A way with wildlife

People skills also crucial for animal warden Mike Hall

Removing a football-sized exotic lizard that has taken up residence in a hedge, corralling the occasional moose calf out for a night on the town, or negotiating with a man intent on butchering a goat in his garage is really all in a day's work for Kalispell Police Department animal warden Mike Hall.

Of course, not all days are so interesting. An increasing number of his calls tend to be about barking dogs, he said.

Still, his days are rarely empty. He deals with almost every vicious animal, wild animal on the loose, and stray pet inside the city limits. Mostly by himself.

But Hall's acumen with the wildlife of the city isn't what makes him a first-rate animal warden. It's his way with people, because interacting with people is ultimately what his job is all about.

Perhaps, given his job title, this strikes most people as counterintuitive. But people in Kalispell tend to be pretty attached to their animals. And, as Hall knows, the people he runs into often need a lot more calming and assurances than an overexcited gerbil.

"People are pretty emotional about their pets, and pretty diligent about calling," he said. "A lot of the job is negotiating between neighbors."

One man's dogs just wouldn't stop barking. Night after night, complaints to the Kalispell Police Department rolled in. So Hall went to talk to the owner. But whatever Hall said didn't prompt the owner into making the dogs stop. They still barked, and owner was cited. Complaints continued, and the owner was cited again.

Over the course of some weeks, the dogs' owner was hit with several hundred dollars in fines. By the time the case went to City Court he was facing up to a year in jail if the problem persisted. He ultimately decided to leave town.

The underlying conflict in this case was about a balance of rights: one person's right to peace and quiet and another person's right to own an animal.

The Supreme Court of the United States deals with such lofty issues every day. And so does Hall, on the streets of Kalispell. Like the Supreme Court, much of his time is spent mediating people's disputes. Unlike the Supreme Court, many of his investigations are informal.

Hall divides his priorities into three categories: protecting people from animals, protecting animals from people, and settling private-property issues.

"But the first thing is public safety," he said.

Hall trusts his nose, and his instincts are pretty good. Some of his cases can be solved on the spot. Hall carries around copies of the city's animal-related ordinances to hand out. Not just to prove a point but as a public service. His goal is conflict resolution with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of satisfaction.

And the thing about Hall is that he is almost always right. A 14-year veteran, the department sends Hall back to the state's Animal Control Academy in Helena every other year to keep current with changing laws and procedures.

But empathy and understanding often play a larger role than experience.

Everybody has something good to say about Mike Hall.

"I can't really even tell you how good he is at getting along with the public," said Kalispell Police Department Assistant Chief Roger Krauss, who is also Hall's boss. "He's just a very, very helpful and knowledgeable individual."

When police deal with the public, it very often means the person they come in contact with isn't having a good day. When Hall comes into contact with the public, they are often emotional over their pet issues.

"Mike is a valuable guy," Krauss said. "He has a very soothing effect on people."

He's the smiling face of the Kalispell Police Department.

He's also the first winner of the department's Fred Award, given to the officer who gives the most from the department to the public.

Hall is a man of many hats, Krauss said. He directs traffic, picks up found bicycles, and pitches in wherever else you need him.

Hall has seen some interesting cases over his 14-year tenure as the city's animal warden.

Recently, he has trapped an increasing number of raccoons and skunks attracted to residential areas by cat food left outside. He once stopped a man who trapped 22 squirrels encroaching on his yard because the neighbors wanted it to stop. He prevented inundation of wild turkeys. And he is in the middle of a dispute between the protectors of feral cats and those who consider them a nuisance.

"In Kalispell, you've got the whole ball of wax, and you're responsible for all of it," he said.

Besides capturing loose and stray animals, Hall is responsible for investigating Kalispell's animal abuse cases, preparing them, and then taking them to court. Sometimes this can be heartrending work.

As the city grows, so does Hall's workload. New construction is expanding into once open land, which puts humans and wildlife into closer and closer proximity. And more people inside the city limits also means more pets in the city limits.

The potential for conflict is high. Enter Mike Hall.

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com