Animals: Some people love them; others don't.

So far this year, the Waterville Communications Center has taken 1,380 animal complaints. This number reflects only calls we have entered into the computer for information or for dispatching personnel.

We refer countless others to another department, or are simply can't provide any help, and those calls aren't included in this tally. This column focuses on animal complaints in Waterville, Winslow, Oakland and Clinton, for which our communications Center dispatches law enforcement and animal control.

Each city and town contracts for an animal control officer. The officer's duties vary by jurisdiction and by the person's certifications and skills. The officer holds no regular hours. He or she is called upon as needed to respond to animal complaints and is responsible for maintaining dog-licensing standards, the enforcement of leash laws, investigation of injuries caused by animals and reports of abuse or neglect.

Normally, the officer doesn't assist with wild animals unless they appear sickly or in immediate distress. This causes much confusion for callers having problems with bats, skunks, raccoons and so forth. It was simpler back in the day of the old-fashioned dog catcher, as that essentially summed up that person's job description. These days, for many, it isn't so clear what the officer's responsibilities and limitations are, so I am going to try and break it down.

What do you do when an animal has become bothersome? In the case of domestic-animal complaints, a phone call to the non-emergency number of your local law enforcement agency will initiate your complaint. Your complaint may be handled in a variety of ways from that point.

In the case of an incessantly barking dog, usually a police officer goes to try to contact the dog's owner. In most cases, the owner is not at home and a warning is left on the door, detailing the complaint. That is normally the extent of immediate action that can be taken. If complaints continue, the owner can be summonsed for allowing or maintaining a barking dog.

The officer does not routinely patrol neighborhoods just looking for unsecured dogs, though loose dogs and strays reported to the police are referred to the officer in hopes that the dogs are captured and taken to the shelter.

Often people who have lost dogs will call the police to describe the dogs and give their contact numbers, and frequently we are able to reunite dogs and owners. Cats are entirely different. The animal control officer rarely picks up stray cats unless they appear sick or injured. If an unknown and unwelcome cat bothers you, you may bring it (or other domestic animals) to the Humane Society.

Incidentally, the Fire Department never removes cats from trees, except on television.

If skunks, raccoons or other wild animals become nuisances, the dispatcher probably will refer you to the animal control officer, who may assist you or refer you to another service provider, depending on the circumstances. Other providers may include pest-control companies, exterminators, the Maine Warden Service or individuals who specialize in trapping and removing animals. Animals such as moles, rats and squirrels rarely fall into the officer's official duties.

Bats are a constant source of police calls because they invade homes. Since a bat's presence in the home often causes hysteria for the residents, and because bats are widely feared to carry disease, the officer normally tries to respond and eradicate the bat.

That said, understand that the officer isn't always available for an immediate response, and you can do things to help yourself:

• Open a window. Often the bat is as anxious to leave your home as you are to have it go.

• Close the door to the room the bat is in and put a towel or other item on the floor outside the door, if there is a gap. This reduces the amount of time the officer will have to spend looking for the bat, and it assures you that it has been contained.

• If your home is prone to bats, find out what access point they are using and have it sealed. If your rent your home, talk to your landlord about the problem.

Other animals that prompt calls to us include deer and livestock. If you own livestock, let your local animal control officer know what you have and how to contact you. We occasionally gete calls about cows or horses that have broken through a fence and wandered into the roadway. Often we have no idea how to reach the animals' owners.

Deer usually become a problem only after a car hits them. If your car hits a deer, make sure nobody in your car is injured, then report the accident to the police. Try to note the deer's condition. Did it run off, or will it need to be disposed of? The officer who responds to your report may be able to tag the deer if you or someone you know wants to process it for consumption. If not, the animal control officer will be told to retrieve it.

I hope this covers most of the common complaints we get about animals. Naturally, every situation is unique, and if you find yourself with an animal complaint, go ahead and call your local non-emergency police number and the ACO can call you back with instructions.

Questions or comments about the column? Have a suggestion for a topic? E-mail outoftheblue@waterville-me.gov.

Have a safe Halloween.

Jaye Fleming Lowe is a dispatcher with the Waterville Police Department. Her column appears the second Monday of each month.