A far cry from the days of being seen as the “dogcatchers,” today’s highly skilled animal care and control officers are on the front lines in our communities, helping animals in need. In the last few years, as sheltering has seen progress towards connecting lifesaving to public safety, there’s a need to restructure the role animal services has in helping the pets and pet owners in their communities.

An animal services officer is often the largest touch-point to the community for a shelter and their work is so much more than impounding pets and writing citations. They know that an owned pet in need usually means there's also a person who needs help.

How can municipal agencies rethink their approach and implement new strategies that are support-based to improve the lives of animals and humans alike?