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A Day in the Life of
an Animal Control Officer
Animal Control Officers help keep the areas in which we live safe. They often deal with mistreated pets who suffer from neglect and malnourishment. They also see dogs and cats that are a risk for other people due to their temperament. Many people don’t realize that Animal Control Officers deal with a variety of other animals too, depending on the area in which they live.
Let’s take a close look at the life of an Animal Control Officer in Connecticut. They are often called to remove a variety of wildlife including raccoons, snakes, armadillos, skunks, feral cats, coyotes and moles. Some of them are dead but most of the time they are called to take care of the removal of live animals.
Surprisingly, according to Connecticut Animal Control Officer Stephani Johnson one of the biggest problems they have to contend with are wild dogs. This is a common problem because people tend to dump unwanted dogs in outlying areas. The majority of them are able to mate and the population of wild dogs in these areas quickly grows if it is not kept under control.
According to Johnson "Animals born in the wild with no socialization are going to be exactly that: wild." On January 23rd, 2007 these wild dogs were involved in an attack of a middle aged woman. The dogs attacked her as she got out of her vehicle and started towards the house. A mailman was also approached by the dogs the next day but he was able to fend them off with the pepper spray he carried. "We’ve known that there are wild dogs there," Johnson said. "This is the first year there was an attack."
One of the issues many Animal Control Officers in Connecticut have to be prepared for is the possibility that the animal has been infected with rabies. If the animal is involved in a scenario where they have bitten someone, the Animal Control Officer needs to look into verifying that the animal has received their rabies shots. However, if the animal doesn’t have an owner or it is a wild animal this isn’t possible. Rabies testing then needs to be conducted on the animal to find out.
Sometimes an Animal Control Officer will arrive on the scene to discover that the animal is already exhibiting signs that they are likely infected with rabies. The majority to rabies cases seen in Connecticut are in connection with wild animals including skunks and raccoons. Of the approximate 5,000 cases they see each year only about 150 of them involve domestic dogs and cats.
One thing is for sure, every day for a Connecticut Animal Control Officer brings something new to experience. This is why it is so important for each Animal Control Officer to be well trained in the various types of animals they will come into contact with as well as the dangers of approaching them. Animal Control Officers are committed to keeping the area safe for all of us but in doing so they often put themselves at risk. Engaging in proper safety procedures and wearing the right equipment is essential.
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