City of Topeka | Animal Control

Licensing and Registration Information: Animal Control Office 8 AM - 5 PM - 368-9484. You can email Linda Halford at the Animal Control Office.

To Report Animal Complaints: 24 Hours/Day Animal Control Dispatcher - 368-9203 or Helping Hands Humane Society - 233-7325.

The Animal Control Unit is a support unit of the Topeka Police Department. The officers of this Unit are responsible for enforcing various city ordinances regarding animals, including the leash law, vaccination and licensing requirements, the pit bull ordinance, the cruelty ordinance, and checking on neglected or abused animals. The officers can issue citations for violations in these cases. They also pick up loose dogs, unlicensed cats, deceased animals, and injured animals with no identifiable owner.

Animal Control Officers do not respond to "barking dog" calls. This type of complaint is handled by uniformed police officers.

Animal Control Officers are on duty from 6 AM until 8:30 PM during the summer months and from 8 AM until 5 PM in the winter months. For times when an officer(s) is not on duty, there is a call-back procedure in place but only for cases of an injured or sick animal, a vicious animal, or an animal that has bitten someone.

The Animal Control Unit is also responsible for the issuance of dog and cat licenses. These licenses may be obtained by contacting or coming by the Animal Control Office at the Law Enforcement Center, 320 S. Kansas. This office is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM. Registration forms are also available at the City Hall Express Office, the Helping Hands Humane Shelter and various veterinary clinics and may be mailed to the Animal Control Office.

The annual license fee for a neutered dog or cat is $5.00. For an un-neutered dog or cat the fee is $8.00.

Animals which are picked up by Animal Control Officers are generally taken to the Helping Hands Humane Society Shelter, 2625 NW Rochester Road. To claim an animal taken to the Shelter pursuant to charges, such as violation of the leash law or no tags, the owner should contact the Shelter to obtain the number and date of the ticket. They should then go to the Animal Control Office to be served with the ticket. Once this is done, they have 14 days to either pay the fine(s) or set a court date. In most cases, except cruelty cases or pit bull violations for example, the animal can be returned to the owner after the ticket is served.