---
title: O.C.G.A. § 4-5-3. Abandonment of dead animals; requirements as to disposal generally; disposal in wells, open pits, or surface waters or on private or public property; disposal in city or county landfill.
collection: code
id: 4-5-3
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 4-5-3 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/4-5-3
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/4-5-3.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/4-5-3/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t4-6-(v4)-2013-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=8c0a1199_0#page=72
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/4-5.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/4-5-2.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/4-5-4.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: ANIMALS / DISPOSAL OF DISEASED, DISABLED, OR DEAD ANIMALS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 4-5-3. Abandonment of dead animals; requirements as to disposal generally; disposal in wells, open pits, or surface waters or on private or public property; disposal in city or county landfill.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person who owns or is caring for an animal which has died or has been killed to abandon the dead animal. Such person shall dispose of the dead animal as provided for in this chapter or in rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter. Dead animals shall not be abandoned in wells, open pits, or surface waters of any kind on private or public land.

(b) No person shall dispose of a dead animal on the land of another without the permission of the owner of the land.

(c) Arrangements must be made with a city or county official in order to dispose of a dead animal in a city or county landfill.

## History

Ga. L. 1969, p. 1018, § 3; Ga. L. 1973, p. 569, § 2; Ga. L. 2002, p. 1397, § 2.