Animal control officer
Encyclopedia
Historically, Dog whipper
s were charged with keeping dogs out of churches in 16th- to 19th- century Europe; they also sometimes filled a general animal-control role in villages, confining strays. The role of the Animal Control Officer has expanded over the past few decades to rescuing animals from dangerous or abusive situations and investigating cruelty and neglect.
An animal control officer in the U.S.A. may be an employee of or a contractor
to a municipality
and is charged with responding to calls for service from the general public. Calls may include requests for help with wild animals, dangerous animals or animals in distress. Animal control services may be provided by the government or through a contract with a humane society or society for the prevention of cruelty to animals (no relation to national organizations with similar names). Officers may work with police
or sheriff
departments, parks and recreation departments, and health departments by confining animals or investigating animal bites to humans. Rescued animals may be returned to their owners or transported to veterinary clinic or animal shelter
. Animals held in the shelter can be returned to their owners, adopted, released to the wild, held as evidence in a criminal investigation or destroyed. A recent bill in California proposes changing "destroyed" to "euthanized". Opponents of this bill want the term to apply only to dying animals who are assisted by medication to die and not to be used for the humane slaughter of animals in shelters.
The most common requirements for this job in the U.S. are a gun and a high school diploma and some prior experience handling animals on a farm, as a veterinary assistant or animal trainer. Training is primarily on the job but a few states require formal and continuing education (VA, NC, TX)available from community colleges and trade associations.
The availability of training and popularization of the job through television shows has brought increasing opportunities to the field. The New York American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) employs several animal "cops" with quasi police powers. This arrangement is becoming more common throughout the United States, accordingly offering greater compensation. Due to FBI profilers finding an association between cruelty to animals and interpersonal violence, some animal cruelty investigators are specially trained police officers and many domestic violence shelters include sheltering for animals through animal control agencies and suggest protective orders for pet animals for victims seeking services.
In actuality, most animal control officers are appointed by an executive authority. An exception is the town of Duxbury, Vermont
, which does elect its dogcatcher.
Dog Whipper
A dog whipper was a church official charged with removing unruly dogs from a church or church grounds during services.In some areas of Europe during the 16th to 19th centuries it was not uncommon for household dogs to accompany - or at least follow - their owners to church services...
s were charged with keeping dogs out of churches in 16th- to 19th- century Europe; they also sometimes filled a general animal-control role in villages, confining strays. The role of the Animal Control Officer has expanded over the past few decades to rescuing animals from dangerous or abusive situations and investigating cruelty and neglect.
An animal control officer in the U.S.A. may be an employee of or a contractor
Independent contractor
An independent contractor is a natural person, business, or corporation that provides goods or services to another entity under terms specified in a contract or within a verbal agreement. Unlike an employee, an independent contractor does not work regularly for an employer but works as and when...
to a municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and is charged with responding to calls for service from the general public. Calls may include requests for help with wild animals, dangerous animals or animals in distress. Animal control services may be provided by the government or through a contract with a humane society or society for the prevention of cruelty to animals (no relation to national organizations with similar names). Officers may work with police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
or sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
departments, parks and recreation departments, and health departments by confining animals or investigating animal bites to humans. Rescued animals may be returned to their owners or transported to veterinary clinic or animal shelter
Animal shelter
An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless, lost, or abandoned animals; primarily a large variety of dogs and cats.Parrots, for example, are the third most common pet owned by people...
. Animals held in the shelter can be returned to their owners, adopted, released to the wild, held as evidence in a criminal investigation or destroyed. A recent bill in California proposes changing "destroyed" to "euthanized". Opponents of this bill want the term to apply only to dying animals who are assisted by medication to die and not to be used for the humane slaughter of animals in shelters.
The most common requirements for this job in the U.S. are a gun and a high school diploma and some prior experience handling animals on a farm, as a veterinary assistant or animal trainer. Training is primarily on the job but a few states require formal and continuing education (VA, NC, TX)available from community colleges and trade associations.
The availability of training and popularization of the job through television shows has brought increasing opportunities to the field. The New York American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) employs several animal "cops" with quasi police powers. This arrangement is becoming more common throughout the United States, accordingly offering greater compensation. Due to FBI profilers finding an association between cruelty to animals and interpersonal violence, some animal cruelty investigators are specially trained police officers and many domestic violence shelters include sheltering for animals through animal control agencies and suggest protective orders for pet animals for victims seeking services.
In politics
An American colloquialism labels an unpopular politician by saying that he or she "couldn't be elected dogcatcher". "Dogcatcher" is also used as shorthand for low-level political office.In actuality, most animal control officers are appointed by an executive authority. An exception is the town of Duxbury, Vermont
Duxbury, Vermont
Duxbury is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,289 at the 2000 census. It claims to be the only municipality in the United States which has an elected position of dogcatcher.-History:...
, which does elect its dogcatcher.