Chapter 7 - Public Relations

Introduction
Public relations is the business of creating goodwill and understanding between animal control and the public. This chapter will cover how an animal control officer (ACO) should handle situations with the public, including the local citizens, and personal relations in the workplace, including relations with other agencies.

Public Relations
When communicating with the public, an ACO must always look and act professional. Failing to handle all contact with citizens in a professional and understanding manner can result in negativity towards you and the agency. Remember the following tips when contacting the public: Maintain a positive attitude. Show interest in every citizen. Treat every problem as important. Stay in control and avoid unnecessary conflicts. By keeping these tips in mind, you will appear professional and courteous to the public, allowing you to maintain control of the situation, and avoid unnecessary conflict.

Communicating with Citizens

Receiving a visit from an ACO can be a scary thing for a citizen. As an ACO, it is your job to help the citizen feel comfortable around you. By using your body language and communication skills, you can talk to citizens in a calm, professional manner. In this section, youll receive tips for talking with citizens, including instructions on body language, and the process to follow during a conversation. Using Body Language While communicating with a citizen, be sure to: Face the citizen during the conversation o Angle your body slightly to the side during the conversation. Make eye contact during the conversation, but take care not to stare. Speak calmly when talking to a citizen. Smile during the conversation, when the situation allows. Do not enter a persons home, even if invited to do so, unless the job requires you to enter the home. Look calm no matter what the other person says or does. These tips will help you maintain control of the situation, and avoid unnecessary conflict.

Chapter 7 Public Relations

Be sure to keep a distance of four to six feet between you and the citizen at all times. By being closer than four feet from someone, you are inside of their personal space the space between one and four feet from the person. Getting too close can cause the citizen to feel uncomfortable, and puts the ACO at risk of violence. Communicating with a Citizen When communicating with citizens, remember that you are representing your animal control agency, as well as ACOs all across the nation. Its important to act professional out in the field; your actions and how you accomplish the goal of your visit are important in leaving citizens with a favorable impression of animal control. Follow this process when communicating with citizens: 1. Identify yourself. Give your full name and position. 2. Explain the objective of your visit. Be sure to explain who you are and why you are there. 3. Discuss your responsibilities as an ACO. Remember, you are there to ensure the safety of both citizens and animals. 4. Listen to their side of the story. This shows that you are willing to listen and that you are not just there to blame someone. 5. Ask for their help. If you make them feel like they play a part in the solution, they are less likely to cause problems in the future. 6. Thank the person for their time. Even if the visit wasnt successful, be appreciative and courteous to citizens for taking time to talk with you. What Should I Do if A Person Becomes Threatening? If a person becomes threatening, quit talking to them and leave. While completing your objective is important, it is not worth risking injury or further violence. Avoid conflict at all times. The animal control agency should be called for assistance if the situation is dangerous. In extreme situations, ask for help from law enforcement officials. An attack on an ACO on duty must result in civil and/or criminal charges being filed; the ACOs supervisor needs to make sure this process is completed. These situations do not happen often, but when they do, it is important that everyone knows the procedure to handle these situations.

Remember: If a citizen threatens to complain or call a city/county official, be sure to inform supervisor about it immediately.

Personal Relations
During your work, youll not only communicate with citizens, but with your supervisor and other agencies in your area. This section details information about communicating with both your supervisor, and other, related agencies you may come across while working as an ACO.

Chapter 7 Public Relations

Communicating with Your Supervisor Communicating with your supervisor can be daunting, but knowing what your supervisor handles and how to communicate with him is important in maintaining a professional workplace. Your supervisor is responsible for explaining agency policies to you. These policies must be followed in your day-to-day activities. When talking to your supervisor, be sure to be respectful, and keep conversations with your supervisor private. It is your responsibility to keep your supervisor informed on your activities and any problems that occurred while on duty. Communicating with Outside Agencies Animal control agencies often cooperate with humane agencies agencies that enforce and regulate the humane or proper treatment of animals. While these agencies were uncooperative in the past, today both types of agencies share many of the same goals, and cooperate on tasks when needed. Examples of humane agencies include: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Department the U.S. Department of Agriculture the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Other City, State, And County Agencies.

Its important to communicate with people from these agencies regularly, as these agencies are valuable resources for an ACO. Animal control agencies and other humane agencies exist to help each other out, but it is best to be familiar with agencies in your local area and how they operate. By knowing what each agency can do before an emergency occurs, you can be prepared to call the right people for the right job.

Conclusion
In this chapter, you learned about public relations. From proper communication procedures with the public, to communicating effectively in the workplace and amongst other agencies, this chapter prepared you for one of the most important aspects of your job. By using the information in this chapter, you can help ensure positive interactions with the public, and make the job safer for ACOs and for citizens alike.