North Mississippi
Dead Animal Removal in DeSoto County, Mississippi
DeSoto County has three different answers depending on where you live: Southaven's code provides a paid pickup from homes, Olive Branch's code provides an owner-requested dog-and-cat pickup, and the county lists large dead animals and deer blocking unincorporated roads under Road Management. The whole county also sits inside a CWD Management Zone.
For a dead animal on your own property in DeSoto County.
Who removes a dead animal in DeSoto County?
It depends on the city. Southaven's code, Β§3-26, provides "a dead animal pickup service from any residence within the corporate limits of the city," at a minimum charge of $25 per animal, paid in advance. Olive Branch's code, Β§10-46, says animal control will pick up a dead dog or cat from a residence if the owner asks, for $25. In the unincorporated county, DeSoto County lists "Large dead animals/deer blocking roads in unincorporated areas of the county" under Road Management, 662-469-8025, and sends nuisance wildlife, such as squirrels and raccoons, to a private company of the resident's choice. The county page we reviewed does not set out a route for a dead animal on private property.
Source: DeSoto County, Reporting Animal Issues, checked 2026-10-05.
This page is about unincorporated DeSoto County, Southaven and Olive Branch. Horn Lake and Hernando handle their own limits; this site has not reviewed their rules, so ask your city.
| Location of the animal | Responsible | Contact or note |
|---|---|---|
| A state highway, such as Goodman Road (Highway 302) or Highway 305 | Mississippi Department of Transportation | 1-866-521-MDOT (6368), as listed by Olive Branch |
| A road in unincorporated DeSoto County, large animal or deer blocking it | DeSoto County Road Management | 662-469-8025 |
| A residence in Southaven | Southaven animal control with public works sanitation (Code Β§3-26) | Animal Control, 662-796-2491; $25 minimum per animal, paid in advance |
| A dead dog or cat at an Olive Branch residence | Olive Branch animal control (Code Β§10-46) | 662-895-4582; $25 at pickup, owner's request |
| Private property in the unincorporated county | Not set out on the county page reviewed | The county page lists no dead-animal contact for private property |
From DeSoto County's animal-issues page and the Southaven and Olive Branch codes and websites, read 5 October 2026.
Roads and public ground in DeSoto County
For a state highway, Olive Branch's website sends issues on state-maintained roadways, such as Highway 78/I-22, Highway 305 and Highway 302 (Goodman Road), to MDOT at 1-866-521-MDOT (6368). In the unincorporated county, DeSoto County lists "Large dead animals/deer blocking roads" under Road Management at 662-469-8025. City streets belong to each city.
At a home in DeSoto County
Southaven's code provides a pickup "from any residence within the corporate limits of the city" for a minimum of $25 per animal, paid in advance. The code does not say whether that covers wildlife, how large an animal can be, or whether crews go beyond the curb, and the city's animal control page we reviewed lists a phone number without describing the pickup, so ask before you rely on it. Olive Branch's code covers a dead dog or cat at a residence, at the owner's request, for $25; wildlife and other animals are not mentioned. In the unincorporated county, the published list covers large animals and deer blocking roads; it does not mention private property.
None of the county or city pages we reviewed mentions collecting an animal from under a house or deck, from a crawl space or from an attic. If the animal can be reached through an existing opening, an independent operator, where one covers your address, can remove it without cutting anything.
Deer in DeSoto County
All of DeSoto County is inside MDWFP's 2026-2027 North Mississippi CWD Management Zone. MDWFP's rule (40 Miss. Admin. Code Part 2, Rule 2.7) makes it unlawful to transport any portion of a cervid (deer) carcass outside an MDWFP-defined CWD Management Zone. MDWFP's pages we reviewed do not say how that rule applies to a deer found dead on private property, so ask MDWFP at 1-800-BE-SMART before a carcass leaves the zone. For a deer blocking a road in the unincorporated county, call Road Management at 662-469-8025.
When it was a pet
In Olive Branch, animal control picks up a dead dog or cat from a residence at the owner's request, for $25 (Code Β§10-46). In Southaven, Β§3-26 provides a pickup from residences without saying which animals it covers; ask animal control at 662-796-2491. Elsewhere in the county, ask your veterinarian.
In practice
In Southaven, ask animal control about the $25 residential pickup first. In Olive Branch, use the dog-and-cat pickup if it fits. For a deer, ask MDWFP at 1-800-BE-SMART before a carcass leaves the CWD zone. For wildlife, an animal under the house or in a crawl space or attic, or anything in the unincorporated county off the road, call this site's number or send the form.
DeSoto County in numbers
DeSoto County had an estimated 195,871 residents in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau; Southaven (57,493) and Olive Branch (47,365) are its largest cities. It is one of eleven counties that sit wholly inside MDWFP's North Mississippi CWD Management Zone for 2026-2027.
By animal, or by where it lies
DeSoto County: questions
Does Southaven pick up dead animals?
Southaven's code provides a dead-animal pickup from any residence within city limits, at a minimum charge of $25 per animal paid in advance. The code does not say whether it covers wildlife or how far crews will go, so ask Southaven animal control at 662-796-2491.
Does Olive Branch pick up dead animals?
Olive Branch's code says animal control will pick up a dead dog or cat from a residence if the owner requests it, for $25. It does not mention wildlife.
Who handles a dead deer on a county road in DeSoto County?
DeSoto County lists large dead animals and deer blocking roads in unincorporated areas under Road Management, 662-469-8025.
Is DeSoto County in a CWD Management Zone?
Yes. All of DeSoto County is in MDWFP's 2026-2027 North Mississippi CWD Management Zone, and MDWFP's rule bars transporting any portion of a cervid (deer) carcass outside a zone.
What does DeSoto County say about animals on private property?
The county's animal-issues page sends nuisance wildlife, such as squirrels and raccoons, to a private company of the resident's choice. It does not set out a route for a dead animal on private property.
Other places on this site
What this page was built from
- DeSoto County, Reporting Animal Issues, read 2026-10-05
- Southaven Code of Ordinances Β§3-26, read 2026-10-05
- City of Southaven, Animal Control, read 2026-10-05
- Olive Branch Code of Ordinances Β§10-46, read 2026-10-05
- City of Olive Branch, FAQ, read 2026-10-05
- Olive Branch, MDOT-maintained roadways, read 2026-10-05
- MDWFP, Chronic Wasting Disease, read 2026-10-05
- MDWFP, 2026-2027 CWD Management Zones map, read 2026-10-05
- MDWFP, Carcass Transportation, read 2026-10-05
- U.S. Census Bureau, population estimates, read 2026-10-05