Suffield’s animal control officer receives statewide award for excellence | Suffield

SUFFIELD — Animal Control Officer Ryan Selig was honored as the statewide animal command officer of the year in a ceremony on Thursday.

Elease McConnell, president of the Connecticut Municipal Animal Regulate Officers’ Affiliation, presented Selig with the 2020 Paul A. Deneault— Theresa Foss Memorial Animal Control Officer of the Calendar year Award in entrance of a compact gathering of family and colleagues at the Police Office.

“This was his calendar year,” McConnell claimed. “He embodies what we want in the career.”

Many others in attendance praised Selig as well.

“We are blessed to have a young male that is really dedicated to his profession,” Law enforcement Main Richard Brown claimed.

“Selig is like Elmer Fudd chasing an at any time-rising populace of bears all around city all summer months extensive to give solace to our residents,” Initially Selectwoman Melissa Mack stated. “He has enhanced the practices and elevated the popularity of Suffield’s animal regulate plan.”

Mack also mentioned a few superior profile circumstances that Selig handled “with the utmost professionalism and aptitude.”

These large profile cases involve the widely publicized incident in which a pet attacked a 95-yr-old Enfield woman although checking out her good friend at a Suffield household, inflicting accidents that led to her dying, and a individual incident in which practically 200 neglected animals were seized from a farm on the edge of city.

McConnell mentioned that Selig’s handling of these cases, and his willingness to go over and outside of the contact of obligation manufactured him the apparent choice for the award.

Selig is the lone animal handle officer for the cities of Suffield and East Granby, and also teaches classes in animal regulation, conservation legislation, firearms, and specialty chemical munitions to other animal regulate officers around the point out and to police officers coming by way of academy.

For Selig, this is all part of furthering the occupation, and obtaining the award is recognition of that.

“It’s awesome,” Selig mentioned. “This is what anyone strives for.”

Selig reported the most worthwhile portion of his career is seeing the consequence for animals that are flourishing in new and enhanced ailments soon after becoming abused or neglected.

“The animals can not speak for by themselves so we sort of have to converse for them,” Selig explained.

In purchase to acquire the award, Selig initial experienced to be nominated. A board designed up of past award recipients then sifted by means of the pool of nominations and selected Selig as the most deserving of the honor, McConnell said.

Normally the award is introduced at the association’s yearly meeting in September, but the occasion had to be cancelled because of to COVID-19 limits, McConnell explained.

Adam covers the towns of Enfield and Suffield. For a lot more updates, comply with Adam on Twitter: @AHushinJI and Fb: Adam Hushin.