Law enforcement, officials celebrating Animal Control Appreciation Week
WARREN COUNTY, KY.- Animal control officers are more than just dog catchers… they are the voice for the voiceless.
The officers act as first responders who protect animals and people in the community.
Jessica Farris, an animal control officer with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, says, “We try to educate people. A lot of people do not understand certain things about dogs, cats, and even livestock. So we’re here to help with that. We do have good days. We have bad days. We get the good calls. We get the bad calls. So, I mean, we basically see just a little bit of everything, but I mean, we try to help out as much as we can.”
The officers face a wide range of calls daily, and many people don’t even realize it.
Brad Schargorodski, a Division manager for code compliance for the city of Bowling Green, tells us, “Unless you call and you need ONE of our animal control officers, you might not even realize that they’re out there seven days a week. Dealing with dangerous animals, protecting animals. A lot of times where maybe home animals are being mistreated. Unfortunately, we deal with both sides of it.”
Animal control officers are the point of contact when it comes to animal-related issues.
There are certain things pet owners can do to protect their animals.
“We say spay and neuter. That is one of the biggest issues that we have right now, which is that we are constantly getting calls about kittens and puppies. Of course, we do not have a leash law in the county just yet. Always encourage people to have their dogs in places, especially if they do get loose. You can grab that leash. I mean, just on the lines of that in love with your babies, they’re just like children.
There are several ways that you can show your animals love, and one way that you can is completely free and is offered by the city.
“One of the big things we do here in the city is free rabies vaccination and microchip clinic. And that’s a perfect example of something that we go above and beyond to try to make sure that animals and humans are both protected.”
For more information on Animal Control, visit the city’s website.
