I spent over a decade in Animal Services and spent a lot of the time in the field as a senior officer and investigator. I finally left the field because I was emotionally burned out. I don’t even know where to start.

I have been threatened both with and without weapons pointed at me. I have been charged by big pissed off dogs more times than I could ever hope to count. On one occasion someone let their dog “escape” through the front door knowing it would attack. It did. I have scars from that one. I have been called out after hours in the middle of the night to remove all kinds of animals from all kinds of situations, but the scariest of those have involved sketchy ass aggressive men and their sketchy ass aggressive behavior. I have been caught in the middle of dog fights in very small spaces. I’ve had people get in my face and record me while verbally assaulting me. I have been charged by wild hogs. I have, so many times, stood in front of a dangerous situation wondering what the hell I was going to do but knowing I was going to have to be the one to figure it out.

Don’t get me wrong, there are other professions that face much worse than I ever did. But I’ve had enough close calls and unwelcome adrenaline to last me a lifetime.

Next time you interact with an Animal Services Officer give them a “good job” or something. They’re out there taking a beating, especially in big urban areas where the emergency calls never end.