Animal control officer

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An animal control officer (also, more informally: dog catcher or dog warden) is an employee of, or a contractor to, a municipality, charged with catching stray or loose dogs, cats, and sometimes other animals, and bringing them to a compound or animal shelter, where the animals are held for a certain time before being returned to their owners, put up for adoption, released back into the wild, or euthanized. Animal control departments are also responsible for investigating incidents of human contact with both wild and domestic animals, such as bites. They usually work with Health Departments to ensure the health of humans injured by animals.

Variations of the historical phrase "I wouldn't vote for him for dogcatcher" or "He couldn't run for dogcatcher in this country" refers to an individual so poorly regarded that the individual in question is not fit to be elected to even a trivial position of public trust. In actuality, this position is usually an appointed one in localities that have a dedicated full-time animal control officer.

The role of the Animal Control Officer has changed over the past few decades. Gone are the days of the big bad "dog catcher". Today's ACO focuses more on educating the public on proper animal care, and rescuing animals from dangerous or abusive situations. They also pick up dead or injured wildlife and stray animals for disposal or treatment. The position can either be held through the jurisdiction's police department, or contracted to the local shelter (usually the humane society or SPCA). Depending on the size of the county and the funding they receive, there may be a single ACO or a team of them on duty. Usually the requirements for this job are a high school diploma, and some prior experience with animals. Training is done both on the job, and through the National Animal Control Association, which holds classes around the country.

Historically, Dog whippers were charged with keeping dogs out of churches in 16th- to 19th- century Europe; they also sometimes filled a more general animal-control role in villages.