Windham’s
new animal control officer, Trista Comtois, is settling into her new role after
coming on board full time in December. Prior to being offered the full time
position, she had been working on a part-time trial basis since October.
Comtois
is originally from Vermont. She has been involved with animals from a very
young age, and was raised to be very compassionate towards both people and
animals, she said. Her mother raised six kids on her own and worked in the
nursing field, but also found the time to help animals in the community. “If
someone had an animal they couldn’t take care of, we would take it and find
where it needed to go,” she said.
Comtois
first came to Maine for college. She earned a degree in psychology at Saint
Joseph’s College, then moved back to Vermont to get married and start a family.
Last year, her husband’s job brought them back to Maine.
After
working in the mental health field for close to ten years, Comtois said she had
a “life awakening” and realized she would prefer to work with animals as well
as people, rather than continuing on the path she was on. “I knew that I could
use a lot of my education and experience in the mental health field while
working with animal welfare,” she said. She attended training academies through
the National Animal Control Association in both Connecticut and Idaho. Then,
she began pursuing opportunities in the field.
Comtois
worked as the animal control officer in Buxton for close to a year before the
Windham job became available. She applied for the job in Windham because it was
both closer to her home in Standish, and a full time opportunity, rather than
part time as she was working in Buxton.
Animal
control is a developing field, and there’s more to the animal control program
than catching stray dogs, said Comtois. “It’s evolved a lot,” she said, adding
that Maine has particularly good animal rights laws as compared to many other
states.
Her
job as Windham’s animal control officer means that she must uphold all state
laws pertaining to animal welfare, as well as any town ordinances. While she
deals with typical dog at-large issues and barking dog complaints, she also
conducts investigations into possible animal cruelty cases. When someone has a
concern about the welfare of animals in their community, a call comes in and
Comtois does an investigation the same way any law enforcement officer would. She
has to follow all the same procedures in obtaining information to move forward
to protect the animals.
Another
facet of her job is to do community outreach and education programs. In Buxton,
for instance, she did a presentation on animal safety for students in the
summer recreation program. While she hasn’t been on the job long enough to
start these programs in Windham, she is planning on offering the same type of
outreach, with the goals of reducing dog bites and raising awareness about safety
issues in the community.
Officer
Comtois said it’s important to let people know that a dog bite doesn’t
automatically mean the dog will be euthanized. Sometimes, she said, there is
that misconception which leads to people not telling anyone if they get bitten.
But that is not the first step in the process, and it’s important for people to
let someone know if they have been bitten. This is partly so that it can be
verified that the dog has had a rabies vaccination, and also to ensure that the
family, and the dog, get support if needed. Additionally, if there is an
ongoing issue with a dog, but no one has called to let animal control know,
there isn’t much they can do. “If we don’t know, then we can’t help,” said
Comtois.
Another
thing that is important for people in the community to know, especially at this
time of year, is that it is not illegal to leave a dog outside. “As an animal
lover, I would love for everyone to keep their dogs inside, but they don’t have
to legally,” said Comtois. As long as state laws are being followed and the dog
has proper shelter, tethering, water and food available, they can be outside. It’s
still important for people with concerns to call, she added, so that she can
check and be sure the dog is being properly cared for.
Another
thing to understand is that in most states, pets are property rather than being
seen as living creatures with rights. So if someone sees a dog outside and
takes it, thinking they are doing the right thing, that person can be charged
with theft.
While
she believes it is ideal for cats to be indoor pets, Comtois said there are no
laws restricting the movement of cats. This means that if a cat is in your
yard, there is nothing the animal control officer can do about that. It is up
to the property owner to keep the cat off their property, and in a way that is
safe for the animal.
Feral
cats can be an issue, and Comtois said if people know of feral cat populations,
they should call for support from animal control. Though the cats won’t
necessarily be removed, animal control can help ensure that these animals have
rabies vaccinations, are neutered, and have shelters. It’s important for people
to know that they should never touch a stray or feral cat, due to the risks of
disease if they are bitten or scratched.
Comtois
said that everyone in Windham has been very helpful in getting her acclimated
to the position. She feels fortunate to be a part of the police department, and
said that the officers are very supportive of the animal control work. In some
towns, animal control is not affiliated with the police departments, which
means less access to resources, training and equipment.
Comtois
lives in Standish with her husband, two children and two dogs. She said she
loves being back in Maine. They are a family of skiers and snowboarders, and
spend time at Shawnee Peak every weekend in the winter.