Animal Control

Wake County Animal Control maintains jurisdiction over all dogs, cats, and other pets in the Town of Wake Forest. For complete information concerning animal control policies, refer to the Wake County Animal Control Ordinance.

Please note that Wake Forest does not require pets to be licensed. However, all pet owners are strongly urged to comply with North Carolina law and keep their pet's rabies vaccinations current. In order to promote vaccinations, the Wake County Animal Care, Control and Adoption Center offers low-cost rabies clinics, where each pet can be vaccinated for $5.

Town urges pet owners to obey leash law

The Town of Wake Forest encourages pet owners to be good neighbors and great pet owners by obeying Wake County’s leash law.

The Town regularly receives complaints from local residents about dogs running at large – particularly at Town parks. Although Wake Forest does not have an ordinance pertaining to dogs, Wake County Animal Control has jurisdiction to enforce animal control laws within the town and its park system.

Wake County Animal Control Ordinance Section 2-3-7 (A) states “It shall be unlawful for any owner to permit an animal to be at large.” Section 2-3-7 (C) further states “It shall be unlawful for any person owning or having possession, charge, custody or control of any dog to take the dog into or allow the dog to enter any public park without being at all times under the restraint of a leash unless said park is designated as a dog park.”

Any owner permitting an animal to be at large shall pay a civil penalty of $100 for the first violation.

To report an animal control problem, call Wake County Animal Control at 919-212-PETS (7387).

Flaherty Dog Park 

Flaherty Dog Park, 1100 N. White St., provides a free place for dog owners to let their pets run free safely and legally without a leash. Approximately two acres in size, the park is open from dawn to dusk and located adjacent to the Flaherty Park baseball and softball fields.