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Do the animals you work with as an Animal Control Officer, get euthanized?

I love animals and don`t want to see them die... #animals #animalcontrol # cats #veterinary-medicine #veterinarian #veterinary #degree

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Courtney’s Answer

Most county and city animal control organizations do have a euthanasia option. Although there are a lot of private non-profit programs that will work with them to help get the animals removed and placed with fosters so euthanasia can be avoided. There are also just some animals that the animal control officers pick up that are just too sick to live a quality life and those will also get euthanized.

If you want to work with animals and don't want to see them put down, you might consider being a pet sitter. I did an internship at a vet clinic and we had to euthanize animals all the time. Even as a zookeeper I've been exposed to animals getting euthanized although it's much less frequent as a zookeeper.

I agree that it's sad when euthanasia is used as a last resort for an animal that can't be re-homed. However I've personally witnessed pets get so sick with cancerous inoperable tumors that euthanasia is the most humane to do.

Courtney recommends the following next steps:

research online the various occupations working with pets (pet sitting; zookeeper)
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Connie’s Answer

Unfortunately euthanasia is a reality animal control officers face daily due to the nature of their job. I've worked with several officers who have brought in sick/injured animals and sometimes euthanasia is the only humane option. When it comes to animal care you must think more broadly about every decision and path an animals life can take given the situation at hand.

I would suggest volunteering with a nonprofit no-kill rescue to see the daily care it takes to handle homeless animals. Once you are comfortable I would then volunteer at a local municipal shelter where they must make those tough decisions daily.

There is also an option of working as a dispatcher or a clerk for an animal control office. These folks don't tend to have to handle those tough decisions but rather help the public out with their animal control needs.

Connie recommends the following next steps:

Contact nonprofit rescue to volunteer
Research different jobs at local animal control such as a dispatcher
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