hardk0re's Vampire Journal

hardk0re's Journal

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February 4, 2008 - Should have called in sick to work!
05:03 Feb 07 2008
Times Read: 640

February 4, 2008

Anaheim, California

Day in the Life of An Animal Control Officer

@ 2008 Corolla Fleeger

February 4, 2008 was just one of those days that I should have called in sick!

While leaving my home, I drove down the driveway and was stopped by a police officer with a handgun signaling for me to stop. I had to call in to work and indicate that there was a stand-off and I would be late. It later became a shoot-out and finally the perpetrator was secured an hour later. I think that was the sign that I really should have bailed on work for that day.

And the day progressed on as usual with my impression that the excitement for the day was over after this morning's shoot-out. Well...that was my impression until my last call. I had to place a humane animal trap in a reporting party's backyard at 9:33 pm to secure a very sick cat with sarcoptic mange and possibly kidney failure. Well, in the dark unlit backyard, I used my flashlight to locate the area advised and where I could lock the trap. I set the trap and placed food in it. I started to position it by a tree and when I placed it down, I heard a deep guttural meow and then felt a severe bite on my left forearm. I had the flashlight in the crook of my neck so that I could see where the lock was. I did not see or hear the cat beforehand. I had mistakenly placed the trap partially on top of the cat and the startled sick cat bit me in response. Well...actually latched on with the might of a devil incarnate from the feel of it!

I immediately tried to scruff the cat to remove it from my arm, but due to the condition of the cat and the severe nature of the mange, there was approximately 4 inches of additional skin before a secure scruff could be made. In the meantime, the cat twisted and bit my right ring finger. I grasped again and finally got a strong scruff on the cat and placed the cat in the opened trap. After notifying my Sergeant and getting my truck back to the shelter, I went to UCI Emergency Room at 10:35 pm. I left the emergency room at 3:46 am and work around 5:30 am February 5th. I worked later on that day after 4 hours of sleep. Due to the hands-on nature of the job and the necessary motions required to utilize the animal control and handling equipment, I had the fortune of experiencing the extents of the bites on numerous breath-taking, eye-popping times.

So February 4, 2008 has propelled me to invest in a pair of $170 bite resistant gauntlet/gloves...

AND...

...to seriously research at moving out of this residence!