The Association Blog

After a 29-year career, this former police officer moved to Alaska to retire. Instead, he’s now leading a progressive shelter that’s changed the community’s idea of what animal control is

Name & Title: Mike Clupper, Chief Animal Control Officer
Organization: City of Valdez Animal Care & Control

The Association: Describe yourself in three words.
Mike Clupper: Sincere, Motivated, Daring

The Association: Describe your organization in three words.
Mike Clupper: Small but Large

The Association: How did you get started in animal welfare, and how did you land in the role you are today?
Mike Clupper: I retired as a 29-year police officer and moved from Indiana to Valdez, Alaska, and became an animal control officer. Had lots to learn and am still learning (not many bears in Indiana!). Although I started as an ACO, I was promoted within two months after the Chief ACO resigned.

The Association: What does the role entail?
Mike Clupper: Animal control here is more than just dogs and cats. We handle brown bears, black bears, moose, lynx, birds of prey and any other type of animal. Our busiest time of year is the summer, when the bears are out and about.

As Chief Animal Control Officer, I am not only an animal control officer, but act as the animal shelter manager. I am in charge of a half-million-dollar budget, not only managing it, but creating it each year. We take in the equivalent of 3,000 animals per 100,000 residents. Thankfully we are a small town, and we average approximately 200 animal intakes per year. People bring us animals from as far as 300-plus miles. As we are the only shelter for 250 miles, we are often the closest shelter. For stray animals we have a 99% return rate.

The Association: Considering your career so far, what achievement are you most proud of?
Mike Clupper: One of the most important things for the community to understand is that animal control is not about punishment. It’s about working together to find the best path forward in each situation. The achievement I am most proud of is changing the mindset of the public about animal control and the shelter’s mindset about the community. We went from a shelter that judged everyone on their past mistakes to a shelter that is a no-judgement zone, and everyone is accepted equally.

The Association: What is your next goal or milestone you’re working toward, professionally or personally?
Mike Clupper: Retirement in 4 years for the second time.

The Association: Words to live by?
Mike Clupper: We are all just one mistake away from being THAT person.

Top: Clupper recently taught firefighters and EMTs from the Valdez Fire Department how to do rapid medical and trauma assessments of animals, how to evaluate vital signs, and how to safely and properly provide CPR and rescue breaths to animals saved from fires and other emergencies.

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