Long-time animal rescuer takes role as Guymon Animal Control Supervisor
GUYMON – Amanda Wise began her role as Guymon Animal Control Supervisor in August of 2020. Though she has only held this title for five months, Wise has worked for various animal rescue organizations in collaboration with the Guymon Animal Shelter for over seven years, helping to place the animals into foster homes or rescue centers. “It feels like, you know, I’ve been here for a long time, just in a different role, obviously,” Wise commented.
When asked why she was interested in taking this role, Wise responded, “I’ve worked in animal welfare for over 20 years... but it’s never been kind of a career move, so to speak... I wanted to try that.”
Alongside her new career, Wise also continues to operate her organization called Wise Dogs Network—though it is not a licensed rescue, the operation focuses on the networking and transportation to get the animals into licensed rescues that then adopt the animals out to new homes. This plays an important role in keeping the Guymon Animal Shelter under 100 percent capacity, which in turn helps keep it a low-kill facility.
Wise mentioned that many people have asked if the shelter is now a no-kill shelter since her role as supervisor be
gan, and she responded, “My answer to that is no... I don’t believe that it’s ever appropriate to call [a place] a no-kill shelter. We’re a very low-kill shelter, but I think we’ve been that way [since] way before I came along.” She explained that there are sometimes extreme circumstances, such as severe illness and injury, in which all efforts have been exhausted and the only humane option remaining is to euthanize the animal.”Those are things that are out of our control,” Wise commented.
Since August, Wise mentioned, the animal shelter has begun working with some cat rescue organizations to help socialize and tame feral cats that come into the animal shelter with hopes of moving them into rescues to find new homes. “With that being said, we don’t have a very big holding space for cats, so that’s something I hope we can expand on in the future,” Wise said.
About the job so far, she has highly enjoyed working with “the animals, of course.” Wise has also taken a liking to the people in Guymon and the surrounding areas and looks forward to building more relationships as time goes on. “The more people I meet here, the nicer it is,” she commented. “I’m from a small community... so I’m used to knowing everybody.” Wise expressed that moving away from family members and loved ones was a big change for her, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it difficult to go out and meet new people. “I felt kind of... lonely, I guess.”
Wise also prioritizes feedback from the community. “I feel like the shelter should [have] an open-door policy,” she commented. “I want to have a good partnership with the community in general... I want people to call me if they have concerns or questions...”
She also gives credit to her employees, Justin and Kelly, for helping run the animal control operation. “...it requires teamwork... we’re all very different in our backgrounds and what we’re able to bring to the table, [and] we compliment each other pretty well, I think. That’s important to me.”