Animal Control

Two APD officers provide coverage 14 hours a day, six days a week. The City of Alcoa contracts with the City of Maryville Animal Control located at 426 Home Avenue, Maryville, Tennessee 37802. Services include vaccination for rabies; pet licensing, leash laws for dogs and cats, and euthanasia of sick and unclaimed pets.

The Maryville Animal Shelter is open 1:00p.m. to 4:30p.m., Monday – Friday; and 10:00a.m. to 1:00p.m. on Saturday. Their telephone number is (865) 681-2241.

For more information on costs of services, click here to visit the City of Maryville Animal Control website.

Having Your Pet Under Control
As a pet owner, you are responsible for seeing to it that your pet does not harm a person or another animal, damage property or create a nuisance in any way. Dogs and cats may not roam freely. Do not let your pet run loose--keep it on a leash or behind a secure fence. The Maryville, Alcoa, Blount County Parks and Recreation Commission offers low cost dog obedience classes. For more information, call (865) 983-9244. The Blount County YWCA also is a source for dog obedience classes, (865) 983-8131.

Rabies Vaccination
Because the disease of rabies can infect and kill both humans and animals, its prevention is major health concern. The wild animal population including raccoons, bats and skunks can transmit the disease to domestic animals such as dogs and cats that can then pass it on to people. Since there is no cure for rabies, people should avoid contact with wild animals and protect all pets by having them vaccinated against rabies.

What the law requires:

1. As soon as your dog or cat is three months old, you must take it to a veterinarian for its first rabies shot. The veterinarian will issue a tag and a certificate of vaccination, both having the same registration number.
2. Put the tag on the animal?s collar as proof that the dog or cat is vaccinated. In addition, it will help reunite you with your pet if it is ever lost or impounded. The animal should wear its tag whenever it is outside your home.
3. Keep the certificate of vaccination because it is proof that your dog or cat has been protected against rabies. Dogs and cats often loose their collars and/or tags. The certificate is your proof of vaccination.
4. Take your pet for a rabies "booster" shot once each year after the initial shot. Watch your local newspaper for low cost rabies vaccination programs. Usually these are conducted prior to the onset of warm weather.

Pet Adoption
Dogs and cats who are unclaimed by their owners may be adopted at the shelter. Any person who adopts an animal from the shelter will be provided a rabies vaccination voucher, which shall be used at a veterinary clinic selected by the owner from a list provided by the Animal Control Officer. Any person who adopts an unaltered animal will be provided with an unaltered animal tag and a voucher, good for six months, which will entitle the owner to have the animal altered at a veterinary clinic selected by the owner from a list provided by the Animal Control Officer. When proof of alteration is shown, the owner will be provided with a lifetime license and tag.

• 12-18 million dogs and cats are taken in by U.S. Shelters each year (Source: American Humane Association, 1991-92)
• 63.8 million U.S. households own dogs or cats (Source: Humane Society of the United States 1993)
• Approximately 4.2 million dogs and cats are adopted from pet adoption centers each year.

City Ordinance