OCCUPATION: ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER

Name: Del Holbrook

Employer: Seal Beach Police Department

Thumbs up: “I love animals and enjoy working with the community. The job has evolved from ‘dogcatcher,’ which was mostly enforcement, to include visiting schools to teach about animals.”

Thumbs down: “People enter this field because they’re animal lovers, and often we see some heartbreaking situations. If you want to last, you have to become emotionally detached. There is also some frustration. Even though public education has picked up, I still see a lot of ignorance toward animals.”

Next step: To increase the public education aspect of the job. “That’s the only way we’re going to get ahead of the problem.”

Advice: “Animal control officers are uniformed authorities, and sometimes that brings about a negative response from people. You have to be outgoing and approachable.”

Salary range: $22,000 to $30,000 a year, depending on the agency.

Fringe benefits: Most officers receive paid vacation, medical, dental, vision and life insurance, paid sick leave and retirement plans.

Educational and training requirements: Most agencies provide on-the-job training, and no experience is required. But applicants must have at least a high school diploma and are expected to pass written and physical examinations. They must be able to lift 50 to 75 pounds and be free of allergies to animals. As quasi-law enforcement officers, they must have no felony convictions.

Size of work force: Small. Most cities in Orange County contract with the Orange County Animal Control Agency, which has 10 field officers and five administrators. There are about 40 animal control officers in Orange County.

Expected demand: Steady, but not expected to increase significantly.

Job description: Animal control officers patrol communities for strays, investigate cruelty to animals, treat injured wildlife, enforce animal control laws and pick up dead animals for cremation. They help owners find lost pets and act as a resource for local public schools.

Major employers: City police departments and county agencies.

For more information: Contact the California Assn. of Animal Control Officers at (714) 595-4449, or the Orange County Animal Control Agency at (714) 935-7480. A ride-along program allows prospective applicants to accompany an officer in the field.

Source: Orange County Animal Control Agency.