Community Animal Control Officers

Most communities throughout the United States have a problem now and again with dogs and cats causing problems. Whether it be an abuse claim or a damage caused by a dog or cat, the animal control officer is granted authority under law to make arrests and write citations to the human owners and to take animals into custody for quarantine or protection.

Most animal control officers do not function in a capacity to deal with issues involving wild game, but many officers in rural areas are authorized to handle issues of law concerning livestock. It is tough to imagine anyone who would abuse an animal, but the abuse is not confined to just dogs and cats. Any pet and livestock may be physically abused in any number of ways from severe beatings to being kept in unsanitary or dangerous conditions, as well as not having food or water provided to them.

Some animal control officers have expanded police powers in larger urban environments to the point of being provided firearms for their own protection. Some animal control officers have vehicles outfitted similar to police cruisers that are equipped to detain both animal and human offenders who violate the local jurisdictions animal laws. The carrying of firearms is new to the animal control officer and has become a necessity more for the human offenders they encounter rather than the other animal species they deal with on a day to day basis.

Animal control officers of big cities typically wear a uniform that looks very much like a regular police officer’s uniform though they are charged with keeping the animal laws and not the other criminal and traffic laws. Smaller communities may subcontract the private services of a business that provides animal control services. The smaller communities may have the provider of the services sworn as a public service officer in order to be granted arrest and citation issuing powers. Non-sworn officers in charge of animal control would need to have a police officer make arrests or issue citations.

The need for animal control services in communities grows as the population grows. The cause of most issues needing an officer to respond are the fault of negligent or irresponsible owners rather than being the fault of the animal itself.