Animal Control Season 4: Will It Happen? Everything We Know

The quirky comedy series Animal Control has become one of Fox's most consistent hits in recent years, but will the show score a season 4 renewal? Created by the trio of Bob Fisher, Rob Greenberg, and Dan Sterling, Animal Control concerns former cop Frank Shaw (Joel McHale), as he leads a rag-tag team of animal control officers in Seattle. While trying to handle all the wildlife that the Emerald City has to offer, Frank must also cope with the tremendous sense of loss he feels after being booted off the police force years earlier.

Anchored by the hilariously cynical performance of McHale as Frank Shaw, Animal Control burst on the scene during the strike-affected year of 2023, and has been an annual staple since. While the series doesn't break the mold when it comes to sitcoms, Animal Control is the type of safe and thoroughly enjoyable comedy that has come to typify network TV in the age of streaming. Even while big-budget streaming exclusives languish in production for years between seasons, Animal Control has already quietly amassed an impressive run. That run will likely continue in season 4, but Fox hasn't renewed it yet.

New episodes of Animal Control air Thursdays at 9pm EST on Fox.

Animal Control Season 4 Is Not Confirmed

Fox Hasn't Called In Animal Control Yet

Having gotten past the sophomore season hump, it seems as if the sky is the limit for Animal Control. Despite this, Fox has yet to order a fourth season, though the network likely has its reasons for not preemptively ordering more quite yet. The success of Animal Control season 1 was validated by the ongoing success of season 2, and if season 3 continues that upward trend, it will only be a matter of time before the network orders more. Now that Animal Control has become a fixture of the comedy-heavy network's lineup, it could be around for quite a while.

Fox is clearly waiting to see how season 3 performs before a decision is reached.

The open-ended premise and playfully safe scenarios make Animal Control quintessential network TV fodder, and Joel McHale's star-power alone should be enough to get new eyes on the sitcom. With ratings in a good place so far, and reviews at an acceptably middle-of-the-road average, Animal Control has seemingly found the sweet spot that could allow it to return for not only a fourth season, but several more in the future as well. However, Fox is clearly waiting to see how season 3 performs before a decision is reached.

Animal Control season 3 debuted on January 2, 2025.

Animal Control Season 4 Cast Details

Will Frank & The Rest Of The Team Return?

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Like most workplace comedy shows, Animal Control relies heavily on a consistent cast from season to season in order to build a familiar bond between viewers and the characters. As such, it's expected that the main ensemble from previous seasons will return to reprise their roles in Animal Control season 4, especially Community alum Joel McHale as the delightfully cynical Senior Animal Control Officer, Frank Shaw. Joining McHale will certainly be Vella Lovell as the spunky and optimistic Emily Price, the director of the Animal Control precinct.

Related Joel McHale's Community Replacement Hilariously Linked His New Character To Jeff Winger Joel McHale's role in his sitcom Animal Control has one hilarious link to his previous role in Community as Jeff Winger in a Spanish mispronunciation.

Offering a bit more comedic relief, Michael Rowland will definitely be back as Fred "Shred" Taylor, an overly naive junior Animal Control Officer. Likewise, the much less optimistic Animal Control Officer, Amit Patel, will again be played by Ravi V. Patel, while Grace Palmer will return as kiwi ex-pat Victoria Sands. Aside from a slew of supporting characters that pop in and out of the episodes, Animal Control features a host of guest stars as well. While names like Ken Jeong and Sarah Chalke have appeared, it's impossible to guess who might show up in future episodes.

Ken Jeong and Joel McHale co-starred in Community.

The presumptive cast of Animal Control season 4 includes:

Actor Animal Control Role Joel McHale Frank Shaw Vella Lovell Emily Price Grace Palmer Victoria Sands Michael Rowland Fred "Shred" Taylor Ravi V. Patel Amit Patel

Animal Control Season 4 Story Details

More Wild Emergencies Are On The Horizon

there will undoubtedly be some character development throughout season 3 that might help expand upon the potential ongoing storylines in season 4.

Predicting the exact plot details of Animal Control season 4 is nearly impossible because the hilarious unpredictability is what makes the series work so well. Watching Frank and his team respond to bigger and more ridiculous animal emergencies is what keeps people tuning in each week, and season 4 is expected to continue that trend. However, there will undoubtedly be some character development throughout season 3 that might help expand upon the potential ongoing storylines in season 4.

Frank has only just begun to tackle the heartbreak and loss he feels from having been kicked off the force, and he's finally coming around to seeing Animal Control as an opportunity and not a punishment. Meanwhile, his will-they-won't-they with Victoria likely won't be resolved anytime soon, and the duo could continue to skip around the issue well into a fourth season. Meanwhile, Emily's desire to work up the ranks will probably hit a few snags in Animal Control season 4, especially with outside forces trying to interfere.