Introducing Clare Lomax
A day in the life of an Animal Control Officer
Our Animal Control Officer (ACO), Clare Lomax shares what it’s like to be an ACO.
A day in the life of an ACO is full of variety, as you’re just a call away from an incident. I absolutely love my job, meeting people, and meeting dogs. I enjoy sharing my experiences and ideas and helping people when dogs escape; yes, it’s hard to find ways of stopping Houdini’s, but I have heaps of ideas I like to share.
If I have dogs in the pound, every morning I start by checking in on the dogs. My routine is to clean the kennels, interact with the dogs and feed them, and wash their bedding. Then, I head to the office to tackle paperwork, from processing registrations to responding to public inquiries. At this time of year, a big part of my office work is to deal with dog registration, including processing payment plans. A payment plan is a really great way for people to spread the cost of their registration over the year. I’m really pleased that we are offering this service because it makes a real difference for dog owners.
Other tasks that I’ll see to is to answer any service requests that come through from members of the public. These can be anything from notification of a wandering dog, issues with a barking dog, missing dogs, and dogs found in places you wouldn’t expect to find them, among other things. The most common callouts I attend are to barking dogs, wandering dogs, dog attacks on either animals or humans, and wandering stock. I’m on call 24/7 as the Council’s only dedicated ACO, and I will often assist the Police to attend to stock getting out or when a dog attack is reported.
A lot of people see my role as someone who takes their dogs away. This is a misconception. My primary goal is to educate and assist pet owners. I strive to work collaboratively with them to resolve issues and ensure the well-being of their dogs. Sadly, it doesn’t always work and sometimes I must seize dogs, but I will give owners plenty of chances to change their behaviour and help the dog modify its behaviour.
People also think I just drive around. I wish! The area that I manage is from the Westland side of the Taramakau Bridge to Otira in the East and South to Haast. I have over 2000 known dogs in my area. On my drives when I see unregistered dogs, I work with the owner to help them get their dog registered. I also keep an eye on fence lines where stock are in the paddocks and if I see fencing that’s looking unsteady I’ll have a chat with the farmer. Most farmers are already aware but there are some occasions that they may not have noticed.
One of the most challenging aspects of my job is dealing with dog attacks (not all attacks happen because a dog is aggressive). These incidents are emotionally draining, affecting both the animals involved and their families. While euthanasia is sometimes necessary, it’s never an easy decision. I always stay with the animal until the very end, offering comfort and compassion. I also really feel for the families as the dog was part of their family.
This year a lot of dogs have been surrendered to me and I’ve had a couple of abandoned dogs and puppies to deal with. I work with other animal welfare agencies to find these dogs good homes. Despite the challenges, there are countless rewards. Reuniting lost dogs with their families, finding loving homes for abandoned animals, and witnessing the positive changes in pet owners make me feel that my job makes a positive impact.
I worked and ran an SPCA shelter in the North Island where we worked closely with the ACOs and trained to be an emergency reservist for animals. I also trained to be an animal inspector. I’ve worked in vets in the UK too and have always been around animals. So, when we moved to the West Coast and the Westland District Council put an ad out for an ACO I was in there like a shot.
Sadly, over the last year, there has been more aggression from the public. I’ve experienced threats and abuse, and I now wear a vest and a camera. This is for my safety but can also help if any interaction results in a complaint. This saddens me as it’s common sense to keep your dog on a lead. Not all dogs like other dogs no matter how friendly they are; people don’t like everyone they meet so why should dogs? Also, a big bugbear is owners not picking up their dog poo. It’s a $300 infringement if caught not picking up and yet dog owners yell at me when asked to pick it up. Come on folks, dogs are owners’ responsibilities and picking up their poo and keeping them on leads is up to you.
Even with these challenges, I remain dedicated to my role. I believe that every dog deserves a happy and healthy life, and every owner deserves a chance, and I’ll continue to work tirelessly to ensure that happens.
Before and after photos – Clare clipped these two littlies from the Grey Pound. Both found new homes.
Text and photos – Clare Lomax
