Ok time for some tough love

[haele]

51. Animal or Pest Control used to be an elected position in smaller towns, like Sheriff.

The "dog catcher" is just a common name. They were responsible for clearing up animal carcasses off the street and pest control - collecting sewer rats, feral/loose dogs and stray livestock when needed. The city clerk usually licensed dogs - as in that era, dogs usually weren't family "pets" for companionship, but considered working animals for security, sanitation (rat catching), hunting, and/or herding livestock and when loose and roaming in packs they could be dangerous nuisances known to injure or kill smaller animals or children, so it was felt that people should only have dogs if they needed them in town. So the position of the dog catcher included enforcing the regulations for dog licenses.

According to one of my great-grandmother's letters, one of my great-great uncles - a barber - was regularly elected Sheriff's Deputy for Pest Control in whatever town in Missouri he was living in for at least 12 years. He was called a "dog catcher", because that was what he did in that position most of the time - and apparently enjoyed it immensely (whatever that meant - I couldn't tell if he liked it because he could help or hurt dogs; you never knew about the attitude back then.).

It's not the same nowdays - but then, Animal Control is a much more involved job.

Haele