Spring to Bring Grass Seeding at Dog Park

Did You Hear the One About the Dog That….

Rudi Hicks, clinic volunteer and former director of Animal Control; Animal Control Officer Tara Westphal, veterinarian Gail Wolfe; and Bob Dodson, current director of Animal Control, take a few moments to recall some of their occupations’ lighter moments.

Cleaver photo by Dianne Alward-Bierry

Posted Tuesday, March 4, 2025 12:00 am

Print copy corrections

The Animal Shelter One Stop Shop story in last week’s Feb. 27 issue contained two unfortunate errors. The first was incorrect identification of well-known and highly-regarded Animal Control Officer Tara Westphal, and the Cleaver regrets any confusion that error may have caused. The second error occurred in the accompanying photo, which was a composite of two photos. Unfortunately, a misaligned photo was printed rather than the correctly edited photo – resulting in a photo that included a random “extra foot” – which was, at the very least, laughable. Perhaps it actually hinted at how busy shelter personnel are, and the likelihood they all could benefit some days from having an extra foot. The Cleaver appreciates the shelter’s gracious humor regarding these errors.

By DIANNE ALWARD-BIERY

Cleaver Senior Staff Writer

HARRISON – The Clare County Animal Shelter hosted Clare County’s last chance One Stop Shop rabies vaccination and licensing event Feb. 22, an event that enables county residents to have their dogs vaccinated and licensed all in one place rather than having to travel to their vet for a vaccination and then again to the county treasurer’s office to secure a license.

The shelter hosts the clinic regularly in the fall, and it is usually highly attended, but this additional clinic was offered to help residents stay timely, ahead of the Feb. 28 deadline.

This latest clinic saw a good turnout, which included some 50 dogs receiving vaccinations and 20 dog licenses sold. The early attendance at the event was good, but prior to noon came to a virtual halt. That left the personnel who facilitated the event with some free time on their hands while they awaited any further arrivals – which never materialized, despite holding out hope for some stragglers.

That protracted lull enabled some reminiscent storytelling among Animal Control Director Bob Dodson, Animal Control Officer Tara Westphal; Gail Wolfe, DVM, of Clare Animal Hospital; and Rudi Hicks, former director of Animal Control and clinic volunteer.

Stories ranged from snake tales to saving pets from in-home sewage pools to repeat offender escapee pets and owners who just can’t grasp the fact that if they continue to violate animal containment laws they will continue to be ticketed for each offense.

ACO Westphal spoke of learning the ropes and riding shotgun with a pet net trying to scoop up a running dog who just wasn’t’ all that interested in being caught. Dodson recalled being nearly nipped by an unhappy dog in an all-too-personal way. Wolfe recalled the time she responded to a dog needing care at 2 a.m. at the vet clinic and upon opening the door noticed a breeze and discovered there had been a break-in. Hicks seemed to have memories to share with all of the other three, breaking into laughter every time a story tweaked recall of something that was either silly, a near-miss, or the all-too-frequent folly of a pet owner.

A favorite among Hicks’ memories was the call from a couple gentlemen who said they had cornered a cobra in their garage. Upon arrival, they told her that they didn’t know what happened, but they had apparently killed it. Seeing that it was actually an Eastern Hognose snake, Hicks decided to have some fun with them and gave it a nudge, causing it to come back to life. She explained the snake has a “play dead” defense behavior, and that a stick poke would cause it to again “drop dead.”

So many stories, so much reward. It is plain to see that among these four providers of animal care there must lie at least one really fascinating collection of stories. After all, it worked for veterinary surgeon James Alfred Wright [pen name James Herriot] and his masterpiece “All Creatures Great and Small.”

Dodson also informed of the progress on what he is calling the Clare County Animal Park: The Walkabout, which lies due west of the Animal Shelter, and where a fenced area will contain playground elements in two areas interspersed with well-ground tree bark pathways. Another element will be what is called a rainbow bridge, where the collars of deceased pets can be attached in their memory. He also is offering an opportunity for commemorative brick purchase which will be engraved and incorporated into a masonry wall in the park. Anyone interested in a brick should contact Dodson at the Clare County Animal Shelter. The plan is unfolding, and Dodson is eager for spring weather so work can progress, beginning with grass seeding.

“I just want to have it so people can walk around by mid-summer,” Dodson said, indicating the location of a driveway and parking, as well as fencing along the front and back. He also intends to have some signage recognizing the people and entities that will have helped make the dog park a reality.

Dodson’s basic wish is to get the park to where it looks good and people are enjoying it.