An Animal Control Officer’s Lesson in Empathy

The call was fairly routine, as animal neglect complaints go. The dog in question, a loyal companion to an elderly woman living alone, was in pretty rough shape. Rough enough that it was a pretty clear-cut case of neglect. The woman, who obviously loved her pet, seemed to be facing multiple struggles. She may never have intended to cause harm, yet her circumstances had led to a situation that, legally, could not be ignored.

In my early career as a cruelty investigator for the City of Dallas, I was driven by a sense of duty to protect the vulnerable and uphold the law. Like I did in every case, I pursued this one with zeal. The dog was removed, the evidence collected, and the woman was prosecuted. I testified and won a conviction. At the time, it felt like a victory, a demonstration of my department’s effectiveness in safeguarding those who could not speak for themselves. Justice, as I then understood it, was served.

Yet, today, the woman’s tears and the emptiness that followed our intervention haunt me. It was ultimately a pyrrhic victory marked by an undeniable scar, a realization that the justice I had so proudly served had perhaps missed the mark. This woman was not a perpetrator in the traditional sense. She was a member of our community, of my community, facing challenges that had as much to do with all of us as it did with her. Of course some sort of intervention was necessary, but the dog was more than the victim of neglect; it was the beloved companion to someone with little else. In my pursuit of justice, I ignored the opportunity for compassion, education, and support. Instead of lifting up an individual in need, I added to her burdens, misunderstanding the essence of protection and service.

Realizing that your hard work to protect might have actually caused harm can be painful. However, it is vital for our profession’s future and our communities’ health that we acknowledge the faulty punitive foundation on which our profession has been built. It is past time to shift our perspectives and policies to recognize the power of empathy, the importance of community engagement, and the transformative potential of viewing animals and their caretakers not as violators of codes but as integral members of our community deserving of our support and understanding.

Enforcement and protection should continue to be an essential part of how we serve. Yet, the true strength of our work lies not in the rigor of our enforcement but in our capacity to lead with empathy and compassion. It builds bridges of trust and cooperation, encourages responsible pet ownership, and nurtures an environment where animals and humans can thrive. By centering empathy and compassion into the fabric of our operations, we enhance our effectiveness and multiply our impact, crafting sustainable solutions that enrich our communities, making them safer, kinder, and more inclusive for all inhabitants, two-legged or four.