Deer strolling the street, chickens running amok, dogs on the loose, pony on the prowl, snakes sneaking in, cattle sneaking out, possum on the roof, cat stuck inside a wall, raccoons in the garbage… who ya gonna call?
The Animal Control Officer, that’s who.
Eureka Springs, Berryville and Green Forest have three of the best; and one or all have been bitten, butted, scratched, stung, stepped on, knocked over or otherwise abused more than we know.
Berryville’s Animal Control Officer, Chuck Stubbs, has been on the job more than 20 years and is looking toward retirement. He, along with Officer Jim Evans in Eureka Springs and Officer Angel Rodriguez in Green Forest, have all had some interesting human vs. animal interactions, given that our cities were built in the middle of where wild animals were living.
Stubbs says he “likes to forget about the really odd” calls. But there was that ‘possum on the church roof escapade he handled quite nicely, along with calls about rodents moving in to reports of cattle on the loose and everything in between. Well, except one.
“I don’t do snakes,” Stubbs confessed, “I’ll refer to Snake World to come handle that.”
In Eureka Springs, Evans does do some snake re-homing and will also lend his live traps to anyone who cares to capture a bothersome wild critter and turn it loose outside city limits.
Inside city limits, he’s been on a bear call, tackled a goat in the Crescent Hotel parking lot and even taken charge of a box of baby possums that were in the process of being born when their mom got killed by a passing car. “They were still emerging from the womb, and someone had pulled over and put them in a box,” Evans recalled. “I took the box and wondered what to do with them, then came across a lady who said she’d raise them. It couldn’t have worked out better – I loved it!”
Evans’ favorite story concerns a 350 lb. ram causing havoc behind the Candlewick Inn. “You could smell him a mile off,” Evans said. First, he roped in the help of Officer Bobby Ray, and then they roped the ram, got him down, tied his feet together, and with help of bystanders got him into the back of Evans’s truck. Counting on the good humor of partners at the police department, they quietly put the ram in one of the dog enclosures outside the station, untied him, and left.
“We had to throw our clothes away,” Evans laughed. “We smelled like sheep for weeks.”
In Green Forest, Animal Care Control Officer Rodriguez faced a problem with less poundage but higher numbers. Some 33 chickens had gotten out of an enclosure in a city where chickens aren’t allowed in the first place. Rodriguez, who had been cleaning dog kennels wearing his green boots, arrived on the scene to help catch the fleeing fowl, only to discover the chickens would follow his green boots anywhere. Easy peasy.
Once the birds were all home safe, he delivered a warning to the owner that a citation would be forthcoming if they got out again, which they did – more than once. Most of the time an officer will issue a warning to keep the pet contained, per city ordinance. If the animal continues to be reported at large, a citation is issued and the fine increases with each occurrence.
“Now there was a problem,” Rodriguez said. “I had to issue a citation, which would have been $100 for one animal. But there were thirty-three. That would have been thirty-three hundred dollars!”
Counting on his close relationship with the police department and judge, Rodriguez went to bat on behalf of the offender and managed to get the fine reduced to a payable level.
Herein lies the one thing that makes these three men a successful part of our communities: relationships.
“The only way I have success is because of the cooperation of my community,” Rodriguez said. “You’re a servant of that community. You have to be transparent to gain trust in a small place where everyone is connected in some way.”
“I’ve always been interested in animals and nature,” Evans contributed, “but the most important part of my job is working with the people of Eureka Springs. They are the most animal conscious people you can find.”
Stubbs knows the people of Berryville and he knows their pets. He’ll take dogs and cats to the vet if the owners are unable, and will even report found or missing pets on the Lost Pet segment on KTHS radio.
Both Stubbs and Rodriguez are city employees, and each has a city-owned vehicle outfitted with containment cages. Evans is on contract to the city of Eureka Springs for 10 hours per week, runs his own pickup truck and is pretty much on call all the time, but he doesn’t mind. His make-a-wish dream is to have his own building with a couple of pens to get animals out of the cold, and room to store feed.
Rodriguez has been given use of the old Green Forest Police Department building in which he houses adoptable cats. Here, under the training and mentorship of GSHS director Cole Wakefield, Rodriguez has created the Green Forest Animal Care Shelter, which also includes several 10×10 outdoor dog pens located under shade trees.
All three animal control officers say the majority of their calls concern dogs at large or lost, and their first priority is going all out to get the animal back to its owner. In the case of unwanted or injured pets or wildlife, they each have a working relationship with their local shelters and rescue operations, Arkansas Game & Fish, Good Shepherd Humane Society, local veterinarians and groomers, and kindhearted individuals willing to help.
And if you’re worried about that pitiful meowing up in the big oak, don’t worry. Your local Animal Control Officers say they’ve never seen a cat skeleton in a tree.
It’s the law
The only animal Animal Control Officers can’t control is the animal’s owner. Did you know you’re required to have a city license for your dog? Not registering a dog can incur a citation and fine around $80, depending on the city you reside in.
To register, present proof of a valid rabies vaccination at the local PD or city hall. (A copy can be obtained from your veterinarian.) The license is good for 3 years from the date of the vaccination and costs from $7-10, again depending on your location. In some towns the registration fee is less for spayed or neutered animals.
The tag you receive should be attached to the dog’s collar or harness. If the dog is lost and picked up, the number on the tag will instantly identify the owner.
Please make sure your animal is safe – provide a collar or harness with an identification.