Nashville Overnight Animal Control Cut to Four Nights
Residents with nighttime animal concerns should expect slower responses while Metro rebuilds its officer ranks.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Pets — General
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Metro Animal Care and Control has reduced overnight animal control coverage to four nights per week because of a staffing shortage, leaving three nights with no on-duty officer. The change begins in the coming weeks and is expected to last several months while the department recruits and trains additional officers.
Why it matters
The reduction was made to avoid overworking existing staff while hiring and training continues, so Nashville households should expect slower after-hours responses to animal concerns for some time. Call volume often rises during colder months, which may stretch response times further on nights when no officer is available.
Metro Animal Care and Control has six fully-trained officers, and overnight coverage now runs four nights a week while three nights have no on-duty officer. Calls left as voicemail overnight are checked at 7 a.m. when no officer is available.
The players
Metro Animal Care and Control
The Nashville-area animal control agency that serves Davidson County and handles stray, nuisance and welfare calls for residents.
Metro Nashville Police Department
The city's police agency, coordinating with animal control on after-hours animal-related emergencies while overnight coverage is reduced.
Metro Nashville Office of Emergency Management
The city office coordinating emergency response, working with animal control and police on after-hours animal-related emergencies.
The details
Officers respond to calls seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and overnight service has been cut back to four nights. On the three uncovered nights, residents can still report animal concerns at any time by calling and leaving a detailed voicemail, which is checked at 7 a.m. Metro officials are coordinating with the Metro Nashville Police Department and the Office of Emergency Management for after-hours animal-related emergencies.
Timeline
Reduced overnight coverage to four nights per week begins in the coming weeks.
Staffing challenges and slower after-hours responses are expected to continue for several months.
Voicemails are checked at 7 a.m. when no officer is available overnight.
Call volume typically increases during colder months.
The Home Front
Metro's after-hours coordination with the Metro Nashville Police Department and Office of Emergency Management is serving as the backup while the animal control unit runs with reduced overnight staffing. For Nashville households, the shortage shows how local staffing gaps can shift routine pet and animal calls onto other city agencies.
If you have an animal concern at night, call Metro Animal Care and Control and leave a detailed voicemail, since it will be checked at 7 a.m. For urgent after-hours animal emergencies, plan to contact the Metro Nashville Police Department as coordinated backup while overnight officer coverage is reduced.
The takeaway
Keep Metro's voicemail process and the 7 a.m. callback window in mind for nighttime animal calls during this stretch. Save the Metro Nashville Police Department contact on hand for urgent after-hours situations while overnight coverage is limited.
What happens next
Metro Animal Care and Control is actively recruiting and training additional officers, and residents should watch for announcements about when overnight coverage will be restored.
Further reading
For more on how pet care services are handled locally, see Pets — General in Nashville coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WKRN News 2.
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