Animal Control Officers Getting Guns

The men and women who investigate animal cruelty cases in Philadelphia, will be able to carry guns soon.

It’s for self protection, Howard Nelson, CEO of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA) told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Agents first must undergo training and certification, Nelson said.

They are expected to start going out armed in March or April.

PSPCA Investigators walk into some dangerous situations, according to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. And the danger most often comes from people, not pets. Some humane officers have been confronted by people with knives and with guns during investigations.

Humane officers in some other parts of the country – mostly large cities – increasingly have the option to be armed.

Read more in the Philadelphia Inquirer about the greatest danger humane officers say they face.