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Crime & Safety

For the Love of Dogs – Part I

Beverly LaPlume mixes public safety with community relations.

About Town met Animal Control Officer Beverly LaPlume, a few weeks ago, when a wayward rottweiler wandered into the backyard. Within minutes, LaPlume had convinced the scared animal to join her in her air-conditioned van for a cool beverage and some biscuits.

She then quickly deciphered, from the torn collar and ID tags, that this was likely an escaped rescue dog who had been transported to Connecticut from South Carolina. Now, that’s impressive.

LaPlume has been the Animal Control Officer, covering both Canton and Avon, for five years. In that time, she’s never been bitten. She’s rescued puppies dumped on Town Bridge. And she’s worked with hundreds of people, educating them about their responsibilities to the law, their neighbors and their dogs. Her goal is to keep both the public and the animals safe. “If the public gets hurt, it’s the animals who pay the consequences.”

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About Town recently spent a few hours with LaPlume, at the Animal Control office and on the road, to find out more about how she manages to seamlessly meld her duty to public safety with her compassion and advocacy for dogs.       

AT: What skills do you need, besides loving animals, to approach a frightened/angry dog and convince him that it’s a good idea to come along with you?

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BL: You can’t fear the animal. You have to let them know that while you respect them, you are the alpha. And, you need to know how to handle dogs. In addition to spending 16 years rescuing dalmatians, I’ve also completed training through the Police Department by the National Animal Control Association on: animal abuse, self-defense, reporting and investigation.

AT: What’s the biggest complaint you receive?

BL: Roaming dogs. It’s 90 percent of our calls in Canton. In Avon, we also have a lot of nuisance-barking complaints. There are state statutes that we have to follow on these issues.

AT: What about cruelty to dogs?

BL: Thank goodness we don’t have blood sports in Avon or Canton. But, we do have other incidents of cruelty. For example, if someone leaves a dog in a car – it doesn’t matter if a window is left open – the temperature quickly escalates in the car and the dog can start slipping into brain damage. None of these calls are taken lightly.

We also had a case where two young pugs were left in a backyard crate, covered by a rain soaked quilt. They had been left for three days without food or water. And, it turned out that the female pug was pregnant. We picked them up, then informed the owners who ended up surrendering them. The two pugs were adopted out and the female gave birth to four healthy puppies, who were also adopted.

AT: So if someone files a complaint, what happens next?

BL: Every complaint is followed up on. I gather background information from the complainant, who remains anonymous. Then, I go to the place where the dog is. I always try to work out a resolution. The goal is to keep the dog in the home, if possible and if safe.

If additional complaints continue against the dog, or the owner, then a written report is completed and the individual is advised of the consequences of subsequent complaints, including fines. Complaints of animal cruelty can escalate to misdemeanor charges. 

AT: What are the accommodations like for a guest-dog?

BL: We try to make it as comfortable as possible for them, with soft beds and pillows. There is central air conditioning in the pens during the summer and heat in the winter. Each pen has access to the outdoors.  

In the evening, before I leave for the day, I always give the dogs a frozen bone that’s been stuffed with peanut butter, so they have something delicious to occupy their time. I also leave a radio on for them. On weekends, when I am off duty, volunteers come in to play with and care for the dogs we have.

AT: And it’s only dogs, right?

BL: Yes. Although, when I get a call about a lost or found cat, I keep a list to match those looking with those finding.

AT: You get a lot of help from the community, in terms of donations.

BL: Yes, they’re wonderful to us. We’re always looking for: towels, blankets, bones, bowls and toys - especially kongs! The dogs we bring in are stressed out. They need something to chew on.

We also get lots of help from local vets, at Animal General and Roaring Brook, who work at a discounted fee, or sometimes don’t charge at all for emergency care.

AT: You are a no-kill shelter right?

BL: Yes, that’s correct.

AT: How about adoption?

BL: All prospective adopters are interviewed to ensure that the match will be successful. Once a dog has been placed, I follow up to be sure everything is working out. We will always take a dog back, if the adoption doesn’t work out.

The fee for adopting a dog, who is already spade/neutered and has an up to date rabies vaccine, is $5. The fee for dogs, who must be spade/neutered and/or given a rabies vaccine, is $50.

AT: What is your most memorable call?

BL: There are so many. One that comes to mind happened in Canton, a few winters ago. A woman called to report a small terrier who’d been living in her garage for several months. I set up a small trap with food. The dog grabbed the food and escaped the trap.  I ended up getting a large wild life trap and finally got the dog. He was a mess.

I cleaned him up and checked for an implanted chip. To my surprise, there was a chip and it led me to a family in West Granby. When I called the home, the husband answered and asked if I was joking when I told him I had his dog. It turns out that the little terrier was a rescue who the family had brought home - nine months ago. On the first day with its new family, the dog ran away, during a walk with the 12 year old daughter.

When they came to pick up the dog at Animal Control the next day, the 12 year old girl handed me a bouquet of flowers, to thank me for finding her dog.

They were so happy to have him back. That’s when you really know what you do is worth it.

Coming next: Part II: On the Road with Officer LaPlume

Here’s the Deal

Department of Police: Canton/Avon Animal Control, (860) 409-4205; 11 Arch Road, Avon: blaplume@town.avon.ct.us.

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