Animal Control Officer Career

In this chapter, we will be discussing different topics about the Animal Control Officer (ACO) career path: the history of the Animal Control Officer, the objectives of animal control, philosophy of professionalism, and the training requirements. The purpose of this chapter will help you gain an understanding on what is expected of you when you become an ACO. We will first go over the history of animal control.

History of Animal Control

The history of animal control goes back for thousands of years when humankind needed a way to domesticate animals. The need arose to selectively breed animals to enhance or eliminate traits and behaviors to produce an animal that improved their lives in some way. Dogs and cats were probably the first animals

During the mid-twentieth century, animal control programs started becoming more prevalent across the United States. To protect the health, safety and property interest of its citizens, animal control units were created out of need with certain objectives of animal control in mind.

Objectives of Animal Control

The objectives of animal control are designed to ensure that pet owners exercise proper care and control of their animal so that they do not pose a threat or nuisance to the community. Some issues a community will encounter are complaints of:

• Spread of disease and injury including bites, rabies, and other diseases
• Vehicle damage
• Public nuisance including barking, howling, and spreading trash
• Unsanitary conditions including animal waste
• Property damage including digging in lawns and gardens, chasing, injuring or killing livestock, pets and

Always deal with people in a polite but firm manner. A professional ACO enforces the laws and ordinances by being respectful, fair, and consistent. Always handle and care for animals in a safe, humane manner. Never vent your frustrations and anger on the animals in your care. People, including supervisors in your agency, respect a professional appearance. If at all possible, wear a uniform with visible identification. If your agency does not have a uniform, wear neat, clean street clothes. Your vehicle and animal sheltering facility must look professional. Keep them clean, in good repair, and well organized. Keeping the philosophy of professionalism in mind, we will now go over the training requirement to become an Animal Control