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Catch and Give Treats

Best job in the world? A day in the life of Dawson City’s animal control bylaw officer.

Amanda Follett Hosgood 17 Feb 2022TheTyee.ca

Amanda Follett Hosgood is The Tyee’s northern B.C. reporter. She lives in Wet’suwet’en territory. Find her on Twitter @amandajfollett.

Each face of the furry, four-legged offenders featured on Jalen Henry’s Instagram account tells its own story.

The photos, selfies snapped by the Dawson City bylaw officer while performing animal control duties in the northern community, show an unfailingly grinning Henry with his detainees — the wayward pets’ expressions ranging from goofy to excited to downright guilty.

Some look proud to be riding shotgun in the protective services vehicle. Others seem ready to instantly confess to being a bad, bad dog.

They include regal beagles, sheepish shepherds, the odd scaredy cat and lots and lots of blue-eyed huskies — some still clad in their dog sledding harnesses.

“In this case, there were these two dogs that were running by themselves with a sled without the owner,” Henry recalls over a Zoom call about one of the photos. “I had to impound them, and I waited until the owner came back and had that conversation about responsible pet ownership.”

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A post shared by Officer Henry (@dawsoncitybylawofficer)

Henry is the sole bylaw officer in Dawson City, Yukon, about 500 kilometres north of Whitehorse.

He made the trip from his hometown in Brampton, Ontario, on the outskirts of Toronto, to the remote outpost of about 2,000 people in September 2020 after taking a bylaw course and finding the job posting online.

“I was just so excited to move up to the Yukon. I never thought I would,” says Henry. “It’s really the end of the line here. The last frontier.”

It wasn’t long before he started up the Instagram account, which features northern lights, stunning vistas and dogs — a lot of dogs. The account has caught on, potentially tapping into a desire for levity during the pandemic, accumulating more than 5,000 followers in just over a year.

“I think one person even commented from Australia,” Henry says. “I didn’t know people loved dogs this much.”

While certain aspects of his job — parking complaints, business licensing and paperwork, to name a few — don’t make it to Instagram, his posts include tips for keeping animals safe and securing “escape artists,” and stories of reuniting pets with their people.

They even include the occasional elusive feline. “Cats will get caught if they want to get caught,” Henry says.

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A post shared by Officer Henry (@dawsoncitybylawofficer)

Some pets ride up front. Some ride in the back. It’s really up to the animals how they travel, Henry says.

“Just whatever gets them in the car,” he says. “I feel very comfortable once they get in the car to control them.”

Treats are part of the ride, which often makes it easier to apprehend repeat offenders.

And he frequently gets repeat offenders.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Officer Henry (@dawsoncitybylawofficer)

After an animal is picked up, Henry looks for tags and tries to contact the owner. If he doesn’t immediately make contact, the pet is impounded at the local shelter where it can be kept safe until an owner is reached.

“I really want to get ahold of the owner first,” Henry says. “I’m not going to just bring them home and leave them there.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Officer Henry (@dawsoncitybylawofficer)

The reunion includes education about keeping animals contained, using ID tags to ensure a quick return, and the dangers of allowing pets to roam free.

“The goal is not to see them again,” he adds. “There’s a human element, too. Because I am impounding people’s dogs, you have to deal with the people.”

Of the two, the dogs are generally easier to deal with, he adds.

The detainees aren’t always peaceful. But Henry says he’s equipped to deal with aggressive animals and hasn’t been bitten yet.

And while being 6,000 kilometres from family has been hard, he says he feels welcomed by his new community and his co-workers.

“The people here are very friendly. It’s a beautiful place. Lots of cool historic buildings. Lots of nature, obviously. No shortage of dogs,” he says. “I take great joy in rescuing all those dogs before something bad can happen.

“It’s just a really rewarding position.”  [Tyee]

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