On any given day they can be found out patrolling – committed to the safety and well-being of the Creator’s four-legged creatures.
Nestled behind the maintenance building for the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe is Animal Control, which has been active since 2009, and is a division of the Compliance Department.
With a small but mighty staff of three, the department delivers a variety of services to the community, including registration with an updated rabies shot, and licensing.
“We know just about every dog’s name. It’s good to know a dog’s name because chances are he’s going to be more cooperative with you,” says Lisa Mitchell, Supervisor for the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Animal Control.
Mitchell says a typical day starts at 8:00 a.m. and includes two patrols, kennel duties, returning phone calls and answer emails, and then they head out on the road.
The animal control staff are pet owners themselves, so they are compassionate and empathetic when they see mistreated pets, or animals running loose where they could be injured or cause damage.
“Most complaints we receive from community members are about loose dogs. We have a lot of frequent flyers, loose dogs and dogs acting aggressive on the road or to their neighbours or being destructive to personal property,” says Mitchell.
“The value of being a responsible pet owner cannot be measured. Most people consider pets apart of the family, so making sure your pet is cared for if the temperature outside is severe — and having your animal vaccinated, is just common sense.” she added.
Mitchell says, “the importance for pet owners to have their pet vaccinated for rabies is pretty high. And we do have free clinics in Franklin County once a year. If we don’t have it here then most of the neighbouring towns have it.”
Should community members have any questions regarding Animal Control, they can contact the department at 518.358.2272 or visit the Tribe’s website at www.srmt-nsn.gov to view the ordinance.
By: Regan Jacobs and Louis Jacobs
