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This article provides preliminary data on a research study designed to investigate animal protection officers' (APOs) professional identities, professional stressors, positive job aspects, and mental health needs and access. An exploratory mixed methods design was employed, in which a survey was disseminated to APOs in four regions of Colorado, followed by in-depth interviews with some of the survey respondents. The researchers learned that APOs love and have compassion for animals, but experience devaluation by the public and other professionals. They experience a number of professional stressors, such as dangerous animals and humans, but experience rewards such as helping their community. They may suffer poor mental health outcomes as a consequence of their challenging work, but often do not seek professional support in overcoming their stressors. The authors made a number of recommendations for improving the lives of APOs, such as encouraging directors to acknowledge job stressors and provide a structure for managing them, while capitalizing on the more positive aspects of the job.
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This page is a summary of: Animal Protection Officers: Professional Identity, Professional Stressors, and Mental Health Needs, Society and Animals, September 2024, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/15685306-bja10223.
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