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Valeree Gurrola

English 475

Robert Nazar

14 December 2017

Rescue Me

INTRODUCTION

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never

repay you.”-John Bunyan. One day, when I was just a little girl my neighbor had brought a

puppy over to my house. We went to jump on my trampoline with the puppy and it had fallen off

and started to whimper. My heart broke. I quickly picked the puppy up and we cared for the pup

like it was a baby, and ever since that day I knew I wanted to help animals in any way I could.

Through this research paper, I hope to realize if becoming an animal control officer is the right

career path for me.

WHAT I KNOW/ASSUME/IMAGINE

Before beginning my research, there are many things that I know, assume, and hope to

discover about being an animal control officer. One thing I know is that I

will need to be in contact with animals on a daily basis. I also know that I

need to be able to deal with hurt and or aggressive animals when needed to.

I assume that that my job environment will be close to home and that it will

not be difficult to get into this career. I hope to discover the skills I need to acquire and tasks I

will need to perform in order to be a successful animal control officer. Some questions I have

include: How will seeing hurt animals daily affect me emotionally? Will I be dealing with wild

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animals as well? Overall, I hope to finally discover if becoming an animal control officer is the

right career path for me.

THE SEARCH

The first resource that I explored for insightful information on becoming an animal

control officer was the website Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH). OOH is a career

resource website maintained by the government and is

specifically run by the U.S Department of Labor and Statistics.

There are numerous topics listed on the site, and one of them I

found to be very interesting is the work environment. Being an

animal control officer, there are many sites that one can choose from to be stationed at. These

locations vary from animal shelters, zoos, veterinary clinics, to aquariums (“Work

Environment”). I would love to work with animals in all different environments. It also is great

to know that I am able to choose where I will be able to work depending on what I enjoy the

most. Based on the locations listed, I wish to work at an animal shelter because I feel those

animals need the most help. Despite the fact that I am not a huge fan of zoos, I would be open to

giving it a chance and seeing how I may like it. While searching through more tabs on OOH, I

found information on how to become an animal control officer. All a person needs to become an

animal control officer is a high school diploma because one will learn as they go. Although if

one has experience with animals such as working at animal shelters or being an animal caretaker,

they will be favored over someone who does not (“How to Become an Animal Care and Service

Worker”). It is a relief that I will not need much schooling if this is the career I choose to pursue.

But I also know that I am capable of much more. So, maybe I will see how much I like this job

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and in the future retain my own shelter for animals. I also need to start to volunteer at animal

shelters so that I may have experience. Overall, OOH provided me with many beneficial facts

and even though I may want to be challenged more regarding education, the fact that there are

many work settings I can choose from is delightful to know.

The second resource I examined on becoming an animal control officer was the website

Occupational Information Network (O*Net). O*Net is a database that is sponsored by the U.S.

Department of Labor, Recruitment, and Training Administration. During my search I came

across the tasks that I will need to perform while on the job as

an animal control officer. The tasks include the inspection of

animals, being able to recognize if an animal is hurt, investigate

animal inhumanity, apprehend animals, and euthanize animals

that are far way too wounded or unclaimed (“Tasks”). I have owned dogs my whole life and

noticing when a dog is not feeling well and something is wrong with them is actually something

that I have learned over time. But not all animals react the same when they are hurt, so will I be

able to always identify when all animals are not feeling well? Investigating and interviewing

people who participate in animal cruelty will be frustrating to me, but I will need to learn how to

keep it professional. I honestly do not think I will ever be able to euthanize an animal. I can not

see myself doing taking away an animal’s life; it would take too much of an emotional toll on

me. Continuing my search on O*Net, I found the skills needed to be an animal control officer

listed. The skills included judging situations and choosing the most effective one, actively

listening to others as well as communicating effectively with them in stressful situations,

thinking critically, and being capable of solving problems on one’s own (“Skills”). I have always

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been able to keep calm in very stressful situations, and I find it enjoyable to solve problems that

may come my way. It may be stressful at times when I have to choose between taking away an

animal or leaving it with an owner who is not taking care of the animal properly, but I need to

choose the most fitting option for each situation. I can learn over time how to better handle

problems and learn from any mistakes that I may make. Therefore, O*Net was a very

informative piece because although euthanizing animals may be disturbing, the skills needed for

this career are very useful for everyday life.

The third resource I consulted for information on the career of an animal control officer

were two journal articles written by Wayne Pacelle, the President and CEO of The Humane

Society in the United States. Pacelle talks about the job outlook for animal control workers in the

the first article, “Tapping our Collective Spirit.” Pacelle mentions how there are only a few

people involved in this workforce and that they are always in need of new willing members to

contribute. (4) Knowing that animal control officers are always needed is satisfying to know

because I will have a considerable chance to get into this career. I

will not have to worry about competition in order to become an

animal control officer. It is unfortunate that many people are not

want to be in this workforce, and that they are in constant need of

new workers. I really hope to see this industry grow so that more

animals are saved. In Pacelle’s second article “Standing Together for Animals,” he mentions

how being an animal control officer has affected the world in a positive way. He comments how

the euthanizing of pets has been declining, there are actual consequences for the inhumane acts

done upon animals, and pledges from dominant food retailers to ban the use of food that comes

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from farms that have animals in severe confinement. (4) I really enjoyed this topic because it

shows how the career really makes an impact on the world and others. Many people start to

understand the importance of animals and realize that they deserve fair treatment. Just knowing

that I can be a part of all the changes that occur due to this career would give me a heroic feeling.

It makes me really ecstatic that I will not just being doing this work for myself, but for the

animals and that is something that I find so admirable. Some people do not care for animals and

others simply do not want to help, but I do. Ultimately, Pacelle’s articles demonstrated the

influences that an animal control officer has and it is refreshing to know that that there are so

many job openings in the future as well as the productive steps it takes to making the world a

fitter place for animals.

Lastly, I conducted an interview with Jose Hernandez, an animal control officer, for

helpful information about the career. Jose Hernandez has been working with rescue animals

since he was only 11 years old and has been an intern since he

was 16 at the Inland Valley Humane Society before he became

an animal control officer there at the age of 19. I asked

Hernandez how being an animal control officer has affected

him personally emotionally. Hernandez explained that “emotionally you will have to change so

that over time you can become more composed to better handle situations. There were moments

when I cried and I did not understand why animals had to be put through so much.” When

Hernandez was explaining to me the tolls that being an animal control officer took on him I did

get a bit worried. Knowing that almost everyday I will be dealing with the death of animals does

scare me. Since it is not my own animal, I will be able to detach myself because knowing that

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there are animals out there with loving homes will continue to give me hope that these animals

still have a chance. But just knowing that innocent lives of animals are taken daily with hardly

ever a good enough reason in my eyes makes me think hard about this job. But as he said, over

time that I may get used to it. I also asked Hernandez to explain to me the pros of being an

animal control officer. When asked about the pros of the career, Hernandez said “the pros

without a doubt weigh out the cons, everyday is a different day and just knowing that you are

doing the right thing, many people thank us for our service

you will touch people’s lives.” Having the support of many

people will feel so rewarding and knowing that the positive

aspects outweighs the negative is a relief. Everything has

obstacles, I must struggle in order to be successful because it is not going to be easy. The

question now is if I am willing to take the bad head on and push through in order to fulfill my

wish of becoming an animal control officer? Overall, the interview with Hernandez proved to be

a beneficial resource because although I learned that there will be many obstacles that I come

across emotionally, the admirable deeds that I do and support I will receive will make up for it.

WHAT I DISCOVERED

After I finished gathering all the essential information about a career as an animal control

officer I am now able to make a knowledgeable

decision if it is the right career path for me.

Granted that my research confirmed that I must

come into contact with animals daily and care for them with proper procedures, it has also raised

me with some concerns about how the job may affect me emotionally. I discovered that being an

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animal control officer is setting yourself up for some very stressful and upsetting situations. I

have learned that there will be many people against what I will be doing and I will have to be

able to handle a great deal of hardships. Animals cannot just ask for help and then turn around

and say “thank you” for what one has done for them like humans have the ability to. I want to be

that person that helps these animals with no expectation that I will get something in return. They

are helpless, and the only hope that they have is to be saved by someone who genuinely cares,

and I do.

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Works Cited

“Animal Care and Service Workers.” Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.

Occupational Outlook Handbook. 19 Oct. 2017.

<https://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/animal-care-and-service-workers.ht

m>. Web.

Hernandez, Jose. Personal interview. 26 Oct. 2017.

Pacelle, Wayne. “Standing together for animals.” Animal Sheltering (Summer 2017):4.

Vocational Studies Complete. 20 Oct. 2017. Web.

Pacelle, Wayne. “Tapping Our collective spirit” Animal Sheltering (Jan.-Feb. 2017):4.

Vocational Studies Complete. 20 Oct. 2017. Web.

“Summary Report for Animal Control Workers.” Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of

Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. 19 Oct. 2017.

<https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/33-9011.00>. Web.