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Along for the ride

ANNE GROGAN, Sierra Sun

9:20 a.m. A golden retriever is unattended and unrestrained in a yard on Stuart Staithe. Truckee Animal Control Supervisor Dan Olsen checks the dog’s license to identify its home. The dog is at its owner’s residence but its license has expired. Olsen informs the owner of Truckee’s containment ordinance, gives written notification of the need to license the dog within 10 days and states that a late fee will be assessed for the lapse in licensing.

9:32 a.m. Olsen sees a large black dog leaving the deck of a home on Nelson Street and entering the street. Olsen follows the dog around the corner onto a cul-de-sac. Four confined dogs bark loudly and pace frantically as the black dog marks territory and sniffs garbage cans. The dog approaches Officer Olsen, hesitates, retreats.

9:47 a.m. The black dog is observed in the yard where originally sighted. On the property a confined dog barks. The black dog marks its territory. Officer Olsen reads the dog’s identification tags: Andre the dog is from Bakersfield originally and bears no local information. At 9:54 Olsen places the dog in the back of the Animal Control vehicle.



9:56 a.m. A chocolate lab and a German shepherd meet nose to nose in the street, sniff each other and garbage cans. Officer Olsen recognizes both dogs, believes he knows where the chocolate lab lives, pursues the shepherd. Shepherd disappears behind a residence. Officer Olsen drives to a chocolate lab’s home where owner says her dog has been inside for an hour. Officer Olsen discusses containment ordinance with owner, who directs Olsen to the home of a shepherd.

10:03 a.m. Officer Olsen verifies the indicated residence as the home of a shepherd and discusses containment ordinance with owner, who says that her dog has been home all morning.



10:13 a.m. A golden retriever sleeps in the middle of a residential street. Officer Olsen sees a business vehicle parked in the driveway of a nearby home and cross-checks the name with dog licensing information. He discovers that a golden retriever is licensed to the resident of the home. Olsen knocks on the door which remains unanswered. Olsen surveys the yard and inspects a fenced confine. The golden retriever is placed within the confine after Olsen judges it safe and leaves a note at the residence for the owner.

A white shepherd mix has been observed roaming at large during the previous call. A chorus of dogs barks and three additional loose dogs follow as the shepherd makes its way down the street. Olsen recognizes and knows the dog and its owner by name.

10:32 a.m. Olsen travels down the block to the home of the white dog’s owner and discovers the owner is not present. He confines the white dog to its chain on its owner’s property and leaves notification on the door that an appointment must be made to receive a citation for violation of Truckee’s containment ordinance.

10:51 a.m. Olsen departs the neighborhood due to time constraints, leaving the three dogs which followed the white shepherd mix.

11:02 a.m. A tan and white dog is seen eating a deer carcass on the shoulder of Glenshire Drive. Despite time constraints, Olsen stops, considering the dog and drivers in jeopardy. When traffic subsides, Olsen approaches and calls the dog. He discovers the dog wears no collar and bears no identification. He places the dog in the back of the Animal Control vehicle with Andre, the black dog. Olsen bags the carcass and places that in the back of the vehicle as well.

11:11 a.m. Olsen arrives at the Animal Control shelter at Sierra Pet Clinic on West River Street. He treats the two dogs to prevent the spread of Bordatella (kennel cough), which is highly contagious, and confines them in outdoor kennels because the weather is mild. Olsen completes paperwork at the kennel, washes his hands, and leaves the dogs until their owners come to claim them.

11:47 a.m. Olsen disposes of the deer carcass and returns to the Animal Control office on Donner Pass Road at 12:08 to complete paperwork on the morning’s events and to assume administrative duties.

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