Passionate for pets

New officer wants to change image of Malvern Animal Control

By Philip Seaton

Jeff Austin, shown here with a lab puppy at the Malvern Animal Shelter, is Malvern’s new animal control officer. Austin hopes to encourage more people to adopt animals, and he also wants to expand the shelter’s capacity. Rusty Hubbard

LITTLE ROCK — It doesn’t take a long time with 23-year-old Jeff Austin to know that he cares.

Even many of the animals he puts into cages, like a cat he calls “Mama,” can sense that he’s invested in his job. On Thursday, though Austin had collected the then-pregnant cat and locked her in a cage, she didn’t harbor any bad feelings as he let her out of her cage for a moment. She snuggled up to him, purring and enjoying the newfound attention.

For Mama, it was just a quick stroll out of the cage that she shares with her four twoweek-old kittens, but for Austin it was just another day at the office.

Austin was hired as the new animal control officer for the city of Malvern on March 5 and has hit the ground running.

“I really want to change the image that people have of this place,” he said. “Theythink all we do is pick them (animals) up and put them down.”

The image of the shelter in recent times has not been a good one, and Austin is trying to change that any way he can.

“I am using the Internet, school programs and have even made an appearance on local radio,” he said. “Anything to get the word out.”

Animal Control is a division of the police department, and Austin even assists in public-safety issues for the city.

“He’s starting some community programs to help get some animals adopted,” Malvern Assistant Police Chief Bill Ross said. “He is really motivated to do a good job, really intelligent and works hard.”

Ross said more than 20 people applied for the open position before Austin was hired.

“He has been very responsive to the public and their complaints and questions,” he said. “If the public is happy, then we’re happy.”

Austin, who graduated from Poyen High School, had a “short stint” in the Marine Corps and had worked in animal control for the city of Hot Springs, but jumped at the chance to apply for the job when he heard of the opening.

“I didn’t want someone to get the job here that didn’t care,” he said.

After spending the first couple of weeks cleaning and repainting the shelter at 2625 Canine Drive, he took to the streets.

“The population has exploded in Hot Spring County,” Austin said.

He has picked up close to 100 animals since he started - including 14 on Monday alone, but only 15 have been adopted out.

“Some of those have went to foster homes, but I’ve had to put some down,” Austin said. “The city says we only have to hold them for five days, so I have to put them down if wecan’t find a place for them. I really don’t like doing that. I would rather get them adopted out.”

Austin has already adopted an abandoned dachshund puppy and made him the unofficial mascot for the shelter.

“I was going to name him Mac, (short) for Malvern Animal Control, but his personality didn’t match that,” he said, “so I named him Catfish.”

If Austin had his way more the animals would find homes.

“When you adopt a shelter animal, you make a difference in that animal’s life, and that animal makes a difference in yours,” he said.

There is no charge to adopt an animal. The only requirement, Austin said, is that they are either spayed or neutered. Paws and Claws is a local organization that is helping with that effort.

“They do [an aluminum]can drive to raise money to help get animals spayed or neutered,” he said. “For us, we can always use food, newspapers and Styrofoam trays (usedfor litter boxes at the shelter), but that is not just here. I encourage anybody to donate these things to their local animal shelter. That is stuff they always need.”

He also encouraged people to stop by their local animal shelter “for just a minute” to see how they can make a difference.

“We have this image of the dog catcher driving down the street, picking up an animal and throwing it in a truck,” Austin said.

“I want people to stop me and get to know me. I am working so hard to get past that image.”

Though he calls himself “a one-man show,” Austin said in the future he would like to see the building - that has four cat cages and 12 dog cages inside and eight dog cages outside - expanded so he hasmore room for the animals and possibly add another person to the staff so there is someone at the kennel more.

“I love my city,” he said. “The people here are like family. They have been nothing but helpful.”

Though Mama enjoyed her stroll out of the cage on Thursday, she may not see too many more if she doesn’t find a home soon.

“It is impossible to detach yourself sometimes, becauseyou care for them (the animals), name them and get to see their personalities,” Austin said. “That’s the sad part. This can be one of the most rewarding careers, but it can also be one of the saddest.”

Austin, who patrols the city most of the day, is at the shelter on Canine Drive from noon to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, for those wanting to adopt an animal.

- pseaton@ arkansasonline.com

Tri-Lakes, Pages 127, 133 on 04/27/2008