ACO

I am your Animal Control Officer. I am not the
dreaded "dog catcher" or the "murderer" you call
me.

I'm not the one who allows your pets to breed, then
dumps the unwanted puppies and kittens on
roadsides and in shelters. I'm the one who must
find the tiny animals before they die of starvation,
exposure or disease and, as an act of mercy,
exterminate them.

It hurts me to see hundreds of thousands of
animals killed each year, but because of your
irresponsibility, I have no choice.
I'm not the one who abandons unwanted animals
on the farm roads, telling myself some friendly
farmer will surely take them in and give them a
good home. But I am the one who picks up the
frightened animal who waits in vain for its beloved
master, wondering why it has been abandoned. I
am the one who must help that friendly farmer
trap, tranquilize that animal because it has begun
to roam in packs with other abandoned hungry
animals, killing livestock, fowl and game.
I am not the one who breeds and fights dogs in
the name of "sport". But I'm the one who fights the
breeders and participants, and must pick up the
dead and dying animals that have been left
behind.

So, remember the next time a stray dog bites your
child, your trash is dumped and scattered, your
pet is lost, stolen, poisoned or hit by a car, and it
is the Animal Control Officer you call not the "dog
catcher".

The next time your pet is picked up, or you are
cited for neglecting or abusing it, remember that I
am only trying to get you to fulfill your responsibility
to your pet, your neighbor and yourself.
Do not scorn me. Respect me, for I am the
product of your irresponsibility.
I love animals, and I care.