Town fills vacancy for Animal Control officer
Date: 3/1/2013
By Carley Dangona
carley@thereminder.comWEST SPRINGFIELD — On Feb. 20, Mayor Gregory Neffinger announced that Hannah Chapman joined the Town of West Springfield's staff as its new animal control officer.
Despite just being hired, Chapman is already busy. She told
Reminder Publications she has processed approximately 200 dog licenses in the past five days, and that there is "still a significant amount left."
She's already handled a case of a lost dog. A day after the owner reported the pet missing, another resident who found the dog called in, enabling the dog to be returned home.
"It's busy," Chapman said, adding that she is in the process of ordering the equipment necessary for her to do her job such as microchip scanners, protective gear and animal restraints including leashes and crates.
Approximately $4,000 has been allotted for the purchase of the tools, which is available from residual monies of the Health Department's Animal Control portion of its budget.
"She's doing a lot of office work right now," Neffinger said. "We're looking into a vehicle for her to use that will best suit the department's needs."
Chapman stated that she would like to investigate the issues of feral cats and some nuisance dog complaints, once she is on the road.
"The first issue is to get the backlog of dog licenses caught up. Down the road, I would like to conduct rabies and microchip clinics. I encourage the public to call for with questions — I have a ton of resources to offer," she said.
Residents should contact the Police Department at 263-3210 for animal calls requiring an officer to be dispatched.
Chapman described herself as a "big time animal lover" who owns multiple pets. She had performed dog rescues and that it was a "natural progression" into the animal control field. For the past five years, Chapman served as the Animal Control Officer for the Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center.
"I see the value [of animal control] for the community at large — for the pet owners and animals alike," Chapman added.
She stated that abuse cases are the most difficult ones to work with, even if there is a happy conclusion. "They [the situations] just eat you up," she said.
Residents can contact Chapman directly at 495-1822.
