Animal Control Officer Tony Hines says that love of animals is what really got him into the profession. It is obvious when he plays with Rot, a puppy so nicknamed because he is “spoiled rotten.”
After spending 30 years in other fields — 10 years at the Grocery Basket, 10 years with a local soft drink company and 10 years working in the pest control business with his father, Walter Hines — he made the leap over to animal control nearly 12 years ago.
“You can tell I love this job. I’ve been at it longer than any other one I’ve had!” he said with a smile. He also said it is hard to believe that he will mark his 12-year anniversary in the post in September.
Asked what type of animal he picks up the most, he said dogs and cats are typical. He keeps the animals in the pound for about a week and if they are not claimed, he puts them up for adoption.
Hines sometimes takes the animals to the local veterinarians and “advertises” that they are ready to be adopted. Often veterinarians will assist him in finding forever homes for his charges by putting pictures of the dog or cat online. He said that while most animals are not hard to adopt out, those who do not find homes have to be put down.
Hines said dogs seem to be the easiest to rehome.
“However, I recently adopted out six kittens to someone who wanted barn cats. When I was in pest control, people often asked me what to do about mice and snakes, and I always said, ‘Get a cat.’ Cats are the best pest control out there,” Hines said.
According to Hines, influxes of certain animals tend to happen seasonally, with puppies being more prevalent in April, May and June. Christmastime, however, is the best time for him to adopt out puppies since many people like to give them as gifts.
Snakes and skunks top his list as the most unusual calls that he gets. As for skunks, he has been sprayed, but said that if he manages to keep them calm, he can avoid it.
“If I cover the trap and keep them calm, I can usually relocate them without getting sprayed,” he said.
Although Hines has had calls about foxes, he has never managed to trap one. Foxes do not like to be around humans and could possibly attack if they feel cornered, he said.
He said he has only been bitten a couple of times by dogs and keeps up to date on his tetanus shots. So far, he has not had a rabies scare and intends to keep it that way.
As for his daily routine, Hines checks whatever traps he has put out the day before and answers calls that homeowners make about strays. He also drives around the city on his daily rounds.
He said residents need to understand the local leash law.
“Animals cannot run loose. They must be on a leash, in a pen or fence or in the house,” he said.
He does pick up pets of owners who have not followed the leash law, and they must pay a pound fee to retrieve their animals. The pound fee covers the per day boarding costs of the animal. His biggest concern for owners who break the leash law, however, is the well-being of the animals, who can be harmed when on the loose.
“I hate to see animals hit by a car and hurt or killed,” he said.
Hines has lived in Kosciusko all of his life and said he is constantly amazed at the number of people who do not realize that Kosciusko has a pound.
On the day that The Star-Herald visited, Hines had two dogs in custody, though he has space to house 10 to 12 animals at any one time. The pound is located on West Jefferson Street next to Aponaug Park and Hines said he can be reached by calling city hall.
