[Photo of SLG-- with one or more animals]
A lifelong animal lover and caregiver
Suzanne has been personally and professionally involved with animals all her life, so it’s no wonder that she ended up working at the Montgomery County Animal Shelter. She attended dog grooming school and worked as a veterinary assistant to learn about animal health and how to perform certain procedures. Her current family includes two dogs and a cockatiel, all adopted from the shelter.
"Fourteen years ago I fostered and then adopted a German shepherd from the shelter. She was in really bad shape; she had been abused and neglected by its owner. As if these problems weren’t bad enough, she had lost one of her legs and suffered internal injuries when she got loose, ran in the street, and was hit by a car," Suzanne recalled.
Prior to becoming office services coordinator for the ASD, she worked at the MCHS from 1990-94 in a variety of positions as an administrative aide to the executive director. She supervised fundraising activities, conducted home interviews for potential adopters, and presented humane education programs. She also was a member of the Animal Matters Hearing Board from 1991 to 1993.
In addition to her position with ASD, Suzanne has served as the rabies coordinator for the County and is familiar with animal health laws. In this capacity she is responsible for minimizing the health risks wild animals with rabies may pose to the community. For example, if a wild animal such as a raccoon is found by police, past experience has shown there is a high likelihood that it will be rabid.
"After the animal is brought to the shelter, it is quarantined for 10 days," Suzanne explained. "An animal that has bitten a person is placed under quarantine for 10 days. On the other hand, animals that have been bitten by another, unknown, animal are quarantined for either 45 days (if they have a current rabies shot) or 6 months (if they do not have a current rabies shot). If no rabies is present, the animal is released. However, if the animal has rabies, it is euthanized and sent to a lab for testing."
Compassion for people
Both the monthly Bereavement Seminars and the Safe Haven Program are Suzanne's initiatives. The Safe Haven Program offers boarding, at MCHS’ expense, for pets of domestic violence victims at an undisclosed location for up to two weeks. "These programs broadened the Humane Society’s involvement within the community by helping citizens cope with pet loss and providing a temporary pet sanctuary," Suzanne observed.
Tales of hogs and exotic birds
- Four or five years ago, a couple of hogs were being transported by truck for slaughter. Somehow they both fell off the farmer’s truck in Rockville and were running around the neighborhood. ASD rescued the hogs and brought them to the shelter. MCHS decided to save the hogs’ life by paying the farmer a few hundred dollars for both animals. Subsequently, the hogs were transferred to Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville to live out their natural days.
- Every so often exotic birds such as peacocks, ostriches, and emus escape from their enclosures. On one occasion, an emu got loose from a private "exotic" farm. The bird was eventually captured by throwing a blanket over its head and tying its strong legs together so it would not kick the ASD officers. During capture, the officers had to be very careful not to break its neck.
###
No comments:
Post a Comment