Flathead Beacon

By Molly Priddy , 07-15-10

MARION – The red heeler came prancing into view, looking at once anxious and excited, and approached Flathead County Animal Control Officer Paul Charbonneau’s truck.

Charbonneau whistled out of his window at the pacing dog. The young male approached the truck as if expecting the person inside to be the one who apparently abandoned him the night before. Flathead County animal warden Paul Charbonneau secures a small dog inside a crate in the back of his vehicle before taking he dog to a veterinarian clinic in Columbia Falls to have an injury on the dog's neck inspected.

“What’s up buddy? How are you?” Charbonneau asked the heeler as he petted the rust-colored fur, checking for injuries. The dog had been running back and forth across U.S. Highway 2 before a Marion property owner called it over and fed it.

Once he loaded the dog into the truck and took a report from the property owner, Charbonneau began the drive to where he says the owner should have taken the heeler in the first place: the Flathead County Animal Shelter.

“There’s no excuse, especially dropping them 18 miles out of town,” Charbonneau said.

While en route to the shelter, Charbonneau got word his next assignment would take him to Columbia Falls.

“One end of the county to another,” Charbonneau said after breaking connection with the dispatcher.

It was a typical summer day for Charbonneau as one of four county animal control officers. In a job that takes him to all edges of the county nearly every shift, Charbonneau and his fellow animal control officers run the gamut of animal experiences in the Flathead.

This could mean corralling wandering horses and finding their owners or responding to a barking dog complaint. But as Charbonneau noted, a day’s work might also find them calming and leashing uneasy dogs after the canines’ owner dies or wrangling 70-plus cats out of a hoarder’s house.

Animal control officers work as unsworn officers for the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and have done so for three years after a shift from the county health department. Charbonneau said the transfer to a county agency with more enforcement capabilities has been beneficial for the officers and county residents. Read more...

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Humane Society of the United States Rescues Approximately 90 Animals from Overcrowded Rescue

(July 13, 2010)  —The Humane Society of the United States worked with the Fallon County Sheriff’s Department to remove 60 dogs and 30 cats from Eastern Montana Humane Society. The sheriff’s department served a seizure warrant for the animals held at EMHS Tuesday morning due to violations of the Montana animal cruelty code.

“The Humane Society of the United States is grateful to the Fallon County Sheriff’s Department for upholding the cruelty laws and calling us in to rescue these animals,” said Adam Parascandola, director of Animal Cruelty for The HSUS. “These are highly adoptable dogs and cats who deserve to be living as cherished family pets.”

When responders arrived at the EMHS, which is not affiliated with The HSUS, they found large numbers of dogs and cats living in filthy, cramped pens and crates. Many of the animals were housed for long periods of time in unsafe and unsanitary enclosures. Some of the animals were suffering from skin and parasite infections. The HSUS also gathered EMHS animals from several other locations.

The HSUS is safely removing all of the animals and transporting them to a nearby temporary shelter set up specifically for this rescue by The HSUS and United Animal Nations. Once there the animals will receive thorough veterinary checks and any necessary medical treatment. The HSUS called in United Animal Nations to provide critical sheltering support on this mission. PetSmart Charities ® also donated much-needed sheltering supplies for the rescued animals.

The HSUS and UAN will care for these animals at the temporary shelter until they are ready to be transported. Once all of the animals have proper medical documentation The HSUS will transport them in specially equipped 75-foot mobile sheltering vehicle to rescue groups where they will be available for adoption.
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