Stereotypes don't bother animal control officer -- he's happy to go when the big phone rings

By Emma Tippetts

March 9, 2005 | HYRUM -- Kirt Lindley wakes up while it's still dark, and heads out to the barn. In the thick silence of the early morning, Lindley methodically milks his cows, day after day to keep his dairy farm running. Lindley is only interrupted when the big white phone inside the house rings.

Lindley picks up the receiver, listens for a moment, and understands his duty. Lindley jumps in his old maroon Ford pick up truck equipped with a two-way radio, dog food, cat food, a bottle of bleach and a box of garbage bags. He is prepared for any kind of creature he will encounter.

Kirt Lindley is the dogcatcher in Hyrum. Although he has two dogs of his own to keep track of, he is constantly on call to take care of neighborhood dogs running at large or to capture stray dogs on the loose. The animal control ordinance states, "All dogs are required to be kept under control by leash, cord, chain or other means of physical control when off the owner's property."

The occupation of a dog catcher is unique. Lindley said he sees it as a part time job with no formal training. He simply waits for the call, and responds to the scene. Once Lindley has spotted the suspect, the goal is to follow it home. If the dog does not go straight home, Lindley puts him in the back of his truck and takes it to the pound.

The dog pound is not easily seen unless you are looking for it. It is at the end of a dirt road behind the fire station. A little white building with a red roof not much bigger than a shed, with no formal address holds six animal pens. The pound is a lot like the county jail, but not nearly as clean. Cement floors and cement walls create a chilling atmosphere in the winter. Each pen holds one dog and two bowls, one for food, one for water.

Each pen is not much bigger than a card table and is separated from the others by walls of chain link fencing. A dog is only allowed to stay at the pound for five to six days until its family comes to claim him. Owners must redeem dogs by presenting evidence of the dog being licensed and vaccinated and paying a $10 impound fee, plus a $5 boarding fee for each day the dog was impounded.

If the dog isn't claimed, it is placed with another family, if another family is not found, the dog is euthanized.

Lindley said everybody still holds the notion that the dog catcher is mean. He said this stereotype thrives because citizens assume the dog catcher will immediately put the animals to sleep. Lindley said most of the time the dog can be followed home and taken care of before it reaches the pound. It is against the law in Hyrum to harbor stray animals and all stray dogs should be reported immediately.

However, Lindley said most people try to take care of stray dogs themselves because "as soon as you tell people that they should let us know so we can put it in the pound, they think we'll put it down, when in reality that is the best place [for families] to find their lost dogs."

Although Lindley patrols mostly for dogs, he has encountered a number of other animals. They have a pen behind the dog pound for larger animals. "Horses, we walk up and put them in a trailer," Lindley said, "but cows are a little different, we'll just put them in a pasture."

Six weeks ago, a Mountain Crest High school teacher found a muskrat in the hallway.

According to The Herald Journal, "The 54-year-old man discovered the rodent running down a hallway at the school around 1:15 p.m. Thinking it was a pet, he picked up the animal. The muskrat responded to its would-be rescuer by severing the tip of the man's left index finger. Muskrats have sharp, beaver-like teeth. The man swiftly cast the animal aside after the bite, and it was captured by Sheriff's Deputy Wyatt Goring, who trapped the muskrat inside a garbage can."

Goring held the muskrat in the can until Lindley arrived at the scene. The missing portion of the man's finger wasn't found.

Any animal that bites has to come to the pound for 10 days, because of the risk of rabies, Lindley said.

Although he has never been bitten and he has never had to subdue a vicious dog Lindley says he says that "very cautiously," as if it might happen someday.

Other than stray animals and dogs running at large, the other most common problem for Lindley is unlicensed dogs, and families with too many dogs. Hyrum city animal ordinance states, "Anyone owning, keeping or harboring three or more dogs over the age of 6 months is required to obtain a kennel license."

Emily Waechlter, who has lived in Hyrum for over 30 years, knows the law. In the early 1990s, Waechlter's four dogs were noticed by animal control, although her dogs were tied up and not bothering anyone, Waechlter got a ticket and was also told she needed a kennel license. Hyrum granted her a kennel license, but since then the city has stopped issuing them and simply states any superfluous dogs must be eliminated.

Laurie Garner, likewise, moved to Hyrum in 1998 and when animal control came to her door and saw she had four dogs in her home, she was told two of her dogs would have to go. Garner was told it was her neighbors that called and complained about her dogs, but she refused to believe any of her neighbors would do that to her.

"Sooner or late we will catch them, I can almost guarantee it," Lindley said. He has actually been ticketed for having too many dogs when he moved from the county into the city, he has no sympathy for those who continue to break the law by keeping too many dogs.

Dogs are the biggest issue for animal control in Hyrum, Lindley said. The dogs are a bigger problem because they are a lot more visible. And they bark.

"Sometimes it does get to be a neighbor issue," Lindley said. "They use the dogs for an excuse." But he still responds, no matter how many times they call.

Some dog owners raised issues about cats because they say there are more cats roaming the streets unattended than dogs. Lindley said they do have a valid complaint, but the cats are a lot harder to deal with.

"You cannot teach a cat to stay home," Lindley said. If a stray cat is found in Hyrum, the cat is to be caught by the citizens who found it, and then turned into the city where it will get fixed and let loose again.

Lindley said the surrounding towns that already have this policy in place say it helps cut down the cat population. This is the first cat ordinance Hyrum has ever had in place. It was put into effect Feb. 1, 2005.

"Dog owners have more responsibility, no question," Lindley said.

Part of the problem is half of the people own dogs, and half don't.

"The half that doesn't own dogs, then they're the animal control buddies," Lindley said. "If they have a complaint we take care of it, half of the ones that own dogs don't like us because they've had a run it at one point in time or another."

Although both Emily and Laurie say he is "up to no good," Lindley says he likes his job because makes new friends all the time.

"I've met a lot of new people," Lindley said, "most people are ok with the animal control. It depends on who you talk to, if they've had a run in with us, they are a little bit grumpy for a while."

Lindley said the worst part about it is when he has to give a ticket to his friends, which he has had to do on occasion. Lindley said most of the time, they are friends afterward because they know they did something wrong, and they don't blame Lindley for giving them the ticket.

"Most people don't try to get out of tickets. Most people grumble," Lindley said.

The grumbling doesn't bother Lindley, and neither do the stereotypes. He likes his job, and he'll continue to patrol the streets of Hyrum for years to come, responding to calls whenever the big white phone rings.

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