Wylie Animal Services

Tails from the Field

by Craig Kelly

Bill, a 12-foot alligator, was a fixture at Leroy’s Bait and Tackle House on Hwy. 78 near Oak Road for 12 years, greeting visitors and shoppers picking up minnows or worms for fishing. The Wylie bait shop closed in September 2022, and Bill found a new home at the Historic Jefferson Railway in Jefferson, Texas.

Bill the Alligator’s story began in 2010 when thenWylie Animal Services Officer Shelia Patton was dispatched to a home for an animal welfare call only to find a 2-foot alligator in a bathtub. “Over the years we have rescued many unusual animals, including an 8-foot python, a pelican, and a coatimundi,” said Shelia.

“Pocket (Bill’s name at the time of rescue) was one of the more memorable rescues.”

Shelia recalled transporting “Pocket” back to the animal shelter in a plastic tub and setting habitat in the office area, complete with a baby pool and warming lamp used for hicks. The gator spent the next two days at the shelter as Shelia worked with the local game warden and Texas Parks and Wildlife officials to find a home for their new friend. A permit is required to raise an alligator, and since Leroy’s Bait and Tackle met the TPW’s housing and care requirements, the shop obtained the necessary license to provide a long-term home for Bill.

The average day at the shelter might not include an alligator rescue, but a day in the life of an animal services officer is anything but typical. In addition to Shelia, the Wylie Animal Shelter currently has five officers who are critical to maintaining the 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week operation. Officers are actively dispatched by Wylie’s 911 center, responding to more than 1,950 calls last year. Priority calls include aggressive animals, bites, animals on the loose, animal endangerment, and welfare checks. They also respond to nuisance pets (like a barking dog), wildlife issues, and they manage roadkill retrieval. Veterinary care transports throughout the day are necessary for dogs and cats that need specialized care or sterilization in preparation for adoption. Shelia said one of the tasks the officers enjoy the most is going above and beyond assisting the elderly and disabled individuals who have difficulty caring for their pets.

On average, the Wylie Animal Shelter is home to more than 85 animals a month. In addition to priority calls, the work begins each day at 7 a.m. to maintain the adoption center. Officers and the part-time kennel attendant clean every living space, perform an extensive daily health check on every animal, feed the animals, rotate dogs outside every 15 minutes (more often in the heat of summer), administer medication, assist with births, bathe and brush the dogs, manage a fostering program, and facilitate adoption visits. Quarantined, aggressive, and sick animals require additional levels of care.

Shelia said it takes a special kind of person, dedicated to the job and mentally fit, to rescue, care for, and hopefully find homes for the least of these, typically unwanted and abandoned animals. “It can be very emotional, and the job is sometimes tough,” said Shelia. “Imagine rescuing, feeding, loving, and bonding with an animal for several weeks or months waiting for the perfect match that never comes.” She also mentioned the longterm emotional challenges of working through cruelty and bite cases. Despite the challenges, the Wylie Animal Shelter is proud of its positive outcome rate of over 95%, which Shelia attributes to its dedicated employees. In addition to Shelia’s 17 years of experience, Chris Marren brings 10 years, Loren Saenz seven years, Jerred Ellenburg five years of experience, Walker Phillips and Alibac Salas one year, and Corey Boothe par ttime kennel attendant rounds out the team.

The winter storm of 2021 reflected this dedication and love of the job. With no lights and power and the roads iced over, employees huddled with the dogs and cats in the front room of the main building, the only room with heat supplied by an outside gas generator. Their service to the community continued throughout the storm; animal services officers transported seniors back and forth from the warming center so they could care for their pets.

Shelia said the Animal Services team is driven and takes pride in finding pets their forever home. She encourages people to stop by the shelter, 949 Hensley Lane, Bldg 100, Monday through Saturday, between 9 and 11:30 a.m. or 1:30 to 4 p.m. Pets available for adoption can be viewed at adoptapet.com. For more details on services and programs visit our website, WylieTexas.gov/Animal.