Berwick Police Department

HONOR ~ INTEGRITY ~ VALOR

911

Emergency

(207) 698-1136

Option #1

Non-emergency

Animal Control

​The Berwick Police Department has one Animal Control Officer (ACO) who is assisted by the members of the Berwick Police Department as needs and availability dictate. The ACO is responsible for enforcing the State's Animal Welfare Statutes and Berwick's animal ordinances.

All animal complaints should be reported to the Berwick Police Department at (207) 698-1136 option #1. The ACO works on an "on call" basis and can be reached through dispatch. You can also email the ACO by clicking here.

If we're unable to locate an owner, "at large" dogs are taken to the Pope Memorial Humane Society (Cocheco Valley) located at 221 County Farm Rd, Dover, New Hampshire. The animal's owner SHALL be responsible for fees will be incurred for any animal taken to Pope Memorial. Please contact Pope Memorial with any questions about these fees. 

If you have a complaint regarding WILD ANIMALS, the ACO or a police officer will contact you initially, but you may be referred to the Maine State Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, which has an office in the Town of Gray. This is due to restrictions in the law which limits what agencies or persons can deal with situations involving wild animals.

Rabies

As a general rule any animal with fur can carry and transmit the rabies virus. State law also requires that all cats and dogs (except wolf hybrids) be vaccinated against rabies. If you or your pet has contact with a wild animal and you are bitten, scratched, or get the animal's blood or saliva on you, please call the police department immediately. If a bat is found in the room where you sleep and you believe it was there while you were sleeping, please contact the ACO as soon as possible as you are at risk of exposure to the rabies virus. If you desire more information on rabies, please call the Maine Center for Disease Control's 24 hour rabies hot line at 1-800-821-5821.

West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis

If you notice a dead bird and you are concerned, you need to call the Maine Bureau of Health at 1-800-697-5846.  They will ask you some questions such as what type of bird it is, the date and time you first noticed it and the condition of the carcass. If the Bureau of Health asks you to bring the bird into the ACO for testing, they will give you an identification number, the state testing lab and the ACO will not accept any bird that doesn't have an identification number. You may safely handle most dead birds by wearing disposable rubber gloves, and then placing the bird inside of two clear plastic bags. Do not place the bird in a refrigerator or cooler used for food storage. Currently the only birds being tested for West Nile Virus are members of the Corvid family, which includes blue jays, crows, and ravens.

Dog Licensing
All dogs over 6 months old must be licensed according to State Law. To get a license, the dog's owner must bring the following information to the Town Clerks Office:

• An up-to-date rabies certificate.
  
• If your dog is spayed or neutered, a copy of the spay/neuter certificate.
  

If you have any questions about licensing, please call the Town Clerk's Office at (207) 698-1101 ext. 110.