Animal Control Officer Triplett has been a member of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office team for almost three years. Prior to deciding this was the career path for her, she had an opportunity to go on a ride along with animal control officers to get a better idea of the daily grind and soon discovered being an animal control officer embodied so much more than she initially realized.
“It’s about being the voice for the voiceless and standing up for those that cannot do it for themselves,” she said. “Animal control officers are invested in animals and their well-being. There are times when we get called out and the animals are not being maintained in an acceptable manner. Often times these situations can be remedied with educating the owner or giving them a helping hand.”
With education, often animals can stay with their owners and animal control officers will conduct follow-up checks to ensure ongoing adequate treatment of animals before cases reach closure. However, in other situations, animals are seized for their own health and safety.
“This is often the hardest part of this job because it’s heartbreaking for us to see the condition of these animals and depending on the situation, the owner could be facing criminal charges,” explained Officer Triplett, who noted she started her career with two dogs, but after seeing appalling conditions more than once, she was inspired to become a foster dog mom and adopted a third dog, too.
Officer Triplett also plays a critical role in animal evacuations and rescues. In January 2023, the animal control team helped create a nonprofit under the Sheriff’s Office, known as the Sheriff’s Humane Emergency Animal Rescue Team aka Sheriff’s HEART. This team today is comprised of approximately 100 highly trained animal rescue volunteers who help animal control officers rescue animals during fires, blizzards, and other emergency situations to protect animal lives.
Just last week Officer Triplett and fellow Animal Control Officer Adams responded to a call for a dog stuck at the bottom of Deer Creek Canyon. While this did not require a HEART emergency activation, it did require both officers to hike roughly 1.5 miles to find the dog, who was described as an older, roughly 100-pound Rottweiler. After locating the dog, he initially refused to walk, possibly from fatigue or fear, but undeterred, Officer Triplett and Officer Adams safely secured the dog to a gurney and began the slow hike carrying him up the hill. Once they passed some of the steepest terrain, the dog was able to walk on his own and complete the hike no longer carried.
“The dog owners were on scene with us and were in shock that we found their dog since he had gone missing five days earlier,” recalled Officer Triplett. “They assumed the worst and thought they would never see their boy ever again. They thanked us over and over again for helping bring their boy home safely. These are the calls that get us up in the mornings and get us to work. These are the type of calls that we remember for years to come.”
Thank you, Officer Triplett, for your dedication and commitment to serving and protecting animals in Nevada County.
