As humans, we intrude on animals habitats by building right into their homes and territory. The benefits are that it facilitates travel or opens up opportunities for jobs and living spaces, but it heavily disrupts the lives of the animals there prior. Struggling to adapt and with sparse areas to go to, it is not uncommon for them to wander into human routes and roads, unfortunately becoming road kill and a sore sight for all eyes. The death of an animal is sad enough, but the consequences of that death do not just ruin the day of the guilty. Animal carcasses that remain on a well traveled road for too long can interfere with travelers if not properly moved out of the way, potentially causing accidents by rapid swerving or simply by backing traffic up, heavily derailing the purpose the route was created for.
Other than being an obstacle, unsightly decaying animals attract less desirable animals such as scavengers and insects, which can spread diseases to the surrounding animal community and humans alike. This is especially dangerous in populated urban areas, and can lead to dangerous situations such as contaminated water if the runoff from rain drags the animal remains into storm drains. For pedestrians, decaying animals are even more of an issue. The odor emitted is enough to turn most people away, but the pests and scavengers that feast on the deceased can cause physical harm to passersby, and even if they do not the carcasses can still be troublesome if there is no immediate way around, likely cutting any walk or run short. In a broader sense, animal carcasses ruin the aesthetic of a community, unless that community's style happens to be death. Too many animal carcasses and the community will feel less happy about living there, diminishing satisfaction levels and pride to be a part of the community, potentially prompting people to move or more likely, lowering the value of property values.
Timely carcass removal is essential for the betterment of the community. It improves aesthetics and traffic management caused by accidental road kill and demonstrates care from the local government. Beyond that, it can prevent any unnecessary health concerns that arise from decaying animal carcasses and prevent an influx of scavengers and abhorrent rodents into the daytime community. The State of Virginia is seeking contractors who will be able to provide on-call, as-needed dead animal carcass removal and disposal service on primary and secondary routes within Prince William County. The contract period is to be from one year from the date of award with four optional one year renewal periods. The solicitation closing time is 10:00 AM EST on September 16, 2024.