Missouri, private property
Dead Raccoon Removal in Missouri
Raccoons look for dry, sheltered spots close to houses, so a dead one is more likely to turn up in a crawl space, under a porch or on an attic floor than out in the open. Where it lies decides how it is reached.
Before you pay anyone. Make sure it is dead. A raccoon that is moving at all is a live-animal problem, which this site does not pass on. If it may have bitten or scratched someone, or touched a pet, do not throw it away. Call your doctor or local public health agency first, or the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) on 573-751-6113 (after hours 800-392-0272).
What this covers
- A raccoon in a yard or flower bed.
- A raccoon under a deck, porch or shed that can be reached through an existing gap.
- A raccoon in a crawl space reached through the access door.
- A raccoon on an attic floor reached from the hatch.
Where the limit is
This site does not pass on requests for live raccoons, trapping, relocation or sealing the holes they used. A carcass sealed inside a finished wall or ceiling is covered on this site as information only, in the article on a dead animal smell in a wall.
Missouri law treats wild animals as state property dead or alive (RSMo 252.020 and 252.030). The Missouri Department of Conservation says a wild animal carcass can be buried, left in an out-of-the-way spot to decompose, or bagged for regular trash, advice it wrote for animals removed because they were damaging property. Keeping any part of a wild animal, such as a skull or pelt, may need authorization, so ask your county conservation agent first.
How long the smell lasts depends on the raccoon's size, the heat, humidity and airflow, and where it lies. A closed, warm space keeps it going longer than open ground. No one can promise a date.
How a call goes
- Call or send the form with your ZIP code and where the raccoon is lying.
- Say how it is reached: open ground, a crawl-space door, an attic hatch.
- If an operator covers your ZIP code, you settle the price and timing with them directly.
- If an operator takes the job, the raccoon is bagged and taken for disposal.
Questions about this animal
Is a dead raccoon a rabies risk in Missouri?
DHSS says rabies in Missouri is found mostly in bats and skunks, and MDC notes that any mammal can carry it. Do not touch a dead raccoon bare-handed, and if it may have bitten or scratched a person or pet, call your doctor or DHSS on 573-751-6113 before it is thrown away.
Can I bag a dead raccoon for the trash myself?
The Missouri Department of Conservation's advice for a carcass, written for animals removed for damaging property, includes bagging it for regular trash pickup. Check that your city or hauler accepts it, wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards.
What if the raccoon is inside a wall?
A raccoon sealed inside a finished wall is not removed through this site. The wall-smell article explains what can be checked first, such as the attic or crawl space next to that wall.
Not sure this is the right page? Who removes a dead animal in Missouri works through the public and private split, and the locations page sets out what the larger cities publish.