Ulysses Animal Control plays host to National Animal Control Appreciation Week Celebration

Honoring ACOs

My dogs from the shelter go on transport vans either from Guymon or Liberal, so this is just to appreciate everybody. It’s just a little get-together since we don’t all get to see each other in one big group.”

Ulysses Animal Control Officer Anne Langston

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Each year, the second full week in April is designated as National Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week by the National Animal Care and Control Association.

Local animal control officers celebrated in Ulysses April 16, with a dinner at Bentwood Golf Course that brought Animal Control Officers from Ulysses, Lakin, Hugoton and Liberal, as well as Guymon, Okla.

These are the communities Ulysses works closest with, and the celebration took place in Liberal last year.

“These are the ones I work closely with getting dogs sent to rescues,” said Ulysses Animal Control Officer Anne Langston. “My dogs from the shelter go on transport vans either from Guymon or Liberal, so this is just to appreciate everybody. It’s just a little get-together since we don’t all get to see each other in one big group.”

Ulysses Police Chief Ron Vagher thanked all the ACOs and all the volunteers and families who help ACOs who made the drive to Ulysses.

“It’s a thankless job, not a lot of people see what you do,” Vagher said. “On behalf of myself, my police department, and the city of Ulysses, we would like to say thank you.

“Everything you do is greatly appreciated.”

Vagher said there was a brief time when Ulysses did not have an animal control officer.

“Myself and everybody at my agency at the time got to learn how hard your job is,” Vagher added.

Vagher and Ulysses City Administrator recognized Langston, who joined the city as ACO about a year-and-a-half ago.

“Anne has done some really amazing things with our shelter, come up with some great ideas and some improvements we’re in the process of working on,” Vagher said. “She’s come up with some ordinance changes for our community.”

The dinner took place at Bentwood Golf Course clubhouse, for which Vagher was thankful.

“We greatly appreciate everything Teresa Gutierrez did to help us put this on,” Vagher said. “We really appreciate all the hard work she’s done in helping us put this together.”