The ‘wild' animals SF Animal Control deals with

Yahoo

17-04-2025

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) —It's National Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week, which has the Sioux Falls Police Department highlighting the everyday animal heroes.
From puppies to geese and even an otter, the Sioux Falls Animal Control Officers deal with a wide array of animals. Patty Beckman says being an animal control officer is an adventurous job.
'Every day is different. We get a variety of calls, whether it's domesticated animals or wildlife. We respond to all of those calls, so we just never know. It could be a slow day, or it could be a busy day,' Animal Control Supervisor, Sioux Falls, Patty Beckman said.
It's not necessarily glamorous being an animal control officer. These officers are called to some really hard scenes of animal neglect, abuse, or violent animals.
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'Some of the cases are hard to deal with. But knowing that we're making a difference and getting those animals out of those, cruelty cases or neglect cases and seeing them get a second chance at life, that's what's rewarding and that's what we strive for with the outcome,' Beckman said.
Many times the department deals with regular house pets, but sometimes, like last July, they get more interesting cases like the pig that was loose by the Big Sioux River. Thomas Rhoades was one of the officers who responded to that call.
'The rescue was interesting. We got multiple departments, police and fire, and we came up with a game plan how to get the pig. Obviously, that didn't work because it missed the net right away and we had to go chasing after him. But in the end, it it worked out well,' Lead Animal Control Officer, Sioux Falls, Thomas Rhoades said.
But a pig isn't the only strange animal Rhoades has run into while on the job.
'We responded to Bruce the Moose a couple years ago. We have dealt with multiple types of lizards and snakes, raccoons, deer, turkey. And it could be really anything,' Rhoades said.
Whether it's the hard days on the job, or the interesting days on the job, these officers are helping both the animals and people of Sioux Falls stay safe.
'Animal control officers are needed in Sioux Falls. Not only for, like, bites and stuff like that, but, sometimes people just need to call and talk about a situation and we can help them through whatever wildlife or even domestic animal problems they are having,' Rhoades says.
So far this year, the Sioux Falls Animal Control Officers have responded to over 47-hundred calls.
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