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!!!

Another improvement we have done, a large banner for adoption photos! This banner features the cartoon images of the dog...
08/19/2025

Another improvement we have done, a large banner for adoption photos! This banner features the cartoon images of the dogs belonging to your animal control officers. We have Tucker, Gwen, Tulip, Tika, Belle and Dixie!

So many people seem to have difficulty locating the animal shelter building in Bates Woods park, so we made a sign place...
08/18/2025

So many people seem to have difficulty locating the animal shelter building in Bates Woods park, so we made a sign placed at the end of the parking lot to point out the driveway that leads to our facility. Hope this helps!

While deer are not a rabies vector species, this is an example showing that any warm blooded animal can contract this de...
08/13/2025

While deer are not a rabies vector species, this is an example showing that any warm blooded animal can contract this deadly disease. Please be aware and report any animals showing aggression to humans or appearing drunk. please ensure all pets and livestock are fully vaccinated and speak to children to ensure they know not to approach or handle wildlife.

PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT: DEER TESTS POSITIVE FOR RABIES IN WATERFORD

A DEER FOUND ON GUN SHOT ROAD IN THE TOWN OF WATERFORD WAS TESTED AND FOUND TO BE POSITIVE FOR RABIES ON AUGUST 12, 2025.

Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that can infect all warm-blooded animals, including people. It is spread mostly by wild animals, but unvaccinated cats and dogs may also become infected and spread the virus. The rabies virus lives in the saliva and brain tissue of infected animals. Rabies can be spread by scratches from infected animals or when infected saliva comes into contact with open wounds, breaks in the skin or mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth, etc.)

DO YOUR PART!
• Refrain from feeding or approaching any wild or stray animals
• Keep your pets up to date on their rabies vaccines
• Limit your pets unsupervised time outside

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ledge Light Health District at 860-448-4882 or the WATERFORD ANIMAL CONTROL at 860-442-9451.

Happy International Cat Day!Right now we have one cat and eight kittens to celebrate with. The kittens are still too you...
08/08/2025

Happy International Cat Day!
Right now we have one cat and eight kittens to celebrate with. The kittens are still too young to be adopted and mom is still busy with them so she’s not ready either but we still had to celebrate! Introducing Angel, the mother and her kittens Bamboo, Reef, Goblin, Mako, Lemon, Tiger, Pygmy and Dusty.
Angel adopted the three younger ones who are about a week younger than the other five, she is one special kitty!
Keep an eye on our page for updates. When we start accepting applications for them we will post it here.

It’s hot out here! Thermometer says 85 degrees! Why not come ok off with a refreshing lemonade? Stop by and visit this g...
08/04/2025

It’s hot out here! Thermometer says 85 degrees! Why not come ok off with a refreshing lemonade? Stop by and visit this group of entrepreneurs. Corner of vauxhall street extension and hickory in Waterford. They are raising money to donate to cancer research!

Yuki has been at our shelter for going on four months with very little interest. We would absolutely love if we could fi...
08/02/2025

Yuki has been at our shelter for going on four months with very little interest. We would absolutely love if we could find him an amazing forever home. He is now neutered and up-to-date on his rabies vaccine.  Please share this handsome boy so we can find him the best home possible!

Introducing Yuki! He came in as in intact male but has since been neutered. This handsome husky was signed over to the animal shelter when a woman who took him from some unknown person on the internet, got the dog home with her two infants and thought the dog was going to be a problem with infants, she reports the dog growled at them, but I don’t know what led up to the growling , so just to be safe, we are going to say no small children or cats. Yuki is about 4 years old, his adoption fee is 50.00 and includes a voucher from the state good for money off getting him neutered, he is very, VERY vocal so he will not be a good apartment dog, if you would like to meet him, please send us a private message on our page,

Missing from Waterford 
08/01/2025

Missing from Waterford 

Missing from Quaker Hill (Waterford):
This sweet girl is visiting the area with her owner. She escaped the fenced in backyard. She is wearing a lavender collar with tags from her vet.
She is microchipped.
If you have seen her, please call the numbers on the flyer immediately.
She went missing on July 21.
Please share far and wide. Let’s get this girl back home to her owner where she belongs.
They need to leave Connecticut soon to go back home.
Their daughter lives in Quaker Hill, so she will continue the search.
Please help

We would like to thank the wonderful people at bouvier insurance in Waterford for your generous donations today , food,t...
07/31/2025

We would like to thank the wonderful people at bouvier insurance in Waterford for your generous donations today , food,treats, paper towels, office supplies and trash cans! We brought some kittens over to steal the spotlight in the photo!

Introducing Nova! Nova came to us a few weeks ago, afraid and alone after she was picked up roaming in East Lyme, most l...
07/26/2025

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.

07/26/2025
Many thanks to a great business in town! Defender industries a marine outfitter on Great Neck Road in Waterford recently...
07/24/2025

Many thanks to a great business in town! Defender industries a marine outfitter on Great Neck Road in Waterford recently held a fundraising event in memory of one of their employees who passed away, in honor of Brendon Palmeiro they brought in a whole pile of supplies as well as a check for $692.00 which will help our get fund greatly. Thank you so much to everyone at Defenders, Brendon would be proud!

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.