animal control service
{{Short description|Entity charged with responding to requests for help with animals}}
{{for|the TV series|Animal Control (TV series)}}
File:Dog catcher LOC npcc.11887 (cropped).tif in a net.]]
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2019}}
An animal control service or animal control agency is an entity charged with responding to requests for help with animals, including wild animals, dangerous animals, and animals in distress. An individual who works for such an entity was once known as a dog catcher, but is generally now called an animal control officer, and may be an employee or a contractor – commonly employed by a municipality, county, shire,[http://www.harvey.wa.gov.au/services/rangers-services/pound/lost-your-cat-or-dog "RANGER SERVICES / POUND / LOST YOUR CAT OR DOG?"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102225356/http://www.harvey.wa.gov.au/services/rangers-services/pound/lost-your-cat-or-dog |date=January 2, 2016 }} harvey.wa.gov.au or other subnational government area.
Duties and function
Typically animals that are found will be checked for owner identification, including checking any ID tags, scanning for microchips, and checking for tattoos.{{cite web|url=https://www.nacanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/NACA_Guidelines.pdf|title=NACA Guidelines|date=2017|website=National Animal Care & Control Association|type=PDF}} Animals may be returned to their owners, or transported to a 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 euthanized.Notaro, Stephen J. "Disposition Of Shelter Companion Animals From Nonhuman Animal Control Officers, Citizen Finders, And Relinquished By Caregivers." Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 7.3 (2004): 181-188. Academic Search Premier. Web. March 13, 2013.
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. Officers may work for, or with, police or sheriff departments, parks and recreation departments, and health departments by confining animals or investigating animal bites to humans.
Active cruelty to animals may be an indicator of serious psychological or violence problems.[http://www.americanhumane.org/interaction/support-the-bond/fact-sheets/animal-abuse-domestic-violence.html Facts About Animal Abuse & Domestic Violence] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120064959/http://www.americanhumane.org/interaction/support-the-bond/fact-sheets/animal-abuse-domestic-violence.html |date=November 20, 2012 }} American Humane Association Accessed November 12, 2006{{cite web|url=http://www.animaltherapy.net/DomesticViolence.html |title=Domestic Violence & the Animal Abuse Link |publisher=Animaltherapy.net |access-date=November 6, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229144457/http://www.animaltherapy.net/DomesticViolence.html |archive-date=December 29, 2008 }}{{Cite journal|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7357998/|title=Aggression against cats, dogs and people|first=A. R.|last=Felthous|date=October 12, 1980|journal=Child Psychiatry and Human Development|volume=10|issue=3|pages=169–177|via=PubMed|doi=10.1007/BF01433629|pmid=7357998|s2cid=24502567}}{{cite news | url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEEDF113EF934A3575BC0A967958260&scp=309&sq=Daniel+Goleman&st=nyt | title = Clues to a Dark Nurturing Ground for One Serial Killer | work = New York Times | date = August 7, 1991 | first = Daniel | last = Goleman | access-date = April 30, 2010 | archive-date = August 23, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200823201105/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/07/us/clues-to-a-dark-nurturing-ground-for-one-serial-killer.html | url-status = live }} Because of these links, in some places animal control officers have begun to look for and report on other issues.{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10532376|title=SPCA, CYF police each other's patches|publisher=New Zealand Herald|date=September 16, 2008|access-date=September 29, 2008|first=Alanah|last=May Eriksen|archive-date=May 22, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522214949/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10532376|url-status=live}}
= Legal details in the United States of America =
The most common requirements for this job is some prior experience handling animals on a farm, as a veterinary assistant or animal trainer.[http://www.animalcontrol.org.nz/Job_Opportunities.html "Entry Requirements"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123022011/http://www.animalcontrol.org.nz/Job_Opportunities.html |date=January 23, 2016 }}, animalcontrol.org.nz Training is primarily on the job but some jurisdictions (like Virginia, North Carolina and Texas) require formal and continuing education[https://web.archive.org/web/20090117073850/http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+3.2-6556 VA Requirements], Code of Virginia available from community colleges and trade associations.
Some animal cruelty investigators are specially trained police officers.[http://www.criminaljusticeprograms.com/specialty/animal-cruelty-investigator/ "Requirements for Becoming an Animal Cruelty Investigator"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210075805/http://www.criminaljusticeprograms.com/specialty/animal-cruelty-investigator/ |date=December 10, 2015 }}, criminaljusticeprograms.com The New York American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) formerly employed and Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) currently employs several Humane Law Enforcement Officers with some police powers (including the power of arrest) and the Oregon Humane Society employs Humane Special Agents in partnership with the Oregon State Police who are fully-sworn law enforcement officers.{{Cite web |last=Goodwick |first=Kelsey O'Lea |date=2022-04-13 |title=Q&A: All About Humane Law Enforcement |url=https://www.oregonhumane.org/all-about-hle/ |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=Oregon Humane Society |language=en-US}} Throughout the United States this arrangement is becoming more common.{{Cite web|title=History of American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) – FundingUniverse|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/american-society-for-the-prevention-of-cruelty-to-animals-aspca-history/|access-date=2021-05-23|website=www.fundinguniverse.com}}
Politics
An American colloquialism labels an unpopular politician by saying that they "couldn't be elected dogcatcher", with "dogcatcher" referring to a very low-level elected office.
In practice, animal control officers are generally appointed by an executive authority and not elected.{{cite news|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2273842|title=Dog Race: Is dogcatcher actually an elective office?|last=Beam|first=Christopher|date=November 5, 2010|newspaper=Slate Magazine|access-date=November 6, 2010|archive-date=November 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101108135937/http://www.slate.com/id/2273842/|url-status=live}} However, historic equivalents such as poundmaster, which was tasked with the control of stray livestock, and hog reeve, whose mandate extended exclusively to stray swine, were elective offices in Colonial and early American New England. The town of Duxbury, Vermont, was said to be the only place in the contemporary United States that actually elects a dog catcher,{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/03/24/595755604/cant-get-elected-dogcatcher-try-running-in-duxbury-vt|title=Can't Get Elected Dogcatcher? Try Running In Duxbury, Vt.|last=Kolb Noyes|first=Eileen|date=March 24, 2018|language=en-US|access-date=March 24, 2018|archive-date=March 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324182836/https://www.npr.org/2018/03/24/595755604/cant-get-elected-dogcatcher-try-running-in-duxbury-vt|url-status=live}} but electing of dogcatchers was found to be illegal in Vermont in 2018. The job was then designated as appointment-only, with Zeb Towne, the last elected dogcatcher in Duxbury, being unanimously appointed to the position.{{cite news |last1=Gardner |first1=Tommy |title='Awesome' Duxbury dog catcher just not electable anymore |url=https://www.vtcng.com/stowe_reporter/news/local_news/awesome-duxbury-dog-catcher-just-not-electable-anymore/article_0b82995a-43e7-11e8-bd9b-039b7adcae4c.html |work=Vermont Community Newspaper Group |date=19 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112043724/https://www.vtcng.com/stowe_reporter/news/local_news/awesome-duxbury-dog-catcher-just-not-electable-anymore/article_0b82995a-43e7-11e8-bd9b-039b7adcae4c.html |archive-date=12 November 2023 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Detrow |first1=Scott |title='You Couldn't Get Elected Dogcatcher!' No, Seriously |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/04/07/600482792/you-couldn-t-get-elected-dogcatcher-no-seriously |date=April 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112043722/https://www.npr.org/2018/04/07/600482792/you-couldn-t-get-elected-dogcatcher-no-seriously |archive-date=November 12, 2023}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.aacis.us/ American Animal Cruelty Investigations School] (USA)
- [http://www.ndwa.co.uk/ National Dog Warden Association] (UK)
- [https://www.nacanet.org/ National Animal Care and Control Association] (USA)
- [https://warangers.asn.au/ Western Australian Rangers Association]
{{Authority control}}
Category:Animal care occupations