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!!!
01/20/2025
Astro is still here,waiting to meet her forever people family, she is a young female husky, she needs to go to a home with no small children and no cats, she is nervous but warms up quickly, she is pretty food motivated so training should be easy, if you might be interested in meeting her, please send this page a private message, please share this post, let’s get her a great home!
01/19/2025
Introducing Bagheera!
 Bagheera came to us when he was found just over six months ago with a bite wound to his back leg. Because of the wound, he was placed into a mandatory six month quarantine at our shelter where we have gotten to know him very well. Now that his quarantine is up, he is looking for his forever home. Bagheera is a very sweet, two year-old neutered male that is currently up-to-date on his vaccinations. If you are interested in meeting this sweet little kitty and giving him his forever home, please send us a Facebook message to set up an appointment to fill out an application.
01/18/2025
Update: Owner was located and signed over the dog to us. At this time, she is not available for adoption.  We will give her time to relax and get to know her before she becomes available. 
Found Dog in Waterford
This pretty lady was found roaming this evening in the crystal mall parking lot in Waterford. She is most likely a German Shepherd/mastiff mix. Unfortunately, she is not wearing a collar or tags and is not microchipped.
01/11/2025
WHOO HOO!!! 97.5% live release rate for 2024!! a lot of hard work goes into providing animal control services to our towns 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!
WATERFORD~EAST LYME ANIMAL CONTROL
YEARLY REPORT
2024
WATERFORD EAST LYME TOTAL
CALLS FOR SERVICE 1016 517 1533
AFTER HOURS CALL OUTS 40 29 69
TICKETS ISSUED 6 2 8
WARNINGS ISSUED 15 4 19
DOG BITES 34 30 64
ANIMALS TOTAL 142 97 239
ANIMALS ADOPTED 37 41 78
EUTHANIZED 3 3 6
The above numbers reflect the activity of the Waterford East Lyme Animal Control for the year of 2024.
The total number of animals processed through the shelter in 2024 was 239, of that number only six (6) required euthanization, due to injury, illness or aggression issues. (3 aggressive dogs, 3 sick/injured cats) This comes out to a 97.5% live release rate.
Last year (2023) the total number of domestic animals handled was 296, this year’s number of 239 represents a 19% decrease.
Last year (2023) the total number of complaints/calls for service was 1381, this year’s number of 1533 represents an 11% increase.
Last year (2023) the total number of animal bites handled was 52, this year’s number of 64 represents a 23% increase.
Last year (2023) after hours call outs were 48, this year's call outs were 69, this represents a 44% increase.
Animal Control Officer Robert Yuchniuk
Assistant ACO Allison Ryan
01/11/2025
some cute videos of naughty dogs to entertain you on this Saturday afternoon
01/10/2025
Astro is still here waiting to meet her forever people. Today, she hung out in the office, she seems to think she is a lap dog, She is very nervous, but she warms up, interested people may need to come visit her more than once. Astro is a female husky mix, less than a year old, she would like to find a quiet home with no cats or small children, her adoption fee is $50.00 which includes a voucher from the state good for money off her spay plus 2 vaccinations, send us a Facebook message if you might be interested
01/09/2025
Please keep an eye on your pets especially during the next few months.
‼️It’s Coyote Mating Season‼️
Here are some tips to keep your pups safe 🐾
01/05/2025
Update: Thankfully we were able to get all these puppies all into a rescue where they will be fully vetted and spayed/neutered before adoption. This really is the best thing for them and will ensure they do not continue to add to the mass uptick in homeless dogs. If you have already inquired about them, we will send you a private message. 
Good afternoon Facebook friends!
We currently have 9 puppies looking for their forever homes. They are pit bull mixes and will most likely be large dogs, dad was about 85 lbs. They have been to the vet for their first vaccines and basic vet check.
01/04/2025
Congratulations to Henrietta on finding her forever home!
01/02/2025
Introducing ASTRO, she is a young female husky mix. She is somewhat nervous when meeting new people but she warms up quickly, she is food motivated so training should be easy, prospective adopters will probably need to come visit more than once. To give her the best chance at a good adoption, we are going to say no cats and no small children. Her adoption fee would be $50.00 and comes with a voucher from the state good for money off getting her spayed plus 2 free vaccinations. If you are interested in meeting her please send us a Facebook private message
01/01/2025
Happy New Year! I hope 2025 is a Great year for everyone!!!
12/30/2024
Had the privilege of assisting this beautiful hawk today. Not sure what was going on with him but he is off to a wildlife rehab
12/30/2024
Update, this dog is back home!
Found Dog in Waterford
This handsome fellow was found tonight on Niantic River Road, near Oswegatchie Rd. If anyone is missing this handsome boy please give us a call at 860-442-9451 ext 2 and leave a message with your name and phone number.
12/27/2024
Lost Dog (somewhere along I-95)
Owner does not know which rest stop along I-95.
**COURTESY POST**
This sweet boy was lost during travel along I-95 about 3 hours from NYC. He could very well be in any town along the interstate. Please keep an eye out
If he is seen, call the number on the flyer immediately. Please DO NOT call out or chase him.
Please share. Thanks!
12/26/2024
from all the ACO's , and all the dogs and cats at the animal shelter, we wish you a very merry Christmas!!!!
12/23/2024
we all wanted to thank everyone who came in on Saturday for photos with Santa, we had a great time, no one got bit, no one peed on the floor, everyone enjoyed some hot coco and cookies, and we raised $750.00 for our vet funds! This money will be split between the towns and will allow us to provide medical care above and beyond what the towns provide. Thank you all so very much. This was such a huge success, that we are going to do it again with photos with the Easter Bunny. we have placed some new items on our amazon wish list for the event if anyone is feeling generous this Christmas season. Again, thank you all! we could not accomplish half of what we do if it were not for the generosity of our community!
I would like to introduce Henrietta! she is a pointer mix, probably around 6 years old, we believe she is already spayed and she is up to date on her rabies shots. She came to us as a stray who was never claimed, she seems to have no issues with cats or dogs or children, she really is a sweet pup, not really food motivated which is surprising as she is a bit chunky! Her adoption fee would be whatever you wanted to make as a donation, if you would like to meet Henrietta, please send us a Facebook message, please share her photo so we can find her a great home!
12/23/2024
it is bitterly cold out there, please keep pets and livestock safe
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Videos
Boomer
Update: Boomer has been adopted!
NORI went to the vet this morning, got his nails trimmed, urinalysis test done anda rabies shot. He is a whopping 90 pounds so he deffinately needs to lose weight, vet suggested 20 pounds! He has some medications to help with his incontinence and we are hoping for improvement. As you can see, he had a lot to say about his visit! Sadly, we also got some bad news, the vet thinks his difficulties walking are due to neuroligical issues. There is not much that can be done for that, losing weight would help a bit, but this is a struggle he will have to deal with. This vet visit and medications were paid for through our donation funds, which allow us to provide care to the animals above and beyond what the towns would concider acceptable. Without these funds, dogs like Nori would NOT get care and medications like this. If you would like to contribute to Nori's vet fund, you can do it one of three ways. You can stop bt the animal shelter with cash or check payable to waterford animal hospital. You can stop by waterford animal hospital at 14 Miner Lane waterford and contribute directly to our donation account, or you can call them at 860-443-1893 and donate with a credit card. We cannot do this great work without help from wonderful people like you. Every donation large or small helps dogs just like Nori. Please share his photo and lets find him a home, he really is a great dig and he deserves a place to live out his days.
~~~~~~~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.