Editing Animal control service (section)

{{Short description|Entity charged with responding to requests for help with animals}}
{{for|the TV series|Animal Control (TV series)}}
[[File:Dog catcher LOC npcc.11887 (cropped).tif|alt=Black and white photo of an animal control officer (then known as a dog-catcher) restraining a stray cat in 1924.|thumb|An animal control officer (then known as a dog-catcher) restraining a [[stray cat]] in a net.]]
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2019}}
An '''animal control service''' or '''animal control agency''' is an entity charged with responding to requests for help with [[animal]]s, including [[Wildlife|wild animals]], dangerous animals, and animals in distress. An individual who works for such an entity was once known as a '''dog catcher''', but is generally now called an '''animal control officer''', and may be an [[employee]] or a [[independent contractor|contractor]] – commonly employed by a [[municipality]], [[county]], [[shire]],<ref>[http://www.harvey.wa.gov.au/services/rangers-services/pound/lost-your-cat-or-dog "RANGER SERVICES / POUND / LOST YOUR CAT OR DOG?"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102225356/http://www.harvey.wa.gov.au/services/rangers-services/pound/lost-your-cat-or-dog |date=January 2, 2016 }} harvey.wa.gov.au</ref> or other subnational government area.