The officers respond to emergencies only from 1AM to 7AM, thus providing 24 hour coverage. The method of scheduling used for officers attempts to overlap shifts to cover the busiest times of the day most efficiently, while early in the morning and in the evening, there is only one Animal Control Officer available in the city. Officers are responsible for many types of investigations ranging in type from barking dogs to felony level dog fighting. Animal Control Officers are very much complaint driven. All complaints received are appropriately responded to.
Officers prioritize their runs according to the safety issues involved for humans and animals.
For example, an animal causing an immediate safety risk to a human would be of highest priority. A variety of issues arise concerning human safety and animals. Most prevalent in the public's mind tend to be attacks on people by dogs. Those may involve owned animals biting visitors or family members or stray animals chasing individuals. Animal Control Officers are called for a variety of public safety issues.