Nolan Krebs: Out to make a dog’s life better
December 10th, 2010 Posted in Arts and LifeBy Chelsee Niebergall
NORTH LOGAN–“I’m not heartless. You don’t have to be heartless to have this job,” said Nolan Krebs, North Logan animal control officer.
Krebs offered this statement after euthanizing a cat infested with worms.
Though euthanizing is part of the job, it is not what the job is all about. There have been misconceptions of animal control officers that all they do is put down animals. For Krebs that is not the case.
“Almost always it is the human’s fault, not the animals,” said Krebs. 
Krebs said he will only put down an animal if it is too sick to be adopted or rehabilitated. He takes stray animals to his barn instead of local shelters because sometimes they don’t have enough room.
“I try to keep the animals as long as I can and get their health back or make them adoptable,” said Krebs.
And most of the time he is successful. But in some cases, like the one of the cat, there is nothing he can do and instead of having the animal suffer any longer, he humanely euthanizes it. Krebs says he does not enjoy that particular aspect of his job, but that if he can’t do anything more for the animal he would rather euthanize it then make it suffer longer than it has to.
One of the reasons Krebs keeps animals in his barn instead of taking them to a shelter is because the city has to pay $15 a day for every animal. Another reason is that if they don’t get adopted or are seen as too sick, they will be euthanized.
“I don’t want to cost the taxpayers any more money so I keep them in my barn. Also I like to try and give them more attention than they would receive in a shelter,” said Krebs.
Krebs doesn’t think that animal shelters like Cache Humane Society, Cache Meadows or Four Paws are bad places for animals. In fact he thinks they are great programs to get animals adopted.
“They do a good job there taking care of the animals and doing everything they can to get them adopted, but sometimes they are full and don’t have the room for more animals,” said Krebs.
Alyssa Walker, front desk manager for Cache Humane Society, said ideally they can hold 100 to 120 animals at a time. “However, if we do get too full we have to start thinking of what animals to euthanize,” said Walker.
When making that decision Walker said the humane society takes a lot into consideration. They look at how long the animal has been there, behavioral and physical problems and if they feel that animal has a chance of being adopted.
Part of Krebs’ day-to-day job is taking animals away from uncaring homes. Krebs said that people would be surprised how many people leave their animals out in the cold or keep them on a short chain in the back yard.
“I don’t like to take animals away from their owners, but when animals are kept like that, that is what makes them mean. Humans do it to them,” said Krebs.
Krebs states that dogs, which is what he works with the most, are very friendly by nature. It is the influences of humans that makes them mean or aggressive.
“Nolan does a really good job of trying to reunite animals with their owners, if that is in the best interest of the animal,” said Walker. She said that Krebs is one of the nicest animal control officers she has worked with. She commented that he learned fast and has made her job easier.
“He is very friendly and very kind,” Walker said.
Walker said she feels animal control officers have been stereotyped to be mean and cold-hearted with animals. However she said that every animal control officer she has worked with have been very good with the animals. “They are here to protect the animals, not hurt them,” said Walker.
Krebs also feels that animal control officers have a bad reputation. He said that the only way to break that stigma is to show the community that he cares for the animals he works with and the people who own those animals.
Kelly Mikessel, a veterinary technician at Cache Meadow Veterinary Clinic, said that animal control officers are necessary. “They are very helpful to us and they help us give the best care to the animals,” Mikessel said.
Walker said people need to call animal control as soon as they see a stray animal because in the end it will give the animal the most help. “People think that animal control will put the animal down right away, but that is not the case,” Walker said.
Walker also said that legally people have to call animal control and that if they want to help, calling an animal control officer would be the best way.
“I really love my job. I just really love animals and I love helping them,” said Krebs.
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