Able to chase his dreams after college, it was no surprise to his parents when he announced that he was moving to Bridgeport, a small town surrounded by world class fishing and hunting opportunities. To support his outdoor habits he found a county position working as an Animal Control Officer. When he is not working for Animal Control he is in his natural habitat on the Bridgeport Reservoir guiding fishermen.
Will stands about 6 feet tall. Underneath his mossy
oak baseball cap is short brown hair that curls like a duck tail in
the back. His large gray blue eyes on his round boyish face light up
when he talks about fishing and hunting adventures. On his left arm
from his elbow to the knife of his hand is a roman numeral tattooed
every inch that Will uses to measure the length of his catch.
When working for the county, he trades his Patagonia waders and mossy oak hat for a navy blue Animal Control uniform. Living in Bridgeport, and serving all of Mono County, Will is called to deal with a variety of
animals such as raccoons, ferrets, rattlesnakes, bobcats, mountain
lions, and bears. Even though it is a sparsely populated land, frequently
he is called to rescue and house abandoned pets. Responding to a call
for a feral dog that was living under a trailer on a cattle ranch, the animal control officers figured it would be a routine pick-up. Suspicious of the blueman crew, only after several weeks
of patient trapping was the canine captured. Caged, she was
transported to the Bridgeport shelter where she began her rehabilitation and re-entry to domesticated life.
After her fox-like facial
characteristics, she became known as Fox. Will inspected the wild, yet timid creature
and discovered an overcrowded city of ticks latched to her
body. A quill of foxtails was pinned to her haunches. Will carefully began the tedious process of gently removing the
ticks and foxtails one by one. After a while of picking and prodding, he decided to give the little dog a break, thinking that she had experienced enough traumas for one day. The following day he
picked up where he left off, cleaning her body of parasites and debris.
After a bath, Fox’s tan short hair coat was revealed beneath the layers
of sediment. After three days of avoiding proximity to the man
that had painstakingly freed her from the blood sucking parasites, Fox
decided to forgive Will.
Will scheduled Fox for a visit to the
veterinarian for a routine physical. The veterinarian glanced at Fox
and said, “Now that’s an interesting dog you have there.” The vet wrote
her up as a "Basenji mix" but admitted he really was not sure what she was.
Domesticated animals that have been housed at the shelter for ten days without
being claimed are transferred to the South County Animal Shelter near Mammoth Lakes. On Fox's tenth day, Will paid more attention to her than usual.
Taking more time to rough house with her, and to scratch her head a little longer. Will had grown attached to the feisty, playful, little
dog. He enjoyed watching Fox bound like a deer around the yard and then take
off like a jack rabbit. He had never seen a dog her size run that fast.
Like the
other abandoned pets, Fox was loaded up in an individual crate for the
long drive. As Will and the discarded misfits drew closer to
the Mammoth shelter, the more disappointed he became in having to
transfer Fox to her new housing. Pulling up to the Animal Shelter,
one-by-one Will led the rescued animals to their new pens, except for Fox. Instead, on the ride back, Fox sat in the front seat to
enjoy the view, the air streaming through the vents, and the occasional scratch on the head. Will felt happier and so did Fox.
However, Will already owned a dog, so he didn’t think it was right to take Fox in. Ambling down the road in his county owned truck, Will contemplated who would be a good match for Fox. Taking into consideration Fox’s size, her natural speed and endurance, the perfect match came to mind.
However, Will already owned a dog, so he didn’t think it was right to take Fox in. Ambling down the road in his county owned truck, Will contemplated who would be a good match for Fox. Taking into consideration Fox’s size, her natural speed and endurance, the perfect match came to mind.
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