‘Pooch Police’ Add 25 Rookies to Their Ranks

They wear badges and operate under the color of authority. They patrol our streets and protect us against bands of marauders.

Cops?

Think dogcatchers.

Los Angeles’ newest animal control officers graduated this week, the first crop of rookies to hit the streets in more than a decade.

You might wonder why anyone would make a career out of chasing rabid pit bulls. Then you meet these animal lovers who gush about strays the way doting parents talk about babies.

“A lot of these animals have grown up on the streets. They’re scared or injured or old,” said Jane Vlaovich, 33, a new recruit assigned to the harbor area. “You talk to them. You hold them. You know that being there, you’ve made an impact on their lives.”

The new recruits will bolster a woefully understaffed force. The city Department of Animal Regulation has lost nearly a third of its field staff to budget cuts over the last five years. Just 38 dogcatchers patrol the entire city of Los Angeles. Last year, they collected 74,000 animals.

Of the 25 newcomers, 13 will work in the field. The others are animal-care technicians who will look after the population of the city’s six animal shelters.

Veteran dogcatchers who attended this week’s ceremony predicted that the newcomers would help relieve an overwhelmed system.

“It’s going to take a big strain off the officers,” said Helen Brakemeier, a nine-year veteran. “Morale will go up a great deal. We’ll be able to accomplish more.”

Indeed, these animal control officers have plenty of work ahead. They will engage wild packs of dogs. They’ll pull birds out of chimneys and squirrels out of lawn mowers. Those stationed in the harbor area will even have to treat beached sea lions.

Yin Wong is among the new recruits, whose salaries range from $24,638 to $28,188 a year. He traded a career as a legal assistant with a Bunker Hill law firm for the world of animal regulation. Wong was looking for a change of pace--he wanted to work with the public and put his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice to use.

“We’ll be out there to make a positive impact on our community,” said Wong, 32, who will patrol Lincoln Heights and other areas near downtown.

For Vlaovich, joining the city’s force was a natural step in a life spent amid animals. She grew up on a ranch in Santa Maria, near San Luis Obispo. And she has worked for Los Angeles County’s animal regulation department.

“If I have to put an animal to sleep, I try to make the last moments the happiest,” she said. “I try to treat every animal with respect and dignity.”

The new workers underwent eight weeks of training in which they learned how to distinguish animal breeds and the laws for arresting pet owners who abuse their animals, among other things.

During the ceremony at City Hall Wednesday, they received certificates to show that they had completed the training.

Speeches followed. City Councilwoman Laura Chick, the head of the Public Safety Committee, slipped away from a closed-door session to offer a few words of encouragement. Gary Olsen, general manager of the animal regulation department, beamed. Deputy Mayor Bill Violante offered his own thoughts.

“Public safety is not just police. It’s not just fire,” Violante told the 100 workers and guests. “You have an awesome responsibility out there.”

Veterans such as Brakemeier offered a few words of advice: Always expect the unexpected and don’t become hardened by the sad stories of neglect. Stories about dogs tied in backyards for months on end. Stories about animals struck by cars and so near death they can’t pick themselves up.

“Every time I think I’ve seen something that breaks my heart, I see something more,” said David Diliberto, who has been with the force seven years.

But Diliberto also offered a few light words of advice, recommending that the new officers carry “just in case” equipment: a coffee can to carry injured birds, a snakebite kit and a spray bottle to spritz intractable skunks.