GILES COUNTY, Va. – In the past month, Giles County's Animal Control Unit reports that there have been four instances where one or two men posed as animal control officers and attempted to confiscate dogs in Pearisburg.
The men were driving either a light gray or silver Ford F-150 pickup or a white Chevy 1500 Series pickup and were not in uniform, according to the Animal Control unit.
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Furthermore, the animal control unit says that the men were professionally dressed, well-spoken and had clipboards, but did not have any credentials or duty equipment.
Animal Control advises that if you are contacted by Giles County Animal Control, the officers will be in one of the two marked Animal Control vehicles pictured above. Also, all animal control officers have badges, standard-issue duty belts and a county radio.
During the months of August and September, two newly hired officers will be in the process of training and they may be on duty without a uniform, but will have badges and will always be driving the marked county vehicles.
The current group of animal control officers is:
- Joe Butler (Unit 201)
- Bill Ahern (Unit 202)
- Steven Hutchison (Unit 203)
- Jon Butler (Unit 204)
- Tim Vaughn (unit 205)
Animal Control advises that if anyone comes to your home claiming to be an Animal Control officer in an unmarked vehicle and attempts to confiscate your pet, do not allow it and immediately contact the Giles County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch at 540-921-3842 and confirm the officer’s identity, or call 911 if you feel threatened.