WOOF [meow] august 2009 + carrborocitizen.com/mill

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our yearly guide to pets!

by Carolyn F. Evans

C orralling emus is really not too difficult. At least that’s what Orange County Ani-mal Control Officer Mi-

chael Hess contends. “You just raise your arms and run

toward them,” he explains matter-of-factly.

In addition to rounding up lost emus, house pets and other critters, Hess knows about pulling pigs from giant wallows, capturing snakes and freeing wildlife.

Hess once received a call from the Orange County Sheriff’s Depart-ment to help remove an unspeci-fied animal from an abandoned car. Upon arrival, he discovered the ani-mal was an albino boa constrictor.

“When the officers opened the trunk, they realized they needed some help,” he laughs.

The snake, which Hess estimated to be between 8 and 10 feet long, was rescued and donated to a local mu-seum.

He’s also encountered more than his share of Carrboro’s unofficial mascot, the whitetail deer.

“Just the other day, I released a deer that had gotten stuck in a fence,” he recalls. “Watching it bolt away free, that was a great feeling.”

Hess has always been interested in pets and wildlife. Growing up in California, the son of a police detec-tive and a homemaker, he wanted to be a professional baseball player – or an ornithologist.

“I was really into wildlife, especial-ly birds,” he says. He’s still an avid birder.

The hobby led to the career. Hess began by visiting friends who were rehabbing birds at the local SPCA.

But duty called, and he left the an-imals for a career in the Army, which led him to Germany and Fayetteville. After he was discharged, Hess took a job as an animal technician with the Orange County Animal Shelter. But he soon realized that animal rehabilitation, his true interest, was only a small part of the job. He be-gan seeking a position that would give him more access to animals in the field.

“I heard an officer had left Orange County Animal Control, so I called the director and told him I was the

man for the job. Luckily, he agreed.” He’s been with the organization since 2002.

“A lot of my time is spent getting to know the community, which I en-joy,” he says. Reuniting a lost pet with an owner is another great part of the job. His truck is equipped with a microchip reader for additional aid in locating owners.

If an animal is tagged, Hess tries to return it directly to its owner in-stead of taking it to the shelter.”

When responding to reports of animal cruelty and neglect, Hess says, an even temper and “thick skin” are essential.

“It’s really frustrating to see the same people repeating the same types of neglect and abuse; I’ve seen some pretty vile things. But I have to stay focused on my job, which is to make sure the animal gets a better life.”

That means educating owners on how to fix the problems and care for their animals.

“When I do a follow-up call and see the owner is doing the things I showed him, taking better care of the animal, that’s really rewarding.”

Meet Orange County Animal Control Officer Michael Hess

PHOTO BY AvA BARLOW

carrborocitizen.com/mill + august 2009 WOOF [meow]

by Margot C. lEstEr

Y ou’re not the only one in your family who might be suffering from allergies. Pets can develop aller-

gies, too. Just like us, they can develop reactions to food, pollen, materials and insects.

How can you tell if your com-panion is suffering?

“Itchiness is the most com-mon symptom for flea, contact and inhalant allergies,” says DeWana Anderson, DvM, owner of the Animal Hospital (112 W. Main St., Carrboro). There might also be constant redness and licking between toes and arm/leg folds and trouble breathing. “As the disease progresses, they go from itchy to secondary skin diseases like staph pyoderma and yeast pyo-derma.”

Food allergies tend to manifest with chronic ear disease (yeast otitis), vomiting and/or diarrhea.

The first line of defense is reduc-ing exposure to the allergen:• Flea saliva: A flea bomb for

your home and a bath for your pet will help get rid of the little biters

• Tree pollen: Limit your pet’s outside time during the season (late February to late April)

• Grasses: Wipe your pet’s feet when it comes back inside

• Food: Switch to a protein- and/or carbohydrate-limited diet

• Materials: Get rid of the source and try not to inadver-tently re-introduce it“Unfortunately, allergies don't

go away, and it takes hard work and diligence on the owner's part to keep them under control regardless of their category,” Anderson says.

If your pet exhibits any of the symptoms above, call your vet.

“If a pet’s symptoms persist for several days without getting better, or if the symptoms are moderate to severe, then a visit to the veterinarian is indicated,” says Sheri Randell, DvM, owner of Carrboro Plaza veterinary Clinic (104 N.C. 54, Carrboro). “Some allergies can produce emergency situations, so prompt attention is required.”

Even in a non-emergency, get-ting early treatment is key. “This may allow us to prevent second-ary problems such as infections from developing,” Ran-dell notes. “Early treatment also allows us to keep our best friends as comfortable as possible so they can continue en-joying life.”

Pet allergies nothing to sneeze at

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Woof{meow}

A survey of clinics

CarrboroCarrboro Plaza Veterinary Clinic104-M Carrboro Plaza 929.0031carrboroplazavet.com

The Animal Hospital of Carrboro112 W Main Street 967-9261theanimalhospital.biz

Chapel HillDogwood Veterinary Hospital and Pet Resort51 vickers Road942-6630dogwoodvethospital.com

Falconbridge Animal Hospital2226-A Chapel Hill Nelson Highway • 403-5591falconbridgeanimal.com

Four Paws Animal Clinic1216 Raleigh Rd 942-1788

Legion Road Animal Clinic1703 Legion Road933-3331

Timberlyne Animal Clinic10 Banks Dr.968-3047timberlynelegionvets.com

Vine Veterinary Hospital1217 E. Franklin St.942-5117

ChathamCole Park Veterinary Hospital11500 Highway 15-501 North 929-3352coleparkvet.com

Village Veterinary Hospital50150 Governors Dr.967-4779

HillsboroughPiedmont Veterinary Clinic210 Millstone Drive732-2569piedmontvet.com

After HoursTriangle Veterinary Emergency Clinic3319 Durham Chapel Hill BlvdDurham • 919-489-0615trianglevec.com

Large AnimalTri County Veterinary Services7716 S NC Highway 87Graham • 336-376-6838tricountyvet.com

MobileDr. Adriano Betton Mobile Vet Servicesabvet@msn.com602-4291 (mobile)drbetton.com

PHOTO BY AvA BARLOWDr. Sheri Randell, a veterinarian at Carrboro Plaza veterinary Clinic, examines Kitty, an eight year old cat.