Animal Law Enforcement: protecting paws and people
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Animal Law Enforcement operates as a division of the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of both animals and southern Colorado community members.
“Our animal law enforcement team is out on the front lines every single day, making sure that the pets and people of our community are safe,” said Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region (HSPPR) Public Relations Manager, Cody Costra.
During National Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week, Officer Carina Villarreal provided insight into her morning routine, showing how she responds to concerned callers.
“I think my favorite part of the job is being able to support people and animals,” said Villarreal. “Sometimes at their worst and sometimes at their best and being that person that’s able to just listen and some people just need you to listen.”
Last year, Animal Law Enforcement responded to over 47,000 calls for service, averaging around 130 calls per day so far.
“You go to each call, you kind of see what’s more priority over others,” said Villarreal. “In the best way possible, you want to get to some of the more serious ones as soon as possible. If we have an emergency or a priority come up while we’re actively doing our other tasks, then we leave and we go do those.”
On Wednesday morning, Villarreal responded to several investigation calls and picking up dogs from a clinic, where a good Samaritan brought them in.
“Most of the time what it starts out with is we start with investigations or what we kind of call our like level two calls,” Villarreal explained. “Most of that’s like checking the welfare of animals and just basic investigations. Then priorities can be like injured cats, injured dogs, anything like that.”
During the morning stops, a priority call did come through as dispatch received a report from concerned community members regarding an injured cat. Villarreal emphasized the importance of her interactions in not only helping animals but also in providing comfort for the callers.
“[What] people don’t know is that we’re not just like a dog catcher and we do a lot of other things,” Villarreal said. “90% of my job or more is dealing with people.”
While some homeowners did not respond to her visit, she left warnings at the door and stressed the importance of informing animal owners about the laws and ordinances in place.
“Being able to provide people with knowledge on El Paso County domesticated animal laws…is what we do and that’s how we interact with people most of the time,” Villarreal said. “You don’t have to be a pet owner, I run into people all the time who don’t have pets and it’s just being there to listen and answer their questions a lot of the times.”
Right now, there are openings to be an Animal Law Enforcement Officer which you can apply for online. Additionally, details can be found here regarding reporting animal cruelty or neglect, and the laws in place in El Paso County.
While this week marks a special recognition, Costra emphasized the ongoing importance of their daily work and the significant impact the department has on the southern Colorado community.
“We really do appreciate all of the hard work that our Animal Law Enforcement team does and not only this week that we just show our appreciation, but we want to show our appreciation for everything they do on a daily basis,” said Costra.
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