Three Things to Know
Animal control officers are on the front lines of community engagement, facing complex challenges daily. Their insights are crucial for understanding how organizations can better engage with communities and develop programs to improve the welfare of free-roaming dogs, shelter dogs and owned pet dogs.
Effective community engagement involves active presence and relationship-building within the community. It requires understanding individual situations and applying compassion rather than strict enforcement. Sharing knowledge and resources is key to gaining public trust.
While all officers agree on the importance of community engagement, there is no standardized definition or training. To ensure consistency, further professionalization is needed in the field. Researchers advocate for more research on effective community engagement strategies in animal welfare.
For Dog Welfare Practitioners:
Twenty-nine experienced animal control officers agree that community engagement is crucial to their work. Newcomers to the field should prioritize this skill, seeking out training opportunities and reflecting on hands-on experience.
For those outside of direct animal control, like shelter professionals, veterinarians and dog trainers, are you actively seeking the perspectives of local animal control officers? How are you applying strategies to better engage with your communities, perhaps in collaboration with animal control, to address the root causes of pet surrender, stray animals, and mistreatment?
The Full Picture
Animal control and field services officers, as frontline professionals in animal protection, are uniquely positioned to engage communities. Their roles include enforcing animal-related laws, managing dangerous animals, addressing public health concerns, and investigating cases of neglect or abuse.
To tackle animal cruelty and neglect effectively, animal control organizations must adopt culturally responsive community engagement strategies. These strategies should address systemic and sociocultural barriers to accessing pet support services like veterinary care and basic supplies. While recent research highlights the importance of community engagement in the animal welfare field, there is limited evidence on best practices for engaging communities specifically on cruelty and neglect issues.
To bridge this gap, a qualitative study, titled “Animal Control and Field Services Officers’ Perspectives on Community Engagement: A Qualitative Phenomenology Study”, in partnership with the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA) explored how animal control and field services officers define and practice community engagement.
Study Methods
The National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA), a U.S.-based organization promoting professionalism in animal welfare since 1978, provided a platform for gathering insights from animal control and field services officers. An email was sent to all 1,858 NACA members, inviting them to participate in a study by completing a consent form and demographic questionnaire.
A total of 29 eligible participants were selected based on these diversity criteria and reachability. Between March and May 2022, these participants completed one-hour, semi-structured Zoom interviews with a member of the research team. The interview questions encouraged participants to reflect on their integration of community engagement strategies and to provide suggestions for improving their efforts.
Study Results
The 29 participants represented 21 U.S. states and were employed across various organizations, with 22 (76%) working at municipal agencies, 6 (21%) at non-profits with government contracts, and 1 (3%) at another type of agency. On average, participants had 13 years of experience in animal control and field services, with a range of 1 to 40 years.
1. Definition of Community Engagement
Animal control and field services officers have diverse perspectives on community engagement, with no single, standardized definition. They view it as a varied approach involving active presence, relationship building, and collaboration. Officers emphasize the importance of being visible in the community, interacting with residents, and utilizing social media to share information. Building trust and rapport through informal interactions and formal partnerships is also crucial.
Some officers see community engagement as a reciprocal process, involving both giving and receiving. They advocate for stronger collaboration within the animal welfare field, including sharing resources and expertise. Additionally, they emphasize the need for standardized practices to ensure consistent service delivery.
2. Interpersonal Skill Needed for Community Engagement
Animal control officers identified several crucial interpersonal skills that significantly impact community engagement. These include empathy, respect, active listening, patience, positivity, and compartmentalization. Officers often emphasized the importance of “finding common ground”, while demonstrating a problem-solving mindset and a willingness to help.
Officers must be able to balance the demands of their work, including responding to distressing situations, while maintaining a positive demeanor. Effective communication, tailored to the individual and the situation, is essential for building positive relationships and achieving positive outcomes.
3. Applications of Community Engagement
Animal control and field services officers employed a variety of community engagement strategies to address various animal protection issues, including:
- Stray, Lost, and Found Pets: Officers prioritized return-to-field (RTF) practices, minimizing impoundment and fostering community trust. They believed that engaging community members to help reunite lost pets with their families showcase the community’s strength. Officers also advocated for laws and practices that reduce stray animals, such as grace periods for pet licensing, mandatory microchipping, and removing pet reunification fees.
- Community Cats: Officers advocated for expanding TNR programs and “barn cat” placements. They emphasized the importance of addressing community concerns while supporting legislations that manage community cat care..
- Wildlife: Community members often misunderstood animal control’s limited role in wildlife management. Officers acknowledged the need for education and awareness campaigns to inform the public about wildlife issues and the roles of different agencies.
- Cruelty and Neglect: Addressing cruelty and neglect often required officers to employ community engagement strategies. Officers emphasized the importance of education and resources before resorting to punitive measures. They also advocated for clearer and stricter laws to address neglect and hoarding.
- Dangerous Dogs: Officers stressed the importance of impartiality and understanding in handling dog bite cases. There are varied views on dangerous dog laws: while some officers supported stricter dangerous dog ordinances, others criticized Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) as counterproductive and detrimental to community trust. Community backlash against euthanasia requirements highlighted the need for more discretion and humane alternatives.
In addition to these specific strategies, officers utilized community events, social media, and pet support services to build trust and foster positive relationships with the public. They advocated for increased funding and resources to support these initiatives and improve animal welfare outcomes. Ultimately, officers emphasized the importance of a compassionate and collaborative approach to animal control, recognizing that effective solutions often require addressing underlying social and economic factors.
4. Engaging with Diverse Communities
Animal control officers emphasized the importance of cultural awareness, equitable enforcement, and improved communication with diverse communities. This includes understanding how cultural backgrounds influence attitudes toward animals and practicing equitable enforcement that recognizes the need for context-specific responses.
To further enhance community engagement, officers suggested:
- Increasing department diversity
- Offering multilingual resources
- Implementing organizational guidelines on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
5. Challenges Participating in Community Engagement
Animal control officers face numerous challenges that hinder their ability to effectively engage with the community. These include exposure to violence, neglect, and euthanasia, which can lead to significant mental health struggles. The lack of mental health resources exacerbates these challenges and negatively impacts community engagement. Additionally, understaffing, underfunding, and a lack of standardized training and support further hinder their ability to perform their duties.
To address these challenges, officers advocate for increased resources and greater recognition of their role as public servants. They also proposed more rigorous hiring qualifications, including standardized education requirements, psychological evaluations, and enhanced onboarding processes. They emphasized the need for comprehensive, hands-on training covering de-escalation techniques. In addition, professionalization and standardization across the sector would help elevate the field and ensure consistent practices.
6. COVID-19’s Impact on Community Engagement
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted animal control and field services, hindering community engagement efforts. Public-facing programs, clinics, and events were suspended, limiting access to essential pet services. Staffing shortages and increased community needs further compounded the challenges. To address these issues, officers collaborated with local organizations to provide resources such as pet food and human supplies. While the pandemic presented numerous obstacles, it also led to some positive outcomes, such as increased reliance on social media for communication and a modest increase in remote volunteer availability.
Conclusion
This study aimed to summarize animal control and field services officers’ perspectives on community engagement, revealing significant variation in how the term “community engagement” is defined and applied across different contexts.
While community engagement is a promising approach in animal control, there is a lack of consistency in its implementation. The growing diversity of U.S. communities and the need for nuanced approaches to public safety call for more research on effective community engagement practices. Some programs, such as the Humane Society’s Pets For Life and Best Friends’ Community-Supported Sheltering Initiative, are already using community engagement strategies to improve both animal and human well-being.
Several barriers hinder the implementation of community engagement programs, including resource constraints, negative public perceptions (e.g., viewed as “dog catchers”), and the need for officer training and support. Addressing these challenges requires significant organizational changes and increased investment in animal control services.
By understanding these challenges and opportunities, animal control agencies can develop more effective community engagement strategies to improve animal welfare and public safety.
Miscellaneous
Data From Study:
–
Year of Publication:
2023
External Link:
Moss LR, Hawes SM, Connolly K, Bergstrom M, O’Reilly K, Morris KN. Animal Control and Field Services Officers’ Perspectives on Community Engagement: A Qualitative Phenomenology Study. Animals. 2023; 13(1):68. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13010068