El Paso Animal Services to present overview of Animal Protection Officers to City Council
EL PASO, TX (KVIA) -- Today, City Council members are set to hear an overview of El Paso Animal Services' Animal Protection Field Division. The presentation will provide an overview on Animal Protection Officers duties including the types of call officers respond to, number of citations, and community services they provide.
Historically known as "dog catchers," the Animal Protection Officers transitioned to their current title in 2016. Gina Ramirez, Field Manager for El Paso Animal Services, emphasizes their duties go beyond “dog catchers,” she told ABC-7, “Our officers are out there day in, day out, handling different kinds of calls, and we're handling cruelty investigations and exposure investigations."
Ramirez underscores the community's crucial role in maintaining a safe environment, urging residents to use the 311 hotline, “I know our community is reluctant to call it in, and we want to encourage them, call it in. They're able to remain anonymous as long as we get some type of lead and an address that we can go to that. That's all we need is to try to get out there and see what's going on.”
Ramirez also highlights the program’s commitment to supporting pet owners, “Sometimes on boardings, we want to leave that owner better than how we found them. So it's not just concentrating on the animals, but also on the human aspect of it and making sure that we provide them with any resources that we have available for them and getting them in contact with that with that particular department.”
Ramirez invites the public to participate in public comment at the council meeting, emphasizing they are always looking for feedback from the community and ways to improve. City Council meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. at City Hall (300 N. Campbell).
