possibly be addressed by DEEP or a nuisance wildlife control company. Cats
Sadly, in the state of Connecticut, cats are not regulated like dogs are. There are no laws or statutes that allow us to collect "stray cats" off the street and being a branch of the government, we can't do much without a law that gives me the authority. There are numerous stray cat rescue groups run by private citizens, however, many of them are already full with other stray cats, another resource for stray cats would be the Connecticut Humane Society on Old Colchester Road in Quaker Hill. However, many cats travel for miles from where they live so it is possible that the cat you think is a stray may in fact belong to a neighbor three streets away. Donations
All monetary donations made to the animal shelter are tax deductible by law as we are a not-for-profit entity. Checks should be made payable to the 'Town of East Lyme' and sent to Animal Control 41 Avery Lane Waterford, Connecticut 06385. I will make sure the money is deposited into a dedicated account that can only be used by the animal shelter. Amazon wish list
An ongoing list of items needed by the animal shelter that you could purchase and have delivered for us! Thanks for all your help, the animal shelter operates almost exclusively on donations. https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1IAO2YISBEGEE/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_1?_encoding=UTF8&type=wishlist

Thanks!!!

Found/Lost dogs in WaterfordThis little girl was just picked up on Parkway north, almost in front of Walmart.She was or...
10/25/2025

Found/Lost dogs in Waterford
This little girl was just picked up on Parkway north, almost in front of Walmart.
She was originally seen with another beagle in the same area. We were only able to locate one of them. If you see a beagle near I 95/Parkway North please give the nonemergency police number a call at 860-442-9451 ext 0.

Introducing Elphaba a.k.a. Elphie (brown/tan dog). Elphie was signed over by her owner when they were no longer able to ...
10/24/2025

Introducing Elphaba a.k.a. Elphie (brown/tan dog). Elphie was signed over by her owner when they were no longer able to care for her. She is about 11 months old and is a terrier mix. At only about 26 pounds she is rather petite but would benefit from gaining a couple more pounds. She has been very nervous at the shelter, but once you get her out out of her kennel she opens up more. Elphie has done well with our resident shelter cat and did wonderful meeting another dog. She would benefit best from going to a quieter home, preferably with a more confident dog to show her the ropes.
Elphie came in with her sister, Glinda, but her sister needs to stay another 2 1/2 months so she can have her puppies therefore is not available at this time.  if anyone would like to donate to these two for the upcoming puppies, here is a current link to our Amazon wish list, they seem to have some possible food, allergies.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1IAO2YISBEGEE/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_1
If you are interested in meeting this sweet girl please send us a Facebook message to set up an appointment to meet her and fill out an application at the shelter.

Update: cart is goneWould anyone be interested in this cart with wheels? We were using it to help feed the dogs, but we ...
10/23/2025

Update: cart is gone
Would anyone be interested in this cart with wheels? We were using it to help feed the dogs, but we found an easier way and don’t have space for it.

Our injured kitty went to our doctor today , they want to try to save his leg so we are treating him with pain meds and ...
10/21/2025

Our injured kitty went to our doctor today , they want to try to save his leg so we are treating him with pain meds and antibiotics in the hopes that it heals, recheck in 2 weeks to see if there is improvement , fingers crossed for this fella

Yesterday someone took this poor cat out into the forest and left it in a crate, at least they opened the crate door so ...
10/20/2025

Yesterday someone took this poor cat out into the forest and left it in a crate, at least they opened the crate door so the cat was loose when we got there, we had to utilize a trap to capture him and discovered he had a very significant injury to his front leg and was severely emaciated, at just over 3 pounds. The emergency vet saw him but due to the severity and how old the injury was they were unable to fix it, they believe he will need his leg amputated, he is on antibiotics and pain medication and he has another appointment with our vet tomorrow.
As you know the towns don’t provide us with much for a vet budget, they typically want us to choose the cheapest option available which in this case would not be surgery, so if anyone is feeling altruistic and would like to donate for his care you can call VCA at 860-442-0611 and put money on our donation account, I’m not sure right now how much an amputation costs but any funds raised over the cost will remain there to help the next animal in need. We believe this cat is worth saving and with the help of our followers, we can make that happen.

Happy Friday everyone!We have a dog that is expecting puppies in a few weeks! We are in need of some items for her and h...
10/17/2025

Happy Friday everyone!
We have a dog that is expecting puppies in a few weeks! We are in need of some items for her and her babies. Pictures to follow.

Found kitten in WaterfordThis little girl was found earlier today over by the Waterford Duck Pond.  We will be getting ...
10/16/2025

Found kitten in Waterford
This little girl was found earlier today over by the Waterford Duck Pond.  We will be getting her to the vet as soon as possible as she seems to have an upper respiratory infection. Until then we ask that you share her photo to see if we can find her owner, she is very sweet. 
This kitten is not available for adoption at this time.
If you recognize this kitten or know the owner, please send us a Facebook message. 

All the kittens have left the building, good luck kitties!
10/15/2025

All the kittens have left the building, good luck kitties!

Update, this pup has gone home. This chonker was found roaming on Bloomingdale road in Waterford, actually “roaming” mig...
10/15/2025

Update, this pup has gone home.

This chonker was found roaming on Bloomingdale road in Waterford, actually “roaming” might be too strong a word, he is so “big boned” that he was more waddling! No judgement here big boy! Does anyone recognize him? This dog is not avaliable for adoption at this time

well we had some luck with other long term dogs, Max and Yuki, now its time to work on finding Nova a new home, she has ...
10/14/2025

well we had some luck with other long term dogs, Max and Yuki, now its time to work on finding Nova a new home, she has been here for 3 months now, lets share her post and find her a great home!!

Introducing Nova!
Nova came to us a few weeks ago, afraid and alone after she was picked up roaming in East Lyme, most likely abandoned by her previous people.
Nova is a female, German Shepherd mix, approximately three years of age. She did okay with our tester dog, but was a little pushy, she would need to meet any potential canine siblings. She believes cats are fun to chase so she will not be adopted to a home with felines. Nova is a nervous girl, and will take some time before she is able to build the full trust she craves. Because of her nervous nature, we believe she would do best in a home without young children.
If you’re interested in meeting Nova to make her a permanent member of your family, please send us a Facebook message to set up a time to meet her and fill out an application.

Early this morning we got a call about a kitten stuck in a car engine block. It’s gar time of year when cats seek warmth...
10/13/2025

Early this morning we got a call about a kitten stuck in a car engine block. It’s gar time of year when cats seek warmth in a vehicle. This one appears to be about 12 weeks old, we brought him/her in to monitor and see if there are any injuries, we seem ok , just scared, we will continue to monitor, this kitten is not avaliable for adoption at this time

Address

120 Chester Street
New London, CT
06320

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 3pm
Tuesday 9am - 3pm
Wednesday 9am - 7pm
Thursday 9am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 3pm
Sunday 10am - 3pm

Telephone

+18604429451

Website

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~~~~~~~Important Information~~~~~~~ Welcome to the Waterford East Lyme Animal Control. Location, Hours of Operation.

The Waterford East Lyme Animal Control Facility in Waterford has been closed down, our agency is currently sharing kennel space at the New London Animal Control Facility located in Bates Woods Park on Chester Street in New London.

Our hours of operation are weekdays between 8 and 4, office hours between 9 and 3. We CANNOT make appointments because we often get called out on the road to handle calls, We have to handle every animal call for 79 square miles of territory and there is only one ACO handling the workload. If you wish to meet an adoptable animal, stop by the shelter, if someone is not at the shelter, call the WPD routine number 860-442-9451 and they can let you know our ETA back to the shelter. Impounded animals. All animals impounded at the shelter must by law be advertised in the paper and held for 8 days, giving the owners the opportunity to claim their animal, in that time period, we are observing the animals behavior and evaluating its adoption potential. Sadly due to liability issues, animals showing aggression for any reason may not be considered candidates for adoption. For the animals that are adoptable, interested parties should come to the animal shelter in person and meet the animal and the ACO, complete an adoption application that will be used to help us determine the best candidate for adopting the animal. NO ONE will be considered for an adoption candidate if you do not come to the shelter to meet the ACO and the animal. Most animal adoption fees are $50.00, and include a voucher from the State of Connecticut good for money off getting the animal fixed plus 2 free vaccinations. however, some animals are available for whatever you would like to make as a monetary donation to the animal shelter. Wildlife. Wildlife concerns in the State are handled primarily by the State DEEP, they can be reached at 860-424-3011. the ONLY time we would become involved would be the suspicion of rabies, then as a public service an officer or myself will respond to evaluate the animals behavior and symptoms, and if necessary, shoot and remove the animal. Any animal displaying aggression to humans or that appears "drunk" should be reported. Rabies affects the brain like alcohol, so any animal that is staggering, falling over, extremely wobbly such as a highly intoxicated person, should be reported. wild animals that are attacked and killed by domestic dogs should be reported and tested at the State Rabies Lab. We cannot come remove foxes, coyotes, fisher cats, bobcats or other predators just because you don't want them around. these predators have and will continue to kill and eat small animals in this area, this is part of the circle of life and not something we can address. Please keep your cats indoors and go outside with your dogs, keep them close especially at dusk, dawn and night time. Skunks, although smelly, are another animal we cannot evict from your property unless they are displaying symptoms of rabies. You can contact a nuisance wildlife control company, they are in the phone book under pest control. If you see any animal that is injured, please contact the routine number and we will make an effort to assist the animal, some can be captured and taken to wildlife rehab facilities, others need to be humanely euthanized to ease their suffering, still others may be left alone for nature to take its course. Mange is another disease that affects some animals in this area, Mange is a skin parasite that makes the animals look very unhealthy, with their fur falling out as they scratch and itch. This may cause a nocturnal animal to be out in the daylight because they are not hunting as well as they would and they are looking for food. Mange is not a symptom of rabies and we cannot come out and trap or shoot animals showing symptoms of mange. again your concerns for these animals could possibly be addressed by DEEP or a nuisance wildlife control company. Cats. Sadly in the state of Connecticut, cats are not regulated like dogs are, there are no laws or statutes that allow me to collect "stray cats" off the street, and being a branch of the government we cant do much without a law that gives us the authority, There are numerous stray cat rescue groups run by private citizens, however, many of them are already full with other stray cats, another recourse for stray cats would be the Connecticut Humane Society on Old Colchester road in Quaker Hill, however, many cats travel for miles from where they live so it is possible that the cat you think is a stray may in fact belong to a neighbor several streets away. Donations. all monetary donations made to the animal shelter should be made in the form of checks should be made payable to the Town of East Lyme or for our emergency medical veterinary fund, made payable to Goodfriends Vet Hospital and sent to Animal Control 41 Avery Lane Waterford Connecticut 06385. We will make sure the money is deposited into a dedicated account that can only be used by the animal shelter. Amazon wish list. an ongoing list of items needed by the animal shelter that you could purchase and have delivered for us! thanks for all your help, the animal shelter operates almost exclusively on donations. If you go to Amazon.com and search for wish list of East Lyme Animal Control you will find the link. Additionally donations of supplies can be dropped off at the animal shelter or the lobby of the Waterford Police Department.

Thank you all very much! without your support we would not be able to help the animals as much as we do.