00:00So I'm here with Meredith from the Denville Animal Shelter. She's an animal control officer also and lovely sweet little itty bitty. Meredith a lot of people are always ask me about becoming an animal control officer. I have listeners who are like oh Terry I hear on rock and rough a lot that you have animal control officers that work for shelters you and Sonny of course and people want to know about the job.
00:26So I thought you know what who better to ask than somebody who kind of heads up animal control. Now do you head it up for most of Morris County? What area is your area?
00:37Actually it's just Denville. I am the director for the Morris County Animal Response Team and I've taught the animal control certification course up at County College.
00:49It's an extremely rewarding career. No we do not kill animals. It doesn't happen. That's old school.
00:56You're actually doing more rescue than anything else. Animal control encompasses a lot. It's not just dogs. It's not just cats. We do a lot of wildlife education. We handle reptiles. We handle exotic animals.
01:15It encompasses just animals. It encompasses just about every aspect of animal in a community. So the biggest part of it is education and educating the people on the proper laws and regulations in regards to taking care of your pets.
01:31And ultimately our goal would be not to have a job because we've educated people so well.
01:38Yes. Yes. Yes. We always say that about animal rescue. You know until all the cages are empty and we don't have to do it anymore.
01:45So on a typical day give me I'm not going to ask you for many give me like two potential calls that you may get where sometimes I've been with Meredith and she's like listen I love having you here visiting the shelter pups but there's a bear and I've got to go.
02:00So give me like just a couple of examples of how you would have to be like listen Tara I've got to leave right now.
02:06Yesterday a typical day my first call was a bear between St. Clair's Hospital and the senior citizen complex and I just go over and babysit chasing him out of the area if he needs to be chased.
02:19And you know again educate people why he's there and how we can prevent him from being there.
02:25Last night I had a call out at 9 30 at night about a bat in the house and bats are wonderful animals however if they're in a home and you're sleeping you don't know whether you've been bitten by a bat or not.
02:39The state of New Jersey requires us to go out and get that bat and have it tested for rabies because you just don't know.
02:44So the calls can come in fast and furious at any time you can have a slow day and then you can have a day where it never stops where animal control and rescue never stops.
02:55Talk to me a little bit about the shelter too and how you guys operate at the Denville Animal Shelter which is just a great place.
03:01We have many people here me Valerie Mike Bufus have all adopted from Denville Animal Shelter.
03:07Talk to me about operating a shelter.
03:09Well operating a shelter is interesting because you have to have support from the township you're working in.
03:14If you don't have that support you're not going to run a good shelter.
03:17So between the community and the municipality, police department, the mayor and council, if I didn't have support from them it wouldn't be a working situation.
03:29They provide me with what I need when I need it.
03:32I don't have to ask twice in Denville.
03:33We have the philosophy of having compassion for all animals and we're willing to carry that compassion as long as it needs to be until we find the proper home for that animal.
03:48We don't tend to get overcrowded, thank goodness, like most of the shelters in New Jersey.
03:54We limit ourselves to the animals locally and if we do have an opportunity to bring other animals in then we'll do so with hoarding situations or out of state if need be.
04:06Rosie came from a hoarding situation and you've had multiple at the shelter as well.
04:10So if someone is interested in becoming an animal control officer, is there a certain age bracket?
04:16Do you have to have a certain level of education?
04:19Like what's the best advice you would give someone if they want to get into this rewarding career that you are in as an ACO?
04:27You have to be able to commit yourself.
04:3118 years and older you can become certified.
04:35There are courses you're taking now, it's mostly Zoom online courses, so you can do that.
04:40As a matter of fact, I think there's one starting up this month or the end of the month.
04:46So it's a 40-hour course, you take that and then you have to do right along with two separate animal control officers.
04:53If you're planning on doing it, you have to be able to commit to the hours that you're working.
04:59I work 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
05:01I know.
05:02Why?
05:02Because I love it.
05:03I mean, I have a family and I do tend to take care of them.
05:08And your own animals, by the way.
05:10But, you know, it's a commitment.
05:13And if you're not going to do the job properly, I would advise you to find something else to do.
05:17You know, the animals really have to come first.
05:20Awesome.
05:21I love this woman.
05:21I've learned so much from her and I wanted to educate some of you.
05:26So thank you so much for answering a couple of questions.
05:28And itty bitty, thank you so much too.
05:31Itty bitty up for adoption.
05:32She's on WDHA's Rock and Rough.
05:34She's just a great dog.
05:36And the good thing about itty bitty, you never have to wonder what room of the house she's in.
05:41Because you will know.
05:42Because you will hear her.
05:43Thanks, Meredith.
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