Despite limited resources, Houston animal control service excels

HOUSTON -- Saddling the small town of Houston with the task of handling the much larger city of Wasilla's animal control woes might have seemed like a recipe for disaster at first, but Houston has risen to the challenge with an impressive amount of rescues and a small number of euthanizations, according to Cat Bullington, who doubles as the Houston City Deputy Clerk and director of Houston Animal Care and Protection.

It's been a slow process, however, and it hasn't been alleviated much by Houston's unenviable position as a repository of unwanted pets. "We here in Houston are basically a dumping ground for abandoned animals," said Bullington, who commented that people from as far away as Anchorage and Talkeetna drive into Houston to release their pets into the wild.

Many local organizations such as Dog and Puppy Rescue and the Humane Society aid Houston Animal Control in finding homes for pets. Public outreach toward the service has also been considerable.

"Most of the owners are pretty honest," Bullington said. "We've had a great rapport with the public." However, the service has avoided being drawn into any of the domestic disputes that often accompany the abandoning of animals. "We're concerned with the animal, not the owner," Bullington said.

The service currently employs only one full-time officer, and has a second on call at all times. Bullington takes care of the paperwork, among other things, and the operation does very well, she said.

Currently, the service relies on private boarding for all its animals, and has no shelter or other holding facility in which to store pets. Lynda Plettner, owner of Plettner Kennels near Houston High School, takes on many of the center's animals.

"They get so depressed, these animals," said Plettner, holding a scrawny, frightened black puppy. Plettner houses the animals taken in by the center in her kennels, her basement, and even her living room according to how much care they require.

"The whole idea is to give them a good quality of life while they're here," said Plettner, noting that many of the animals she receives have been abused or malnourished.

Plettner is currently holding four dogs and four cats who require homes, as well as the black puppy.

However, housing pets at the kennels is not a permanent solution. Bullington hopes to obtain donations, grants or other funds with which to establish a facility devoted entirely to animal housing. However, recent financial actions have dampened her spirits. "With the budget cuts, getting a new building is just going to be impossible," she said.

A new vehicle would be nice, too.

The center relies upon a small, frequently malfunctioning surplus Parks Service truck to perform all of its daily routines, including transportation of animals and other equipment.

Despite the obstacles that stand in the center's way, however, the service has managed its tasks with speed and skill.

"Oddly enough, we've got a real handle on the situation," Bullington said. "We've had no complaints from people at all. Our equipment might not be the best, but we're getting the job done."

The city of Wasilla is satisfied with the service's work as well. "I think they've done a great job, especially considering their small size," said Wasilla Mayor Dianne M. Keller. "I haven't had one person call me with a complaint about their work."

Houston has been handling the city of Wasilla's animal control since July 1 of last year, when the Borough decided to let Houston handle Wasilla's stray animals following a heated debate with the city. Most of the debacle centered around the Borough's failure to produce accurate records of its activities. "They couldn't produce one piece of paperwork that showed what they had done," said Bullington, accompanying her statement with a detailed sheet of the Houston center's activity over the last year.

One of the main issues in dealing with Wasilla's truant pet population is the city's recent influx of feral cats. Domestic cats that have been abandoned or neglected by their owners eventually revert to their wild roots, making them completely unmanageable as pets.

"Within three months of being abandoned, a cat can turn feral. These [unadoptable] animals are our only real reason for euthanizing," Bullington said. She also mentioned that she herself recently attempted to take a feral cat into her home and domesticate it, but was unsuccessful despite extended efforts. Now, she says that she is convinced that an adult feral cat cannot be rehabilitated, and these animals are among the few that must be euthanized.

Since October, the center has responded to almost 100 separate calls from Wasilla and Houston residents. Oftentimes these calls resulted in numerous animals being taken in. However, during this time, the center has only euthanized seven animals, a truly impressive rate of success.

But still, there is plenty of work to be done, and only limited means to perform that work.

"I've seen so many cats freeze to death this winter," Bullington said. "It's just going to take some time."