You just might find yourself wondering this week: How do I legally and safely dispose of dead animals in New York City?
It could be top of mind if you caught the news on Sunday that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confessed to stuffing a dead bear into his car 10 years ago and abandoning it in Central Park as a “prank.”
In a bizarre video he posted to X, Kennedy tells actress and political activist Roseanne Barr that the saga began when he found a dead young bear while driving to a “falconing” expedition in Goshen, New York. He says he planned to skin the bear and put it in his fridge but was running late for a reservation at Peter Luger Steak House in Brooklyn, so he brought it along in his van — then ultimately left it and a bicycle in Central Park to make it look like the bear was hit by a cyclist.
That, as it turns out, is not the procedure that the city prescribes for dealing with dead animals.
According to the city, if you find a dead animal on public property, such as a sidewalk, highway, park or beach, you can report it to 311 here. If the carcass is blocking highway traffic and could cause an accident, you should call 911.
If you come across a cluster of dead animals, you can report it to the city’s health department by calling 311. This applies to three or more geese, swans, ducks, chickens or turkeys, or 10 or more of other kinds of dead animals, according to officials.
If you find dead animals on your own property, you’re responsible for disposing of them — unless an animal shows signs of rabies, has bit someone, or is a deer.
If you find a dead deer, you can make an appointment with the city’s sanitation department to request a removal. Otherwise:
Throw it out: You can put the dead animal out with your regular trash for pickup in a heavy-duty black plastic bag. But you must tape a note on the bag, stating its contents — like “dead dog” or “dead cat” — according to the city.
Cremate it: Another option is bringing the dead animal to an Animal Care Centers of NYC drop-off location, where there is a $50 fee for cremation. You can find a list of those locations here.
Bury it: If you’re the property owner, you can bury the dead animal wherever you want on the property.