No reason given for resignation of shelter chief

PALMER — The Mat-Su Borough’s animal control chief resigned Tuesday without much word publicly as to why.

Bob Haskell’s resignation is effective immediately, said acting borough manager Elizabeth Gray.

“He just verbally resigned,” she said, and could not discuss why. “We typically don’t discuss personnel matters.”

In his absence, Matt Hardwick, one of the department’s animal control officers, will be in charge. Efforts to reach Haskell failed as of press time.

Haskell is the second animal control chief in a row to resign quietly and abruptly. He replaced Dave Allison, whose resignation in September 2008 was likewise sudden and unexplained.

Haskell came to the borough from Whittier, where he had been chief of police for three years.

He arrived at the shelter as the borough was dramatically expanding the facility. The expansion had been a project with a number of stumbling blocks, one that voters shot down when the borough tried to sell bonds to build it.

Haskell was the first chief in the gleaming new building, which is more than double the size of the old one. Lately the borough has been touting his record at the shelter, which has gone months without having to put down an adoptable animal.

The borough is not wasting any time in searching for Haskell’s replacement. Thursday afternoon the borough posted a solicitation for applicants on its web site.

The borough is seeking someone who has animal control officer training and someone with three to five years of experience in animal control or law enforcement with some of that experience in a supervisory role.

The job pays $63,000 to $88,000 per year and answers to the assistant borough manager.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.