Animal Control Officer Wins State Award
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS - Lois Marlow, Walton County’s Animal Control Supervisor, has won the Enforcement Supervisor of the Year Award from the Florida Animal Control Association - the lead state agency for animal control throughout Florida.
Marlow received the award in Clearwater, Fla. on Saturday, Nov. 17 at the annual FACA conference.
The event focused on training animal control officers from around the state on proper animal handling techniques, creating effective ordinances to handle dangerous dogs, handling pets during disasters and many other significant protocols.
Several awards were presented during the conference to officers who demonstrated outstanding leadership in the following categories:
- Animal Control Officer of the Year
- Enforcement Supervisor of the Year
- Shelter Supervisor of the Year
- Office Worker of the Year and Caretaker (Kennel/shelter) of the Year
Marlow says she knew she was nominated for the Enforcement Supervisor of the Year award by Walton County Emergency Response Director, Ed Baltzley, but did not know she was the award recipient until she attended the conference.
“I am proud and honored to receive this recognition,” Marlow said, “but I see this as an award for the entire Walton County Animal Control team. All of us have worked so hard together to make sure our county’s stray, abused, and unwanted animals are cared for in the most humane and loving way. We can’t thank Ed Baltzley enough for not only the nomination for this award, but for his willingness to direct our operations as part of the Emergency Response team.”
During 2006, Walton County Animal Control responded to 3,965 complaints and picked up 3,381 animals and coordinated 70 bite cases during the calendar year. For the nine months of 2007, the Animal Control team handled 4,515 complaints and picked up 2,506 animals while handling 47 bite cases.
“This could not have been done without Ms. Marlow’s leadership skills,” said Ed Baltzley. “I’m proud to have recommended her for the honor. She has led this team through continuous challenges to handle all these calls while working diligently to improve the team’s capabilities so they can provide a better service to the public."