We are all tremendously saddened by the senseless death of Skagit County Deputy Anne Jackson on Sept. 2, 2008. Anne was shot and killed in the line of duty, protecting and serving her public; it is a huge loss to everyone in law enforcement. Anne had been in our 2002 WACA/CJTC Animal Control Officer Academy, and had been an animal control officer for three years before becoming a full-time deputy. She always had a ready smile and friendly attitude, and she was a pleasure to have in the Academy. She will be greatly missed by us all.
On a happier note, I would like to encourage anyone who is interested, to get more involved with WACA! We are a great association, and are here to support and offer training to YOU, our fellow Washington state animal care and control personnel.
The WACA board is comprised of President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, and we also have other committees such as the Academy, the Conference/Training, Disaster Preparedeness/Response, Legislative, Federation Liason, WACA Times Newsletter, WACA Website, Outreach/Fundraising, plus we have area representatives for the Northwest, Southwest and Eastside areas of the state.
There is much to do, because we want to continue to raise the bar in animal care and control…just think how far we have come from just 5, 10 or even 20 years ago, the change is dramatic! We have gone from the lowly "Dawg Ketchers" of the past to the professional Animal Control Officers of today, and of the future. And the more folks we have involved on the WACA board and committees, the more efficent we are and the more we can fully represent YOU!
We also have lots of fun in WACA, having quarterly lunch meetings (where dessert is mandatory!) plus an annual retreat, where we spend a few days at a relaxing location, discussing WACA business but also eating, drinking and bonding! And of course our training conference is always a fabulous time, with lots of great training, networking and partying- our autumn 2009 conference will be in Lynnwood, WA on the west side, so stay tuned for more info!
If you would like to join us, please contact any of the board members and we would be happy to get you involved.
Please stay safe out there and remember that officer safety is our #1 priority each day. Take Care, Jan~
