DeKalb, Illinois · DeKalb County · Facts checked Oct 2026
After county office hours, animal calls in DeKalb go to the police non-emergency line.
The city's own FAQ sends loose animals to DeKalb County Animal Control from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, and to the DeKalb Police non-emergency number after that.1 A healthy wild animal settled in your attic or walls is a different matter: the county says nuisance wildlife has to be handled by a wildlife removal service.4
Who handles an animal problem in DeKalb?
| What's happening | Who to call |
|---|---|
| Someone was bitten or scratched by a wild animal | Wash the wound with soap and water and see a doctor right away. The health department or animal control should also be told.8 The city asks that any animal bite be reported to DeKalb Police at (815) 748-8400,1 and the county health department says every bite to a person in DeKalb County must be reported to county animal control, (815) 748-2427.5 |
| A bat is loose inside your home | If you woke up with it in the room, or it was near a child, keep the bat and call your doctor or the health department.8 Don't let it out of the house before you've talked with animal control.5 If you can do it without risking a bite, the county suggests covering it with a large container or bucket and closing the door to the room.5 Weekdays, call DeKalb County Animal Control, (815) 748-2427; after hours the county says to call your local police,4 which in the city is (815) 748-8400.1 |
| A wild animal that looks sick or injured | County animal control helps with sick or injured wildlife during business hours only, and not with skunks.4, 6 Outside business hours, the county says calls about sick or injured wildlife go to a wildlife removal service.6 |
| An animal emergency at night, on a weekend or on a holiday | The county points after-hours and holiday animal emergencies to local police.4 The department's emergency number is 911; for anything less urgent, use (815) 748-8400.10 |
| A stray dog or cat | Weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., DeKalb County Animal Control, (815) 748-2427; after hours, DeKalb Police non-emergency, (815) 748-8400.1 The county program doesn't pick up stray cats.4 Not a wildlife operator. |
| A calm animal living in your attic, walls, chimney or under the deck | DeKalb County Animal Control says nuisance wildlife will need to be managed by a wildlife removal service.4 That can be this site's advertiser or anyone on the Illinois DNR list. |
The Wildlife Line isn't part of the City of DeKalb or DeKalb County.
Does the city code say anything about wild animals?
Chapter 18, the city's animal chapter, has a few lines that matter when wildlife is the problem.
- Squirrels and birds are off limits. Section 18.20 says no one may take, kill or wound a squirrel or bird within the city, whether by gun, slingshot, bow and arrow, air gun, thrown stones or any other means. Taking their eggs or young is barred too.2
- Bites go to the police chief. Under Section 18.05, a dog or animal that has bitten a person must be reported to the Chief of Police or to someone the chief authorizes to impound animals.2 The chapter defines an animal as any animal other than a dog that may be affected by rabies.2
Chapter 15 covers trash. Under Section 15.03, refuse may not be set out before 6 a.m. on the day ahead of pickup, and the containers must be returned to private property by midnight on pickup day.3 When the container is a can, the city's definition of an approved one includes handles and a tight lid.3
Where does wildlife find room in the middle of town?
The smallest county forest preserve, County Farm Woods, is 9 acres tucked behind a shopping center on Sycamore Road, with housing and commercial buildings on either side.7 The DeKalb County Forest Preserve District says urban deer frequent the site, and that a loop trail ties it to the DeKalb Park District's Nature Trail.7 In its 2018 and 2019 notices on restoring that trail, the park district said the work would give birds and butterflies habitat in the heart of the community, and that dead trees posing no hazard to residents would be left as wildlife habitat.9 Something nesting under a porch calls for the under-deck guide; for activity overhead, compare notes with squirrels in the attic and bats in the house.
What are you hearing?
Scratching overhead is easier to name once you know when it happens, and the guide to noises in the attic at night works through the timing. If the trouble starts after the county office has closed for the day, after-hours help sorts out what needs a call tonight.
Sources for this page
- City of DeKalb, Animals FAQ (loose animals; animal bites). Checked Oct 22, 2026.
- DeKalb Municipal Code, Chapter 18, Dogs and Other Animals, Sections 18.01, 18.05 and 18.20. Checked Oct 22, 2026.
- DeKalb Municipal Code, Chapter 15, Refuse, Recyclables and Landscape Waste Collection, Sections 15.01 and 15.03. Checked Oct 22, 2026.
- DeKalb County Health Department, Animal Control. Checked Oct 22, 2026.
- DeKalb County Health Department, first rabid bat of 2026, June 22, 2026. Checked Oct 22, 2026.
- DeKalb County Health Department, canine distemper advisory, Aug. 3, 2023. Checked Oct 22, 2026.
- DeKalb County Forest Preserve District, County Farm Woods. Checked Oct 22, 2026.
- Illinois Department of Public Health, Rabies (animal bites; bats in a sleeping area). Checked Oct 2026.
- DeKalb Park District, Nature Trail restoration, phase two and restoration plan. Checked Oct 22, 2026.
- City of DeKalb, Police Department. Checked Oct 22, 2026.
Written and checked by The Wildlife Line. Spot an error? Tell us through the About page.
Also: DeKalb County · Sycamore · Elburn · Hampshire