The following list of Animal Control Officer (ACO) and other Animal Control related Line of Duty Deaths (LODD) in the United States is something I've been compiling and researching since I was first hired as an ACO back in 2002. It should be noted here that The National Animal (Care and) Control Association (NACA) Memorial Wall no longer exists. Due to the relocation of the physical location of NACA, the Memorial Wall area now seems to be a small "break area" for local businesses, without any "Memorial" left at all. Even when it did exist, it only counted ACO LODD after NACA was founded, 1978, which left out much of the available data on historical ACO LODD. It is really a shame that even on a national level, ACO LODD can't even be properly remembered... ~ Webmaster February 1886, Newark, NJ - Alderman dies from malignant carbuncles reportedly received while handling putrid meat given to dogs at the dog pound March 1886, Newark, NJ - Poundkeeper dies of hydrophobia, was bitten on the hand in January, however, the autopsy was not 100% conclusive as to the cause January 1888, Albuquerque, NM - Dog Catcher dies of rabies, however, a coroner's inquest disagreed December 1888, St. Louis, MO - Police Officer dies of rabies, was originally bitten in September February 1894, Sumter County, AL - Deputy shot and killed by a 14 year old boy while impounding a cow, the boy was was hung and shot by a mob of citizens shortly after the shooting May 1895, Faribault, MN - Police Officer dies from rabies after being bitten while attempting to capture a stray dog two months earlier October 1897, Atlantic City, NJ - Poundkeeper dies of hydrophobia, was confined in the city jail August 1898, Oakland, CA - Poundkeeper shot and killed when resident thought they were stealing corn from their vegetable garden November 1900, Oakland, CA - Poundmaster dies in hospital days after being shot in the hip during an altercation April 1906, Sandusky, OH - Police Officer dies of rabies after being bitten by stray dog he captured and brought to the station September 1906, Cincinnati, OH - Dog Catcher dies of rabies, was bitten on hand by stray dog months earlier September 1907, Harrisburg, PA - Patrolman dies in hospital three days after being knocked down by a loose cow September 1908, Wildwood, FL - Constable shot and killed during a dispute over a local Doctor's dog, the Doctor was arrested, but not charged June 1909, Memphis, TN - Humane Officer shot and killed by foreman at a construction site while investigating overworked animals December 1909, Guthrie, OK - Dog Catcher accidentally shot and killed when his revolver discharged July 1911, Butler, PA - Dog Catcher beaten to death with a baseball bat after impounding a dog July 1912, Brooklyn, NY - Dog Catcher dies after being thrown from his wagon and run over by it after his horses got spooked January 1913, Bluefield, WV - Police Officer shot and killed by the owner of a cow after it was rounded up and taken to the pound October 1913, Washington, D.C. - Police Officer dies as a result of experimental rabies treatment after being bitten trying to shoot a stray dog January 1915, Indianapolis, IN - Patrolman accidentally shot and killed by his partner while they were dealing with a vicious dog January 1916, Wood River, IL - Police Officer dies of rabies after being bitten while trying to shoot a stray dog December 1916, New Castle, PA - Dog Catcher dies of hydrophobia, was locked up in jail cell awaiting transport to hospital June 1917, Hamilton, OH - Dog Catcher shot and killed trying to impound three dogs that bit a person July 1922, Outside of Houston, TX - Dog Catcher shot and killed by 14 year old boy during a dispute over a dog December 1922, Quincy, MA - Patrolman dies of rabies after being bitten while shooting and killing a stray dog that was about to attack a child March 1923, Chicago, IL - Police Officer dies of rabies one month after being bitten by a stray dog October 1924, St. Charles, MO - Dog Catcher dies after being struck by a train near the city water works plant April 1926, Columbus, OH - Dog Catcher accidentally shot and killed when his revolver fell to the ground and discharged March 1927, New York City, NY - Patrolman dies of rabies after being bitten by an injured stray dog he tried to help two months earlier September 1927, Miami, FL - Police Officer accidentally shot and killed while taking his friend's gun away after the friend missed when trying to shoot his sick dog January 1928, Galesburg, IL - Dog Catcher dies from injuries received when he fell off his wagon March 1928, Fayette County, GA - Dog Catcher dies of hydrophobia, captured a stray dog and was bitten on the hand April 1936, Gainesville, FL - Police Officer dies of rabies after being bitten rounding up unlicensed dogs December 1937, Gaffney, SC - Police Officer shot and killed after a fight that started over a dispute about a dog at a local cafe, other Police Officers shot and killed the suspect January 1939, New Brunswick, NJ - Dog Catcher dies of rabies in the hospital, was originally bitten in November May 1944, Hakensack, NJ - Dog Catcher presumably dies of rabies, was bitten in March, the dog, which was owned, later died from rabies but it's death was concealed October 1944, Wheaton, IL - Poundmaster dies in hospital several days after his vehicle left the road and crashed into a tree near the dog pound October 1944, Titusville, PA - Dog Catcher accidentally shot and killed by stray round fired by a policeman trying to shoot an aggressive dog May 1946, St. Paul, MN - Dog Catcher dies after being struck in the head by a board after impounding a dog July 1947, Kirksville, MO - Dog Catcher accidentally shot and killed by his own shotgun while removing it from his truck January 1948, Everett, WA - Poundmaster dies after being exposed to cyanide gas while preparing to euthanize dogs January 1957, Trumbull, CT - ACO struck and killed by a passing vehicle while tending to an injured dog December 1959, Delaware County, IN - Patrolman dies in motor vehicle accident responding to a call where a child had been bitten by a dog November 1960, Tulsa, OK - Police Officer dies six months after being shot at the city animal shelter after a dispute over a dog November 1962, Oconee County, SC - Dog Catcher dies of a heart attack after participating in a Christmas Parade January 1964, Winona, MN - Dog Catcher dies in motor vehicle accident while responding to a call, was hit head on by another vehicle February 1968, Lodi, CA - Poundmaster dies from a medical condition, unsure if work related or not January 1970, Jackson, MS - Assistant Dog Catcher killed in an automobile accident between the "animal truck" and a gravel truck July 1972, Los Angeles, CA - Highway Patrolman dies after being struck by a ricocheted round fired by a Sheriff's Deputy attempting to euthanize an injured horse August 1972, Welch, WV - Dog Warden shot and killed after his weapon was taken away from him while serving a warrant January 1977, Somers Township, WI - ACO dies in motor vehicle accident after his vehicle was struck by a drunk driver August 1978, Pasco County, FL - ACO dies in motor vehicle accident, had only been on the job a year August, 1980, Lexington, KY - ACO struck by a car while tending to an injured dog and dies the next day, the dog also died September 1985, Rapid City, SD - Patrolman struck and killed by a vehicle while removing a dead dog from the road February 1986, Denison, TX - ACO and a Police Officer were shot by an escaping prisoner in the police department parking garage in January, ACO later died from his wounds November 1987, Outside of Chicago, IL - Off duty ACO struck and killed by a vehicle while tending to an injured dog August 1988, Indianapolis, IN - Patrolman dies nine days after being shot in the back while on a complaint about suspects dog running loose October 1988, Sioux City, IA - ACO struck and killed by a passing vehicle while removing a dead animal from the highway May 1990, McConnellsburg, PA - Three (3) firefighters die from the exhaust of a portable gas powered pump during the removal of a dead animal from a well November 1990, Homer, NE - Firefighter dies during cat rescue, was shocked by electrical lines then fell sustaining fatal injuries May 1992, Scottsdale, AZ - ACO collapses at work from an unknown medical condition, dies a few days later February 1993, Pismo Beach, CA - Firefighter dies of a heart attack after rescuing an animal from a cliff July 1993, Irving, TX - Police Officer struck and killed by a drunk driver while setting out flares around a dead cow in the road August 1993, San Mateo, CA - Humane Officer dies of heart aneurysm while on duty December 1993, Oakland, CA - Police Officer and two others killed in a shootout while trying to impound a dog August 1996, Addison, VT - Firefighter suffers heart attack after his barn catches fire, he evacuated his horses then collapsed and died after the first engine arrived on scene August 1999, Prairie Village, KS - ACO falls out of tree and dies during parrot rescue October 1999, Gulfport, MS - ACO dies of cancer and was given burial w/full honors, unsure if cancer was work related March 2000, Chattanooga, TN - ACO dies after being exposed to carbon monoxide in euthanasia room July 2000, Crandon, WI - Police Officer shot and killed responding to a neighborhood dispute over a dog March 2001, Biloxi, MS - ACO struck and killed by a train while chasing a dog August, 2001, Pierce City, MO - Police Officer accidentally shot and killed removing his shotgun from its case while on a call for a loose dog July 2002, Hazel Park, MI - Police Officer shot and killed while on a call for a loose dog, she was able to shoot suspect before dying (First LODD after I became an ACO and her death became the impetus for my research ~ Webmaster) November, 2002, Wayne County, NC - Sheriff's Deputy dies after being struck by a vehicle while moving an injured deer he had dispatched out of the road July 2004, San Jose, CA - 12 year old boy dies after the vehicle he was in was struck by a drunk driver, his parents had pulled over to try to capture a loose dog on the highway March 2005, Portland, ME - ACO dies of heart attack after catching a dog he chased for three hours July 2005, Philadelphia, PA - Shelter worker killed in traffic accident after dropping off animals at an event, other vehicle went over center divide and crashed head on into the animal control truck she was driving January 2006, Foster, CA - Director of non-profit animal rescue group and the two dogs she was transporting are killed when their vehicle is struck head on by a tractor trailer January 2006, Alton, IL - ACO collapses and dies from a medical condition shortly after arriving for work June 2006, Seattle, WA - ACO has heart attack and dies while on duty November 2006, Outside of Philadelphia, PA - Police Officer struck and killed by a vehicle while moving a dead deer out of the road June 2007, Bellmead, TX - ACO shot in the back and killed while at the shelter, suspects thought ACO saw them looking at an ammonia tank they wanted to steal January 2008, Los Angeles, CA - Shelter worker collapses and dies while preparing for an event at the shelter February 2009, South Boston, VA - ACO killed when his vehicle left the road and struck a tree June 2009, Greene County, VA - Sheriff's Investigator, who was a former ACO, killed in a motor vehicle accident (Included here since he was on the NACA Memorial Wall before it was taken down ~ Webmaster) October 2009, Plainfield, CT - ACO dies after being hospitalized since late September when she fell or was knocked to the ground while dealing with an aggressive dog October 2009, Chicago, IL - ACO dies from a prior medical condition while dealing with a stray cat June 2010, Harris County, TX - Sheriff's Deputy drowns trying to save a dog in a canal December 2010, Durham County, NC - ACO fell off truck in April and was badly injured, upon arrival at hospital was found to have stage four cancer from which he later died January 2011, Clark County, OH - Sheriff's Deputy shot and killed while responding to a neighborhood dispute that started out over dog defecation, suspect later killed in a shootout with other responders March 2011, Bullard, TX - Sheriff's Deputy dies in hospital four days after being attacked by a loose cow August 2011, Cedar Bluff, AL - ACO dies from a medical condition while loading a dog into his vehicle May 2012, Gainesville, FL - Shelter worker killed in motor vehicle accident in front of the shelter after returning from a county meeting November 2012, Galt, CA - ACO shot and killed after going to a house to remove animals the day after an eviction notice was posted October 2013, Chambers County, TX - Cruelty Investigator killed in a head on motor vehicle accident with a garbage truck January 2014, Lancaster, NY - ACO found deceased at his desk after driving to the shelter to check on the animals during a blizzard January 2014, Hardeman County, TN - ACO killed when his vehicle left the road and overturned while on the way to a call April 2015, Swansea, IL - Wildlife rescuer struck and killed by a commuter train while trying to save an injured opossum near some elevated train tracks November 2015, New York, NY - Former Special (Humane) Investigator dies from cancer after being exposed while helping animals near Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks May/June 2016, Newark, NJ - ACO shot and killed in front of his house, he was going there for a break during his late night shift (Was shot on May 31st, pronounced deceased on June 1st ~ Webmaster) July 2017, Northampton, NY - Police Officer dies after being struck by a vehicle while dealing with an injured deer in the road August 2017, Canyon, TX - Police Officer dies from a reaction to medication given to him to prevent an infection after he was bitten by a cat in late July August 2017, Falcon, MS - Sheriff's Deputy responding to a shooting call dies in a motor vehicle accident after swerving to avoid two dogs that ran out into the road in front of him August 2017, Wayne County, NC - ACO passes away from an apparent heart attack after being found unresponsive at work, lifesaving measures were attempted but sadly were not successful May 2020, Bingham County, ID - Founder of a rescue group and her boyfriend, along with over a dozen dogs, are killed in a motor vehicle accident while transporting 48 dogs from Arizona to Canada June 2020, Monroe, MI - ACO dies in motor vehicle accident after her vehicle was struck by a drunk driver fleeing another accident May 2021, Concho County, TX - Two (2) Sheriff's Deputies were shot and killed and an ACO was shot and critically wounded during a call about some loose dogs that reportedly bit a person (Reports indicate the suspect might not have even owned the dogs in question ~ Webmaster) August 2021, Dallas County, TX - ACO dies at work from an unknown medical condition October 2021, Anniston, AL - ACO passes away after contracting COVID-19, news reports at the time seemed to indicate a work related exposure December 2021, Kankakee County, IL - Police Officer shot and killed and a second one gravely wounded after responding to a complaint about barking dogs being kept in a vehicle April 2022, Franklin County, AL - Public Health employee mauled to death by dogs when following up on their rabies vaccine status after they previously badly mauled someone else earlier that week (This appears to be the first animal control related LODD where someone was mauled to death by dog(s), the person they previously mauled also later died ~ Webmaster) October 2022, Levelland, TX - Two ACOs die when a vehicle slams into their parked ACO vehicle, one ACO died at the scene, the other ACO died later while in the ICU (Sadly this appears to be the first double ACO LODD ~ Webmaster) I know this list is incomplete. There are additional Animal Control related LODD that people have been too upset to talk about, however, the only way to make Animal Control work safer in the long run is to share this information. If you know of any other Animal Control related LODD, please e-mail me the information for possible inclusion here. My research has uncovered many instances were someone died trying to save an animal, however, I have not included these, unless unusual in nature, since they are not considered normal Animal Control duties. (Sadly, I personally responded to this type of call myself in February of 2018, when the owner of a dog fell off an ocean bluff trying to save their dog that had fallen over the side. Their dog lived, they didn't. ~ Webmaster) cause and also information on how to help support this web site. |