As concerns over the massive amount of dead animals strewn about town mount, city council is in the process of enacting a new program that would keep New Carlisle’s streets clear of carrion.

Starting Monday, June 29, New Carlisle residents will be encouraged to scoop up any deceased animals they see roadside and bring them to a special dumpster located at the Madison School. The dumpster’s opening will accommodate any animals so long as they are smaller than a moose. The most common animals seen on the sides of the road are dogs, cats, raccoons, opossums, skunks, ratcats, deer, and fowl.

The dumpster will be available for the disposal of carcasses on Mondays and Thursdays from the hours of 10 am to 6 pm only. This is to allow the city time to empty and disinfect the dumpster, as it is likely to fill up quickly. If left untended, the dumpster could become a health hazard for the entire city as well as an olfactory nuisance.

In addition, the city is offering a course on the safe handling of dead animals. The class will be hosted at the Smith Park shelter house the first Tuesday of each month from 6-8 pm and will cover all of the basic information needed to pick up, transport, and dispose of a dead animal found on the road. Animal expert Rich Vaughan, who gained extensive knowledge of animal handling by watching YouTube videos and reading Wikipedia, will teach the course. In addition to pamphlets and literature, anti-rabies and blood borne pathogen kits will also be passed out at the classes. The first course will be held Tuesday, June 23.

The city has issued a set of rules to keep in mind as you begin collecting deceased animals. These rules — and many more — will be covered in detail at the safe handling courses, but for now here is a beginner’s guide to collecting and depositing roadkill:

• Always wear gloves when handling a dead animal.
• Perform a basic wellness check to ensure the animal is dead (instructions provided at the safe handling course).
• If the animal is still alive but injured, please contact a veterinarian.
• If the animal is still alive and completely unhurt, just leave it alone. Don’t be gross or weird about it.
• Once the animal is confirmed as dead, place it in the trunk of your car. Please do not attempt to haul roadkill on a motorcycle.
• Take the carcass to the Madison School animal remains dumpster immediately. Please do not place the animal inside the regular garbage dumpster or the recycling bin.
• Do not modify or alter the dead animal carcass any more than is necessary to transport it.
• Do not stop to eat or go swimming with the animal corpse in your car.
• Do not place human carcasses in the animal carcass dumpster. This is highly illegal and violators will be punished to the full extent of the law.

If you are interested in helping with the Operation: Roadkill initiative, please attend a safe handling course. With the help of the great citizens of New Carlisle, the streets will once again be clean and clear of rotting animal cadavers.