“An Animal Control Officer provides humane control of stray animals within the city limits and assists owners in locating missing pets.

Please get your pets spayed or neutered! Every year thousands of unwanted kittens and puppies (are) euthanized!

Farmington’s animal control officer, Cheryla Boyd, takes in over 600 stray animals per year. Every attempt is made to either notify the owner or to adopt the animals.” https://www.farmington-mo.gov/farmington-police-animal-control

Eighteen months ago, Officer Boyd took custody of an abandoned elderly male Chihuahua and placed him in one of the compartments holding stray rescue dogs in the Animal Control Shelter. Officer Boyd then placed public announcements in various publications, including Facebook posts, attempting to notify a possible human guardian. No guardian was located so the dog was available for adoption. Thankfully, I was the lucky one to make his acquaintance. Below is a poem that describes this more:

Some Things We May Never Know

Little white Chihuahua, not so young;

            not looking your best, coat far from pure.

Animal Control said you were found

            living outside, skirting danger.

With matted hair and covered in fleas;

were you abandoned; owner succumbed?

Scrounging for food -and clearly quite lost –

I wonder, where did you come from?

Public announcements brought no results;

            two weeks later, “FREE for adoption.”

No resistance, we chose each other;

            optimistic reclamation.

Vet estimated you’re ten years old,

“a very good model”, she confirms.

Fleas now gone and shots have been given;

future routine: monthly heartworm.

Now we go forward,  the two of us;

            me asking questions, you staying mum.

Coming from a past of much unknown;

            no longer matters where you came from,

just one dog, one man walking in tandem.

spu.edu