Ep 24. Animal Control Specialist

In season 5 episode 24 of Dirty Jobs, host Mike Rowe teams up with an animal control specialist to learn about the challenging and often dangerous job of dealing with wild and domesticated animals. The episode takes place in the Chicago suburbs, where animal control workers must handle everything from stray cats and dogs to raccoons, skunks, and coyotes.

Rowe joins the animal control team for a day on the job, starting with a call about a lost dog. The team uses a tracking device to locate the dog, which turns out to be hiding in a neighbor's yard. The dog is friendly but hesitant to come out of hiding, so the workers use a catchpole to gently coax it away from the fence and back to safety.

The next call is more unsettling: a resident has reported a raccoon acting strangely in their backyard. This could be a sign of rabies, so the animal control team is quick to respond. Rowe watches as they use a net to capture the raccoon and safely transport it to a holding facility for testing and observation.

Throughout the episode, Rowe and the animal control specialist discuss the challenges of the job, from dealing with frightened or aggressive animals to encountering exotic species that have been illegally imported as pets. They also talk about the importance of education and outreach in preventing dangerous encounters with wildlife.

One particularly memorable scene involves a skunk that has taken up residence under a front porch. The animal control team uses a special trap to capture the skunk without getting sprayed, then gently transports it to a release site in a nearby forest preserve.

As the day winds down, Rowe reflects on the hard work and dedication of the animal control workers he has met, and the vital role they play in keeping communities safe and healthy. Despite the difficult and sometimes dangerous nature of their work, it's clear that these professionals are deeply committed to the well-being of both humans and animals.