07/06/2026
A lot of folks have a pre-conceived notion of what a Animal Control Officer does or has no idea what they do. As it has now been Four Years since I took this position I would like to share a brief and very short list of what a day to day work day looks like for an ACO, and please keep in mind this is a very short list and doesnt cover the full scope of what we do.
Texas Animal Control Officers (ACOs) enforce state laws and local ordinances related to animal welfare and public health. Their daily duties include responding to stray and dangerous animal calls, investigating cruelty, enforcing leash laws, conducting rabies quarantines, and supporting local shelter operations. ACOs fill a vital public safety role by executing specific core functions:
Enforcing Laws & Investigating: They respond to reports of animal cruelty, neglect, and vicious animals. Depending on their jurisdiction, ACOs can issue warnings, write citations, or secure search warrants and make arrests for animal-related crimes.
Public Health & Rabies Control: They manage mandatory 10-day quarantines for animals that have bitten someone, collect specimens for rabies testing, and help protect the community from zoonotic diseases.
Field Captures & Patrols: ACOs patrol communities to impound stray or aggressive domestic animals and assist sick, injured, or trapped wildlife.
Shelter Support & Euthanasia: Many ACOs also manage local shelter facilities, caring for impounded animals, facilitating adoptions, and occasionally performing lawful euthanasia for aggressive, sick, or unadopted animals. They also maybe responsible for shelter cleaning, feedings and building maintance.
In Texas, these officers are increasingly recognized for being on the front lines of public safety alongside traditional first responders. They operate under specific state-mandated training requirements—they must complete a Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) approved Basic Animal Control Course within one year of their hire date, and must complete 30 hours of continuing education every three years.
If you are dealing with a stray, a dangerous animal, or a suspected neglect case, your county sheriff's office or city dispatch will typically route the call directly to your local ACO.
And to wrap things up here are some numbers of what I have completed over the last 4 years.
New Animal intakes 1354 dogs, cats, (12 chickens, 1 pig, and 1 goat, and a Bob Cat-oh my!).
Plus 110 Returning or Repeat visitors to the shelter for a grand total of 1464 total animals. Thats an average of 366 animals per year in a shelter with only 7 dog kennels, 1 quarintine room and 25 individual cat kennels.
That is a lot for one guy and a part time kennel tech to do. And just imagine those numbers dont include the wildlife I encounter as well. I also have not included the hours and hours of tending to sick and injured animals, Trap-Neuter and Release program, coordinating with wonderful rescues such as SCARF Rescue - Sam Coffey Animal Rescue Friends, Austin Pets Alive, Grand Companions and SPCA out of Fredricksburg, and so many more.
So as anyone can see there is a lot with a position such as this. So if anyone doesnt know or understand what an ACO does or thinks we just dont do anything but sit and play with puppies and kittens please share this post with them, or even better share this post with friends and family that have yet to spay or neuter their pets. Let them see these numbers and how out of control our pet population really is, the number of abandoned and neglected animals out there and lets see if as a community we cant change the direction we are heading. One guy cant be expected to do it all alone in a 40hr work week.
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