PLEASE SUPPORT ALL SHELTERS!! WE ARE ALL IN DESPERATE NEED OF GOOD HOMES FOR OUR ANIMALS!!!!

  MERRY CHRISTMAS

THE HISTORY OF THE DOG CATCHER

The Animal Control Division was established in 1935
when there was a Dog Warden, but in 1991 it was renamed Animal Control due to the arrival of the rabies virus which had been steadily moving up the East Coast. An Animal Control Officer is charged with catching stray or loose dogs, cats, and sometimes other animals, and bringing them to a shelter where the animals are held for a certain time before being returned to their owners, put up for adoption or euthanized. (Any dog impounded at the Bridgeport Animal Control Facility will be advertised in the lost and found section of the Connecticut Post. Seven(7) days from the advertisement date, the dog will go up for adoption.) Animal control officers are also responsible for investigating incidents of human contact with both wild and domestic animals, such as bites. They usually work with Health Departments to ensure the health of humans injured by animals. The term "Dogcatcher" does have its place in history! There are variations of the title,"I wouldn't vote for him for dogcatcher" or "He couldn't run for dogcatcher in this country"  refers to an individual so poorly regarded that the individual in question is not fit to be elected to even a trivial position of public trust. But in fact the role of the Animal Control Officer has changed over the past few decades. Gone are the days of the big bad "dog catcher". Today's ACO focuses more on educating the public on proper animal care, and rescuing animals from dangerous or abusive situations.