"Every day I go to the pound and I see the dogs; I look in their eyes and know they are not on the street getting hurt. That's my reward; that is my pay." "This is our way of doing things," Kathy Beaumont said about the phone interrupting family life. Beaumont says she, her husband, Paul, son, Scott, and daughter, Tami, have gotten up from meals, left parties or canceled other social plans to respond to calls about dogs in danger or creating a problem. It's all reward and no regrets for Beaumont who completed 20 years in June as the Sweden-Clarkson Dog Control Officer. She serves an area from Reed Road to Roosevelt Highway and between county lines. Her husband is deputy dog control officer and the two of them are on call 24-7, also working full time jobs. She cleans Oliver Middle School and Paul works at Birds-Eye Foods. She picks up between seven and 15 dogs a month, the higher numbers in July and August when people are on vacation. Most typical is the stray dog with no tags. To be claimed at the dog shelter near the Town of Sweden garage, the dog's owner must first show proof of or obtain a rabies shot and license. A stray dog not redeemed by the owner in seven days can be put up for adoption (10 days for dogs with ID but the owner is not locatable). Beaumont uses grapevine information and a sign near the town recycling center to attempt to locate owners. Less frequent are the conflict calls in which a dog is reported as a danger or a nuisance. Serious cases usually go through the court system. A judge's decision can include fines from $400 to $1,000 and/or special requirements to correct the problem. "I try to work with the people first," she said of most cases which she tries to resolve mutually between the dog owner and the complainant. Beaumont calls the canines in her care "my kids." She works hard for happy endings, reuniting about 90 percent of her temporary "kids" with their owners. She usually adopts out the one or two a month who are not redeemed. Success stories include a Collie who was adopted by a man who drove from Massachusetts, after a local man contacted him about the newspaper photo and information. A 14-year-old Yorkshire abandoned on the road was hard to adopt out because of his age. Finally, a man adopted him for his mother, but loved the dog so much he kept it for himself. Beaumont has her own heroic, happy-ending stories. She rescued five puppies from a field all skin and bones and only one was making noise. Her budget could not pay for a vet's care, but the vet suggested trying baby food, estimating it might save one puppy. She took them home and stuffed baby food in their mouths. By morning all five were eating on their own and survived to be adopted. In another case, she adopted her own dog named "Blue Boy" from a litter of puppies she rescued in a field behind Arby's 10 years ago. The saddest part of the job for the Beaumonts are the aged dogs abandoned by the side of the road. "We pick them up old and sick and often have them euthanized," Kathy said. She pleads for humane treatment for a lifetime friend: "They are still beautiful animals; they have given you so much loving all these years." She urges dog owners to call a dog warden or to get someone else to help you and your pet in that last stage of life. Beaumont acknowledges the community's involvement, such as people reporting strays, helping with rescue, locating owners, or adopting. While she appreciates the support and her hourly compensation, she wants everyone to know her deepest reward on the job. "A lot of people think I can't get real satisfaction from this job, but I do," she said. "Every day I go to the pound and I see the dogs; I look in their eyes and know they are not on the street getting hurt. That's my reward; that is my pay." Submitted by Doug Hickerson What citizens can do The most common problem in dog control is owners not having a license or other identification on the dog's collar. The required dog license makes the owner traceable through the dog control officer. A separate ID tag with the dog's and owner's name, address and phone number will make the owner immediately traceable by the finder. Keep your dog secure in the home or in the yard with appropriate fencing or other restraint. Always have a tag on the collar in case the dog escapes. Before vacation, if the dog is not placed in a kennel, give careful security instructions to the dog sitter. If you see a stray dog or an incident with a dog, call the dog control officer in your township. For Clarkson and Sweden the phone number is 585-637-4260. In emergency only the cell phone pager is 525-2615; enter your phone number numerically. August 6, 2006 |
