April 9-15 is Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week

This week we celebrate the unsung heroes of our county’s police departments who wrangle a plethora of escaped, abandoned, injured, and deceased critters of our communities – Animal Control Officers (ACOs). Whether responding to a call for service related to loose cattle on the highway, a pet parakeet taking refuge in a truck cab at Walmart, or a sick wild cottontail bunny on a city lawn, ACOs take it all in stride. In their daily duties, they encounter bees, snakes, horses, raccoons, hogs, deer, and every other type of animal, domesticated and wild, in Fayette County.

Local ACOs include:

• La Grange PD ACO: Dean Ahlschlager

• Fayette County Sheriff’s Office ACO: Charles Jakobeit

• Schulenburg ACO: Gina Harden ACOs are integral members of our law enforcement teams. Officers’ encounters with animals are potentially as dangerous as encounters with criminals, with the impacts of those interactions just as great on the communities they serve. No longer just ‘dog catchers,’ which have been active in the U.S. since the 1700s, contemporary ACOs are required by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to complete extensive training, which includes modules on animal behavior, animal handling, humane euthanasia, and Texas law. As the law related to animals evolves, so must ACOs’ training. As the geographic interface between humans and animals blurs, the competency of ACOs becomes more critical to ensure the safety of all. They protect ranchers’ investments and console families who have lost a pet to death on the street. They also experience compassion fatigue as other peace officers do.

You rarely see ACOs at work until you need them, but somehow everyone knows who they are. You may even have your ACO’s mobile number saved in your phone! April 9 – 15 is National Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week, so be sure to say ‘thank you’ to your local ACO for the selfless service they provide.