04/13/2026
April 12th-18th, 2026 is National Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week!
Monroe County is fortunate enough to have three dedicated Humane Officers who work tirelessly to help the animals in Monroe County.
While the shelter only houses dogs, our Humane Officers investigate all animal crimes, both nuisance and criminal. They split a limited number of hours budgeted by the county, and are often going above and beyond that. They execute Inspection Warrants, assist Law Enforcement on Search Warrants, they issue Abatement Orders and Citations, refer cases to the DA's office for criminal charges, testify in court, provide education and resources for animal owners who need further assistance, work to get compliance whenever necessary, and remove animals from dangerous situations whenever necessary. (this also includes dealing with dangerous people, but they still risk their safety for the welfare of the animals in need). Although a lot of animal cases aren't prosecuted as strongly as animal lovers would hope, these Officers continue to dedicate their blood, sweat and tears for every animal they come across and every case they investigate.
*Officer Dvorak has been in the Animal Care/Rescue/Shelter field since 2003, and started working for Monroe County's department in 2014. She also serves as the Dog Shelter Director and manages the staff of the shelter & oversees the care of the animals in their custody.
*Officer Anderson has been with the Animal Control department since 2017 and splits her time between Humane Officer duties as well as working as a caregiver at the shelter. Outside of this, she also holds a full time job, so we appreciate how much of her spare time is spent dedicated to the animals of Monroe County.
*Officer Leis has been with the Animal Control department since 2019, and before that, he served our community as a Law Enforcement Officer for over 30 years. He continues to be well known in our community for his friendly nature and his enjoyment of getting to know people in the county.
These folks have a hard job - one that most people would not be willing/able to do. They deal with the best of the good and the worst of the bad, and our community is incredibly fortunate to have them on the frontlines of the Animal Welfare world, fighting the fight for the ones without a voice.
