Animal control agencies across central Kentucky are struggling to fill officer positions, putting extra demands on current staff.
In Anderson County, Zach Cotton is just one of two animal control officers on staff. The agency has been down an officer since April, and the two current officers have been working extra hours to keep up.
"It's tough to find somebody who wants to do this line of work," Cotton said, adding that while the work is rewarding, it requires an immense amount of dedication.
According to Cotton, who has worked for the agency for 11 years, it's not a new problem in Anderson County.
"The longest we have been not short-staffed has probably been a year," he said.
In Clark County, animal shelter director Adreanna Wills is dealing with a shortage of her own. The county currently has no dedicated animal control officers, leaving Wills to fill in for the last four months.
"If I get called out at 4 o'clock in the morning, I still come to work at 8," Wills said. "It definitely takes its toll. But it's a very rewarding job at the same time. So I hope people will see that side of it."
Agencies attribute the staffing problems to a number of sources, from pay to hours to simply the nature of the job.
The Kentucky Association of Counties reports an average pay of $15.50 per hour for animal control officers, with a minimum reported wage of just $8.92 in 2022.
A 2021 survey from the Best Friends Network, an organization comprised of shelters across the country, found 87% of shelters are below their normal staffing levels.
Three-quarters of those shelters reported staff is "even more stressed than usual," and nearly half report it has impacted how much they are able to support animals in their shelters.
To find open animal control positions, check your county's website for job openings.
