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Living With Wildlife


Helpful Tips on Living With Wildlife ** It is suggested that you do not try to handle, trap or try to keep any wildlife as pets Sprinkle cayenne pepper around gardens and ornamental plants to keep wildlife from digging them up. Spray fox or bob cat urine to deter raccoons, opossums and fox away from your property. This can be purchased at Outdoor World or Predator Urine Products at 1-800-218-1749. Wrap metal guards, 18 inches or wider, around trees 5 or 6 feet above ground to deprive raccoons of access to roof tops and other buildings. Submerge a wire mesh horizontally around the circumference of your pond, stretching the mesh and leaving the inside free, to deter a raccoon from raiding the fish. Take all cat and/or dog food inside before dark every night so as not to encourage critters to stay in the area for a free handout. Secure garbage can lids with a rope, chain or bungee cord fastened to each handle. Lock all pet doors at night to keep critters out of your house. For more wildlife information or to request an informative wildlife packet, contact Linda De Napoli or Jenna Buscher in the Office of Code Compliance at (954) 921-3061. Most Common Animal-Related Violations Section 92.17 Barking dogs Between 5 pm and 7 am Monday thru Friday and on weekends, contact the police department at 954-967-4357 Section 92.18 Dangerous dogs This ordinance is not breed specific. Previous insurance requirements for pit bulls as well as any registered dangerous dogs have been repealed. Section 92.19 Owners responsible for actions of dogs Section 92.20 Running at large Section 92.21 Dog bites A report should be made with the police department, 954-967-4357 and with the cityâ€™s Animal Control Officer, Linda De Napoli, 954-921-3061 Animal Cruelty And Neglect Some standard, telltale signs of animal abuse anyone can recognize and for which animal control officers look for in particular include: Animals in poor physical condition Animals excessively aggressive Animals excessively submissive Inappropriate environment Space, light, ventilation deficiencies Excessive number of animals for space and other resources Cruel confinements Lack of necessary medical care Evidence of dead animals, buried or unburied, on property Species not permitted by zoning regulations If you suspect an animal is be neglected or abused, contact Linda De Napoli, Hollywood Animal Control Officer, at 954-921-3061. Broward County's Oral Rabies Vaccine Program For Wildlife The Oral Rabies Vaccine Program (ORVP) is an innovative program that uses an oral rabies vaccine to control rabies in wildlife. The goal of the five year program is to vaccinate raccoons in Broward County. This will eliminate or greatly reduce the spread of rabies. For more information, call the Rabies Prevention Hotline (Broward County Call Center) at 954-831-4000. NOTE: As of 3/1/05, there are no known cases of rabies east of Weston and south of Commercial Blvd. Opossums: Nature's Pest Control Opossums are the only marsupial native to North America. They are marsupials (kangaroo family), not rodents. They have a prehensile tail which is used as an extra hand for support, not to hang from trees. They also have opposable thumbs on their hind feet that make them clever tree climbers. Adult Opossums are the size of a cat and are light grey to black in color with a pointed snout and pink nose. They eat palmetto bugs, rats, mice, other insects, and over-ripe fruit. Special enzymes in their system allow them to digest poisonous snakes and scorpions. They are typically non-aggressive, although they will defend themselves against predators if forced to or flee if given the chance. They will bear their teeth, hiss and drool to scare their predators away. They may also play possum which is an involuntary defense mechanism that puts them into a catatonic state, which lowers their heartbeat and respiration, and makes them appear sick or dead so the predator will leave. Typically, opossums do not carry rabies because their body temperature is too low to harbor the rabies virus. Mating season is spring and fall in South Florida. They may become more active during the day and night because they have young and are searching for food. Raccoons: The Masked Bandits Raccoons are easily distinguishable by its black-masked face and ringed tail. They have a husky build and generally weigh between 15-40 pounds. Their long slender toes on the front feet give the raccoon great dexterity in grasping food, and the larger surfaces on the back feet give them superb agility for climbing. Eat overripe fruit, palmetto bugs, snails, grubs, beetles, snakes, lizards, frogs, and an incredible amount of rats and mice, duck and turtle eggs, fish, crayfish and frogs. Appear bold but are not usually aggressive except during mating season or when defending their young. They may fight with their own family members or with other raccoons. If threatened, the raccoon will often try a counter threat of fluffing out its fur so that they appear larger and uttering a throaty growl or cry. Mating season for raccoons is spring and fall in South Florida. A mother raccoon rarely abandons her babies before they are ready. They may stay with her for up to 10 months. Related Websites** Humane Society of Broward County Wildlife Care Center Humane Society of the United States American Humane People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

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