There are a lot of jobs I would not want and animal control officer might be at the top of the list.

Animal control officers have a really tough role. In almost all situations, the officer faces a potentially dangerous circumstance. Many of the animals they work with are scared, lost, mean, rabid, wounded, and sometimes, sick and dying.

Imagine doing that for 30 years.

That’s the case for Jerry Clase, the longtime animal control officer for Kosciusko County who is facing renewed concerns about how he treats animals. That comes after he shot and killed an extremely sick dog earlier this year. The County Commissioners are expected to review the circumstances Tuesday.

The Clase case is complicated. A dog owner claims Clase took her ill dog and killed it without her permission.

But there are two sides to every story. The public has not heard from Clase, who has declined several chances to voice his side of the story. As a result, the public has had a very one-sided narrative to fester upon and many of the social media comments have been ugly.

While Clase won’t talk publicly, there is a photo of the dog’s condition circulating that speaks volumes.  Without going into details, the photo underscores the dire circumstances of the dog’s condition. One elected local leader who has seen the photo said he thinks it would lead many of Clase’s most vocal opponents to reconsider the situation.

Before the commissioners meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 23, there will likely be a protest outside the courthouse calling for Clase’s firing. I’m guessing the protesters’ words of anger might be a little muted if they saw the photo.

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UNOPPOSED — Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer appears to have cleared the final hurdle toward securing a third term in office. All of the deadlines needed to slate an opponent against Thallemer have passed, meaning he will be officially unopposed in the fall election. Thallemer mentioned the deadline with a sense of relief after Monday’s city council meeting.  Thallemer defeated city councilman Ron Shoemaker in the primary.

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TIME TO TEE OFF — It looks like local Republicans will have pleasant weather for their annual golf outing on Wednesday, July 24, at Rozella Ford Golf Course in Warsaw. The outing pays tribute to the late Bob Sanders. County councilwoman Joni Truex is organizing the event.

After a streak of hot, humid weather this week, Wednesday’s forecast calls for sunny conditions and a high of 81.

Dan Spalding is the editor of InkFreeNews.com.
He covers city government and politics and always welcomes your input.
He can be reached at [email protected] or at (574) 855-7612.