Duties & Functions

• Administers the anti-rabies vaccination, licensing and tag program: All dogs, cats and ferrets are required to be vaccinated against rabies at three (3) months initially by a licensed veterinarian only, on then on either an annual or a triennial (3-year) basis. The license registration and tag are issued at the time of vaccination. Licenses and tags, however, are required to be renewed yearly. The license tag is required to be worn at all times. The ACRC works closely with our local veterinary medical professionals to obtain as high a level of compliance with the anti-rabies program as possible, to ensure public health and safety. Officers bring animals in for the 10-day rabies observation watch on a daily basis. Rabies is a fatal disease that is present in our parish. We vaccinate our domestic animals to form a barrier between humans and wildlife that is the ever present reservoir for rabies parishwide.
• Investigates Animal Cruelty: HEO’s and ACO’s investigate allegations of animal cruelty. Both State Law and Local Ordinance are used. Cruelties are either felonies or misdemeanors and are categorized as either active or passive.
• Investigates Dog Fighting: Dog fighting is a cruel and barbaric “sport” that is a felony in Louisiana. Officers enforce both the state law and local ordinance to protect the animals from this form of animal cruelty.
• Resolves Dangerous Animal Situations: Dangerous animal situations are a direct threat to public health and safety. Animals that are at large or otherwise uncontrolled can cause serious and life-threatening injury to humans. Motorists, pedestrians, children, etc. are subject to attack or worse when animals escape or are allowed to run at large. EBRP has a strong “Leash Law” that essentially requires animals be leashed or confined at all times. Dangerous dog situations are generally resolved through one or more of the following systems:
  • Arrest and booking
  • Criminal misdemeanor summons
  • Declaration of potentially dangerous, dangerous or vicious
  • Fees and/or fines after seizure
  • Other legal means, i.e. warrants, restraining orders, etc.
  • Warnings
• Rescues/Injured Animals: Officers perform rescues and save injured animal that have been reported by citizens. Injured animals not only suffering, but they pose a risk to well-meaning people attempting to help them without proper equipment or training.
• Investigates Abandoned Animal Cases: Abandoned animals can suffer a long and excruciatingly painful life until succumbing. Officers use legal means to ensure rescue and rehabilitation if possible. The owner or keeper is then subjected to any law or ordinance that is pertinent to resolving the cruelty issue at hand.
• Investigates Occult, Animal Sacrifice, Bestiality Cases: Officers investigate and help resolve matters that are perpetrated under the guise of occult and generally result in sacrifice or mutilation.
• Resolves Stray Animals Situations: Stray animals pose a threat to the public and other animals. They are subjected to harsh lives and are sometimes subject to injury, starvation, cruelty or worse. Officer respond to complaints and release the animals to caring shelter staff who disposition them in a humane manner.
• Enforces Leash Law/Owned Animal Problems: Owned animals that are allowed to run at large may cause a nuisance, dangerous situations or neighborhood feuds. Owners are held strictly liable for any actions their animals take in EBRP. The liability of allowing a pet to run at large can result in both criminal and civil proceedings against the owner. It is incumbent upon animal owner to know the laws and ordinances pertaining to animals, before they become pet owners. Refer to City-Parish Code of Ordinances.
• Assists law enforcement narcotics, evictions, DWI Cases: Our officers work closely to assist fellow law enforcement officers with law cases involving animals. Examples, such as narcotics cases, DUIs, automobile accidents, evictions, dead on arrival's, Customs, etc. do require swift response and resolution.
• Enforces Barking Dog Cases: It is illegal to allow your animal to violate the “excessive barking” or “excessive noise making” section of the ordinance. Refer to FAQs.
• Inspects Dog Yards/Pens: Neighbors frequently feud over conditions that dogs, cats and other animals live in on the owner’s property. The ordinance has specific requirement for ownership of certain species under certain conditions in EBRP. Refer to FAQs or Code of Ordinances.
• Chaining/Tether Compliance: Dogs should not be kept on chains or tethers continuously as a primary form of restraint. They are natural companion and pack animals and suffer when restricted in this manner. The ACRC urges citizens to use other means of restraint. Dogs must be restrained by a tether that allows easy access to shelter, food and water and that is five (5) times the length of the body, as measured from the nose to the base of the tail. Persons chaining dogs in a cruel manner, or using heavy chains disproportionate to the animal's weight, are subject to cruelty charges.
• Assists Animal Welfare Groups with Trap-Neuter-Release of Feral Animals: ACRC works closely with allied local groups to allow “intervention” on certain cases where citizens are complaining about feral cat colonies being a nuisance. These groups and individuals would have a chance to resolve the problems the citizen is experiencing, prior to any enforcement action or trapping and subsequent transfer to the shelter takes place.
• Conducts Educational Programs for Schools, Industry and Civic Associations: The key to reducing the pet overpopulation problem at open intake shelters is summed up by the LES (Legislation, Education, Sterilization) approach. Extending the newer paradigm to this would include the enhanced “Marketing” approach to the adoptions of all healthy, adoptable shelter animals, as long as they go to responsible owners/homes. Educating the public about animal issues is a key facet in the animal overpopulation and irresponsible owner reality in our parish. Defense against dog attack, the importance of responsible pet ownership, leash law matters, spay/neuter advantages, etc. are all topics that are offered by the department.