Sepia Seniors

I saw this sign online and it made me cry.

Lately I've been reminded that I have two senior pets. Both my girls have lost some of the spring in their step.

 

We adopted Gucci in Japan 16 years ago. The vet estimated she was about one at the time. This old girl has accompanied us from Tokyo to Los Angeles to Baltimore to Jacksonville. She's travelled by bus, plane and car. She's slowed down a lot of the past year. We've discovered that she's gone deaf and she sleeps more than she used to.

We brought Roxy home in the spring of 2009. Our best guess is that she was two at the time. That means she's pushing eight now. She's already got some arthritis in her left rear leg. She use to run around like a black and tan tornado. Now she'd rather nap. It's sad to see her slowing down too.

But I'm not going to dwell on their mortality. None of us are promised tomorrow. Instead, I'm going to cherish every minute I have with them. I'm going to make sure I have time for rubbing bellies and scratching behind ears. I will share my roasted chicken with any furry face that asks and I will kiss fuzzy heads every chance I get. How about you? Have you loved on your pets today? -- K

P.S. It's Sepia Saturday! Click around and see what others are sharing today.

20 Questions

OK, so you've read all my posts and STILL think you want to be an Animal Control Officer? Even Help Wanted! and I Am Not The Dreaded Dog Catcher? And the one about ugly things people say when you're writing tickets? Really?! Well, if I haven't dissuaded you then I guess you're ready for an interview.

About six years back -- when I lost Partner #1 -- the Lieutenant asked me to come up with a list of questions for Animal Control applicants. Even more exciting, she asked me to sit on the interview panel. (BTW, you learn a lot sitting on the other side of the table!) Anyway, I got together a group of ACO friends and wrote down all the weird questions we had been asked (or should have been asked) when we started out. Then we narrowed it down to 20 questions. This is what we came up with -- along with the answers we're looking for. Wanna see how you'd do?


1. Why do you want to be an Animal Control Officer?

This is always the first question. Whatever you do, do not answer "I want to be a voice for the animals." (I swear 50% of the applicants actually say that!) Truth is, Animal Control works for the people. So if you care more for the animals than for people -- (it's OK, we all do) -- don't say it! Instead, think about how you would serve the people of the community in relation to animals.

2. What do you think the responsibilities of an Animal Control Officer are? 

Short answer: Animal Control Officers enforce animal related ordinances. Yes, we get the occasional cruelty and neglect case. Most of the job, however, is routine and sometimes tedious. We patrol, write tickets for dogs off leash and poop that's not picked up, catch dogs running at large, trap feral cats, and try to make peace between neighbors over barking. We clean the truck. We clean the kennels. And we do paperwork. Lots and lots of paperwork.

3. What do you know about local and state animal-related ordinances or laws?

All ordinances are online, so you better have an answer for this one. When someone says "Well, I haven't read them . . . but I'm a quick learner." What we hear is "I don't care enough about this job to even look up the rules." Chances are your application just went to the bottom of the pile.

4. What type of animals do you have experience with through employment or personal knowledge?

This one should be easy. If it's not, maybe you're not looking for the right job. Every ACO I know has had dogs, cats, rodents, reptiles, fish and more.

5. Are you able to identify different breeds and types of animals? Which animals are you most familiar with?

See above. Seriously, most ACOs know so much weird animal trivia that it makes NON-animal people uncomfortable. Sure everybody knows that calico cats are almost always female, but ACOs will engage in a long conversation as to why.

6. Do you own any pets? If so what kind? Are they licensed, vaccinated, and spayed/neutered?

Is this a trick question? You bet! We are judging you on the kinds of animals that you have (as in why does he have 25 snakes?!) and whether or not you abide by the rules we're asking you to enforce. If you're going to answer no to the last part of the question, make sure you have a reason (i.e. Jedi is not neutered because I actively show him in AKC Conformation.)

 

7. Are there any animals that you are afraid of or cannot work with? 

A yes to this is not necessarily a bad thing. For example, I'm not fond of snakes. Since my job deals primarily with dogs and cats, that's not a big deal. However, if you said you were afraid of pit bulls that would be an issue since two out of every three dogs we pick up is a pit bull. I've also seen a variation of this question where they asked if you are allergic to any animals, so be prepared. My answer was "I have a mild allergy to most rabbits and some cats. Knowing this, I carry Benadryl in my purse."

8. Have you ever been bitten? Describe the incident and how would you handle a similar thing again.

OK, this one is just because we're weird. We all have bite stories and they're fun to share. You get extra points for scars. It also gives an insight into how careful and perceptive you are. It's perfectly okay to say you were inexperienced or did something stupid and you won't do that again!

9. What is your definition of euthanasia? Have you had any experience with euthanasia procedures?

This question usually takes people by surprise. It also tells us a lot about who's on the other side of the table. I've seen people break down and cry at the mere thought of euthanasia. (BTW, they didn't get the job.) Nobody likes euthanasia, but for now it's part of the job. Even no kill shelters have to euthanize sometimes.

10. Could you euthanize a sick pet? An injured pet? A healthy pet?

This is a tough one and takes quite a bit of soul searching. I was asked this the first time I applied at a shelter. I was honest and told the interviewer that I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but I hoped that when the time came I would do it as quickly and compassionately as possible. I got the job.

11. If you were approached by a vicious dog how would you handle the situation?

There's no real right answer to this question, but there are definite wrong ones! Just remember: safety first, for both you and any possible bystanders.

 

12. How would you get a 100 pound dog into a vehicle?

Another question with no one right answer. This is a creative problem solving question. Remember your tools, including the radio. Funny story: I once had a 150 pound Great Dane that wouldn't fit in the cages on my truck. I called the station for back up and the dog was transported to the kennel in a police car.

13. What experience do you have working with the public?

As I've mentioned before, I deal with five people for every one animal, so this question is very important. Be detailed, especially if you were in a position of authority.

14. How would you deal with a difficult person?

See above. FYI: "By hitting them with my truck" is not the right answer. This is a major stress in my life.

15. How do you handle stress?

Thankfully, I didn't get asked this question. I don't think they would have appreciated my answer: brownies, booze and profanity. Seriously though, this can be stressful job and it's important to have positive ways to decompress. I enjoy hiking with my dog, reading/writing/blogging and grown-up game nights with my friends.

16. Can you work weekends, holidays, early mornings (6-7 AM) and late evenings (8-9 PM)? Are you available to be on call?

If you can't say yes -- and mean it -- then this is probably not the right job for you. Animals in the kennel need to be walked, fed and cleaned up after every day, even on Christmas. The public is not kind enough to only break ordinances during normal working hours. And dog bites always seem to happen just as you sit down to dinner.

17. Do you have experience in radio communications? If so, how much experience and where? 

This is self explanatory. It's okay to say no. In fact, sometimes it's easier to teach someone fresh than to have someone un-learn old codes to learn new ones. (Different jurisdictions use different 10-codes.) Partner #3 had a really hard time with this and kept coding for lunch when she meant to say she had arrived on-scene.

18. Are you/have you ever been FACA (Florida Animal Control Association) or NACA (National Animal Control Association) certified?

A yes to this one would be a big deal for you. Certification/recertification is expensive and time consuming. Hiring a pre-certified ACO saves the City time and money -- and the City is all about saving money. If you have these types of certs, do everything you can to keep them current. And by all means, speak up if you've got them!

19. Have you received the rabies pre-exposure vaccine? If so, when was the last time you had your titers checked?

Same as above. A rabies pre-exposure shot for humans can cost $600 or more. (Yet I can find one for my dog for $10. Go figure.) The good news is that your immunity can last for decades. Whether or not you're safe can be determined by simple -- and not nearly as expensive -- titers test. So again, speak up.

 

20. What experience do you have that qualifies you over other candidates for this position?

This is no time to be shy or modest. We're asking because we really, really want to know. It's not always easy choosing one person over another. Not only are we trying to see if your qualifications fit our needs, we're also trying to determine if you -- as a person -- will fit into our organization's culture. Are you too rigid? Too aloof? Do you have a sense of humor? What are your personal ethics? Seriously, it's tough!

You made it to the end! I guess I didn't scare you off. So, how'd you do? If you're still intent in joining the club: Welcome! It's not a bad job. As I said in Wanna Be An ACO? (you read that one too? Really?!) this job is seldom boring. I do a wide variety of things. My list of "Other Duties As Required" shows that! I enjoy being outside, meeting people and making a difference in the community. The uniform is ugly, as are the local politics. I try no to wear either of them any longer than absolutely necessary. I would really like more money and less crap -- both literal and figurative. But then, wouldn't we all? -- K
 

T-Shirt FAIL!

Ok, friends, you know how I feel about dog-themed shirts. [New readers: I LOVE them! Now you're caught up.] So I just couldn't help myself when I saw the Personalized Dog Walker Athletic Dept. T-Shirt from Gifts For You Now, especially when they sent me a coupon. This is what I ordered:

What the website said I was getting . . .

Cute, hunh? I waited two weeks for it to come. When it finally arrived the first thing that I noticed was that the lettering was white -- but it looked good, so I didn't mind. It was a good quality Hanes T-shirt, even though the iron-on letters were a bit chintzy. Then I noticed -- to my horror -- that shepherd was spelled wrong. It was "SHEPERD." I looked at the invoice -- it said black letters, "GERMAN SHEPHERD." I immediately called customer service. The woman apologized and promised to send me a new one right away. I told her that the invoice was correct, and "German shepherd" was spelled correctly. And please tell the t-shirt guy it's shepherd, as in "herds sheep." I also told her that it looked good in white, and since they were making another anyway, could I switch the lettering to white? She said "no problem."

Six days later my replacement shirt came. And guess what . . . it said "SHEPERD." The letters weren't even the same size as the first incorrect shirt. Adding insult to injury, there was an extra spot of white shmutz in the lettering between the H and the E, ironed on nice and tight. See:

What I actually got -- twice!

I looked, and the invoice spelled shepherd correctly. Again. I called customer service. Again. I even spoke to the same person. She remembered me from the week before. She apologized -- again -- and said she would overnight me another shirt. I said no. By this time I just wanted my money back. Obviously there is no quality control at the company: the T-shirt guy isn't looking at the invoices, nobody is double checking his work and apparently the company doesn't own SpellCheck! (OK, maybe that was a little mean.)

So, my internet friends, stay away from Gifts For You, especially if you have a breed name more complicated than Pug. Can you imagine how badly they'd butcher Dachshund, Weimaraner, Lhasa Apso or Shih Tzu? I'm really disappointed too, because I had already planned out fun t-shirts for Christmas gifts. Unfortunately, most of my friends are German shepherd owners. Now I need to come up with a Plan B. Ideas anyone?

It's Thoughtless Thursday! And apparently T-shirt Guy is "devoid of or lacking the capacity for thought" (as thoughtless is defined by dictionary.com). Click around and see what others are sharing today! -- K

Awww....Birdie

It's gotten cold and dreary. While patrolling the park I saw this bird taking a rest in the lake. This is as close as I could get (with the zoom). I have no idea what kind of bird it is, but it sure looked comfortable.

Can you guess the bird species? It has webbed feet and a pointy beak. This was taken on the northeastern coast Florida, about a half mile from the ocean. Comorant maybe?

Start your week with a smile. Click around and see other things that make you say "awww." -- K

When Pets Go Missing

ACO humor. Sorry.

Today's Thoughtless Thursday is asking you to think about something unpleasant: What do you do if your pet is lost? As an animal control officer I get frantic calls about missing pets on a regular basis, even more so during the holidays. Sometimes pets go missing despite an owner's best efforts. If it happens to you take a deep breath and then do the following:

 

Call Animal Control immediately! Many people make the mistake of waiting a few days, assuming the pet will "just come home on his own." That is a gamble you shouldn't take. Most animal control facilities can only hold animals for a few days. When the hold time is up animals are deemed property of the shelter and then transferred to another facility, rehomed or euthanized. If you wait, your pet may not be there when finally show up. Please note: Dogs and cats don't care about jurisdictional boundaries. If you live close to another city or county be sure to call their animal control facility as well. When you call, the following information is extremely helpful:

• Your name. It's awkward to say "I got a call from an unidentified woman about a lost dog." If that is not the person who answers the phone, I can spend five minutes trying to figure if I even have the right number. Please let me know that you are "Mary Johnson."
• Your phone number. Please say your number clearly and slowly. Even better, repeat it at the end of the message as well. (If you don't hear from me in 12 hours, please call back. Chances are that I don't have a good number for you.)
• Species and breed or breed mixes. Please be specific. I get "Did anyone call about a missing animal?" all the time. Does this mean the caller lost an animal? Found an animal? And what kind of animal is it?
• A good physical description. "Stocky brown pit bull with a white chest, cropped ears, long tail and black spot on the rear, left leg" is much easier to identify than "red nosed pit" -- especially when I have three in my kennel.
• Your animal's sex. Yes, you read that right. I had a woman last week that didn't know if her cat was male or female, but swore the neighbor stole it. (Story for another day . . .) Also, is your pet spayed/neutered? That factors into the search pattern.
• Any ID. Was your pet wearing a collar? Tags? Is it chipped?
• Time lapse. When did the pet go missing? 30 minutes ago? Three days ago? It makes a big difference in the size of the search area.
• Your address. I'd also like to know where the pet went missing from if it's different from your address. I'm not being nosy. I want to make sure you're looking in the right place. I had a 10 minute conversation with a guy last month before discovering his dog went missing in North Carolina. (Same city name, different state. Sometimes 411 makes a mistake.)

Call your microchip company. (If your pet is not microchipped please remedy this ASAP.) Tell the chip company that your pet is lost. They will flag that chip number in their system and notify you right away if somebody calls in that chip number. (This also keeps people from changing the contact info to theirs, essentially stealing your pet. It happens!) Some chip companies even send out lost pet alerts to local shelters and vets. While you have the chip company on the phone, verify that they have the correct contact information for you. Sometimes people move or change phone numbers and forget to update the microchip information. Remember, the chip doesn't do any good if nobody can find you.

 

Get on the internet. Let all your Facebook friends know that your pet is missing and ask them to cross post. Make sure you have a recent picture. (Don't have one? Stop reading this post and take a picture. Right now. I'll wait.) Next, post a lost pet ad on Craigslist under the "Lost and Found" section. I don't know why, but people often go to Craigslist instead of calling Animal Control. We return dogs from Craigslist ads all the time.

 

Make a flyer. The Missing Pet Partnership has some great tips here. Start by distributing flyers to your neighbors. Remember, you can't leave flyers in mailboxes -- it's a federal offense -- but you can stick them in door jambs or on car windshields. Don't forget to take copies of your flyer to Animal Control, nearby veterinarians and any other local shelters. Check with your city to see what the rules are about hanging lost pets signs. You don't want to waste time and money on signs if code enforcement is going to pull them down as fast as you hang them up.

 

And finally, a few miscellaneous tips. (OK, really they're pet peeves of mine, but "miscellaneous tips not to annoy the animal control officer" sounds a bit self-serving.)

• Leave a message on the answering machine instead of calling back 20 times trying to catch me. I'm out of the office more than I'm in, but I return to the office regularly to check messages. If you don't leave a message, I don't know you called.
• If your voice mailbox is full or not set up, leave an alternate call back number.
• If you're going to screen your calls please listen to the message before you call me back. It drives me bonkers when people call and say "someone called me from this number" after I left a detailed message on their voicemail.
• And on the same note, if I have to listen to loud, annoying music while your server is "locating the subscriber" I'm going to hang up.
• I really don't care what name your animal "answers to." Truth is, half the dogs I deal with respond to anything said in a happy voice, including "Pup Pup," "I have cookies" and "Wanna go for a ride?" The other half are either so scared -- or excited -- that they don't respond to anything. And then there are cats. Remember the joke "Cats don't come when you call, they take a message and get back to you later?" Yeah, it's like that.
• Call back and let us know when your pet returns home so we can stop looking. Please!

I hope your pets never get lost. But if they do, the above tips will help bring your pets home faster and make my job a lot easier. -- K

Looks like Ruckus isn't going anywhere!

P.S. It's Thoughtless Thursday! Hop around and see what others are doing today.

 

The Nose Knows

The maze of identical boxes

Jedi and I are really enjoying our nose work classes. He thinks it's the best game ever! In fact, he sticks his head in every box that comes in the house just in case there's a piece of chicken in it. Unfortunately, not everybody thinks this is as funny as I do.

 

We're progressively making this game harder. I've begun hiding food in boxes on the couch, under chairs and in corners. Sometimes the food isn't in a box at all! I've hidden food in shoes, under pillows and even on the windowsill. We practice in the house as well as outside. Jedi is learning to check everywhere. He's has to learn to trust his nose, not his eyes. It's fascinating to watch him. I can tell when he gets a whiff of the chicken. I can actually see him trying to pinpoint where the smell is coming from. Sometimes he gets so excited he smashes the box. Good thing we have a steady supply of boxes. (Hubby does shipping and receiving.)

 

Hey! There's food in this one!

Last night's class was the most challenging so far. We're working on leash handling. My job is to keep the leash from getting tangled up without distracting or impeding Jedi. (That's harder than it sounds, especially since neither of us are very graceful.) I also need to make sure that Jedi searches the entire area. I try not to look where the instructor hides the food so I don't inadvertently clue him in. Last night all the boxes were identical, so I really had to pay attention to which ones he whas checking. In his excitement sometimes he would skip over a box (or section of boxes) and I had to lead him back to the missed area. I also have to be aware of air currents. Jedi is most successful when he's downwind of the odor. Who knew *I* had to pay so much attention!

 

We've started pairing the food with the target scent. We're using sweet birch oil (Betula lenta) which reminds me of Wint-O-Green Lifesavers. (This is not to be confused with oil from other types of birch -- apparently there's a difference.) We were asked to bring a small, glass jar to class. We did, and Instructor gave us sweet birch scented Q-tips so we can practice pairing at home. And we were advised NOT to phase out the food for a very long time, no matter how much we want to.

Sorry again about the quality of the pictures. Maybe one day I'll get a decent camera phone. Until then, you're stuck with these. TTFN, -- K

 

Awww....Gucci

I know this is Kelley's Dog Blog, but we're doing something different today.

This is Gucci in her younger years. She's old and deaf now, but she still runs the show. Dogs cower before her and humans do her bidding (aka provide wet food and scratch her head).

Start your week with a smile. Click around and see other things that make you say "awww." -- K