Animal control officers do a lot of work to keep animals and residents safe. To do their jobs effectively, animal control officers should have the right vehicles and the right upfits that support their daily operations.
While the vehicle you choose is a vital decision, the type of upfits you decide to install in your vehicle is equally critical. Upfitting your vehicle comes with a great deal of consideration, and if you work in animal control, you could be wondering what you should be considering before making a final decision.
In this article, we will walk you through some of the most important things to consider when upfitting your animal control vehicle. Continue reading below to learn more and discover why TCS Upfitting is the preferred choice for all of your vehicle upfitting needs.
5 Important Things to Consider When Upfitting Your Animal Control Vehicle
Working with wild animals and even domesticated animals can be quite dangerous, but having the correct equipment can help immensely. If you are considering upfitting your animal transport vehicle, here are a few things you should keep in mind.
Easy Loading Capabilities
Any animal control officer will tell you that loading an out-of-control animal into a vehicle is not easy. As a result, you’ll want to select upfits that make the handlers’ loading process more manageable and safer.
For example, you may want to consider custom cage or crate doors that are simple for handlers to open but impossible for animals to open. Additionally, you may also want to think about installing ramps that make the loading process of animals and equipment more convenient.
Adequate Space
With an animal control vehicle, it’s vital to ensure that your truck has enough cages. Animal control agents may occasionally have to deal with enormous animals, which requires the officers to have enough cages to accommodate these large animals. Otherwise, animal control officers may face enormous animals that they cannot contain.
Secondly, it’s also essential to ensure the cages are large enough for the animals to be comfortable during transport. When an animal is picked up by animal control, it may be in a state of distress, and an overworked animal control officer may receive multiple other calls before safely transporting animals to an animal shelter or humane society.
If the cages in your vehicle are too small, the animals may not be able to sit or lie down comfortably, making the situation even more upsetting and unpleasant for them. Make sure your vehicle contains cages in various sizes, with at least some of them large enough to accommodate larger animals.
Officer Protection
As previously mentioned, officer safety is critical. When considering any kind of upfit, make certain that all of your personnel are safe while on the job.
At any given moment, an animal control officer may have several animals on board, making it critical to keep them away from one another, as well as away from the officers onboard. As a result, while the vehicle should be large enough to store and transport several animals at once, the cages must be appropriately separated.
Furthermore, consider installing cages in such a way that the animal control officer does not have to come into unnecessary contact with any animals that are being handled. This will help keep the animals safe while also preventing a slew of issues for animal control officials.
Animal Safety
Animal welfare isn’t the only issue that animal control personnel should be concerned about. Every animal control officer should also strive for the humane treatment of all animals.
If you do not take precautions to keep frightened or injured animals safe, they may hurt themselves or other animals onboard. Accidents can also occur, such as cages flying open and placing animals in danger of one another. When choosing the right upfits for your transport vehicle, be sure to always keep animal safety in mind to prevent injuries and accidents.
To keep doors from opening when they shouldn’t, consider installing effective locking mechanisms that can only be opened by animal control personnel. Additionally, consider installing a custom air conditioning unit to ensure adequate airflow to keep animals from overheating.
Capacity to Handle Various Situations
During the course of a typical day, an animal control officer may encounter a variety of scenarios. For example, animal control officers may be asked to assist with the collection of stray neighborhood cats during one call, while they may be faced with an aggressive dog or a wild bear during the next call.
As a result, animal control vehicles should be adaptable to any situation. Consider installing custom storage that allows easy access to leashes, traps, nets, or any other tools that an animal control officer may need during the day.
Choose TCS Upfitting for Your Vehicle Upfitting Needs
Upfitting any vehicle isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, and, as you can see, there are several considerations that you should be keeping in mind when upfitting your animal control vehicle. Having the right vehicles can make a significant difference in how well animal control officers can perform their jobs on a daily basis.
At TCS Upfitting, we understand how important it is to have a vehicle that supports your daily operations. Our team of experts and trained installation professionals are dedicated to providing you with exceptional upfitting services to ensure that your vehicle suits your exact specifications.
With years of experience and specialized training, we are proud to be Wichita, Kansas’s one-stop-shop for vehicle upfitting. We remain committed to providing our customers with only the best quality upfits that considerably boost its functionality.
If you would like to learn more about our vehicle upfitting services, contact TCS Upfitting today to discover how our team of specialists can help you select the best upfits for your vehicle and improve your daily operations.