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Dead Animal Removal in Palm Beach County
The county code puts the duty on whoever owned the animal, which quietly leaves wildlife unaccounted for. Inside West Palm Beach itself, the city publishes a scheduled pickup for dead animals, domestic or wild, and puts no property limit on it.
Palm Beach County Code section 4-20 is a disposal duty, not a service. It requires any owner of any animal, on that animal's death, to dispose of the carcass by burning, burying at least two feet down, or another authorized method. Read the first three words again, because they decide most cases: any owner of any animal. A wild raccoon that dies in an attic has no owner, so the burial duty in that subsection does not land on the homeowner who finds it.
The City of West Palm Beach is a genuine exception and we are not going to bury it. Its A to Z waste guide carries an entry reading, in full, that dead animals both domestic and wild should be reported to Customer Service to schedule a pickup. No property type is attached to it. We looked for a qualifier and there is not one. That is a real free service and if you live in the city you should try it before you pay anybody.
Who is responsible for what
| Situation | Who handles it | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| City of West Palm Beach | City Customer Service, (561) 822-2075 | A scheduled pickup, domestic or wild. No property-type limit is published |
| Elsewhere in the county, animal you owned | You arrange it, under County Code 4-20 | Burning, burial at least two feet down, or another authorized method |
| Elsewhere in the county, wild animal with no owner | Not assigned by 4-20 | The code's duty attaches to an owner, and a wild animal has none |
| Dumping a carcass anywhere | Unlawful under County Code 4-20(b) | The subsection reaches public and private property alike |
Doing it yourself here
Section 4-20 names burning and burial at least two feet below the surface as authorized methods for an animal you owned. It does not address the household cart, and it does not tell the finder of a wild animal what to do, because its duty runs to owners.
Where that leaves wildlife on private ground
Outside West Palm Beach, the county code leaves a gap exactly where the commercial demand is: an unowned wild animal on private land is not assigned to anyone by section 4-20, and no countywide collection service covers it.
Questions about Palm Beach County
Does West Palm Beach really collect dead animals for free?
The city's A to Z Guide to Waste Disposal and Recycling carries an entry for dead animals, domestic or wild, asking residents to call Customer Service on (561) 822-2075 to schedule a pickup. No fee and no property-type limit is published alongside it. We checked specifically for a restriction to public property and there is none. If you are inside the city, that is the call to make first.
Does Palm Beach County require me to bury it two feet down?
Only if you owned the animal. County Code 4-20(a) puts the duty on any owner of any animal. A wild animal that dies on your property has no owner, so that subsection does not impose a burial duty on you as the finder. Subsection (b) is different and does apply to everyone: it makes dumping a carcass unlawful, on public or private property.
I live in unincorporated Palm Beach County. Who removes it?
No countywide collection service covers a wild animal on private property. The code assigns disposal to animal owners and prohibits dumping, and it stops there. That leaves the practical options as handling it yourself where that is safe and lawful, or hiring an independent operator.
Sources for this page
- Palm Beach County Code, Sec. 4-20, Disposal of bodies of dead animals · checked 20 September 2026
- City of West Palm Beach, A-Z Guide to Waste Disposal and Recycling · checked 20 September 2026