Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 12, 1978)
THE BATTALION Page 13 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 1978 Battalion photo by David cleaning the Bryan pound. He also has the unpleasant task of picking up and disposing of dead animals found on city streets. calling all artists! j THE ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR j # n April 26 & 27 & J Come by the Craft Shop and register for your booth. Registration: April 12-25 $5 for 2 days SPONSORED BY THE CRAFTS & ARTS COMMITTEE TECHNICIANS £ * * * as * * i * * * * A challenging job with excellent training. Immediate openings are available for training NUCLEAR REACTOR TECHNICIANS. Training: Mathematics Chemistry Physics Thermodynamics Progressive electronics Reactor Systems WHO IS HOUSE OF BOOTS? The smallest boot store with the largest selection and the lowest overhead ... so you get the lowest prices! Located at Northgate *112 Nagle e Inside the Greyhound Bus Station. NOCONA • CHRIS ROMERO • SHEYENNE For the GRADUATING SENIOR and GRADUATE STUDENT interested in • Systematic Savings • Computerized Financial • Analysis for Present Needs • Retirement Security Present and Future Family Needs s NML easily | the ] here, truA Animal population tragedy problem hurts people, too By DAVID WHITE 'fi I ■ 6 be S* ns at ® a. m. at the ! , jyan city pound. Joe Bolmanskie, a ‘ ty santitaiton worker, unlocks the ■ oni t)uble gates of the pound and ly ®iters making sure they are locked 'y e Wnd him. “Once I forgot to lock 1 ^ lat gate and one of those big ger- lan police dogs opened the gate ' Ies ad four dogs got out,” Bolmanskie illinf jy S on He hooks up a garden hose and tarts washing away the excreta and 1 w >ed knocked over by the dogs dur- te *’ag the night. The animals are one -jghtened — their tails are between : Wl) Tieii' legs as they unsuccessfully try o onefavoid the spray from the hose. Diffenffhere are 17 dogs in the small lease ound. Three small labrador re- ultantBver puppies, probably from the lany ame litter, huddle together in one lie Ofomer to escape the water, it, ItfOnce the mess on the floor is mi thvajhed outside into a drainage sys- nycai em, Bolmanskie turns the water off 60-acrfjjid heads out the gates. He kicks a Tlii' irge rock on the floor of the pound ad Co® says, “Some day I’m going to an lx- -neb the kids that throw rocks at he c ‘vie dogs.” didesSB'or the next 15 minutes, Bol- >ck, a anskie holds a drain open so the to Irtwy water will drain away from the st obtslund. Because of the inadequate ;re. iainage system, the animals get vnerWked every time it is cleaned. Two rilledffiall drains, one which is clogged 1 he jpv, serve the entire pound, he oil! Bolmanskie says he has asked ilock Tony Dileo, a humane officer for the Bryan Police Department which t to “mintains the pound to fix the drains >ir Md add new ones, t theff Bolmanskie says, “I tell Tony Quits pout it but it don’t do no good.” ey’ll Jolmanskie has fixed the drains , but fimself but they get clogged again. ft try to keep the pound clean for KurWlem but they don’t appreciate it,” ■t JopPB says. No« IBolmanskie says he has asked the iryan humane officers for disinfec- t that won’t burn the animals or |> remove the animals so he can an the pound thoroughly. “They ain’t ever done nothing I |ced them to do,” he says. Bol- fflnskie finally had to get disinfec- tfrom his supervisor, Darrell E. le to tolley, superintendent of sanita- ;d an lion. ButiROutside the gates of the pound /ereike two dead dogs. Dead dogs are I coiwitinely left here for Bolmanskie. id tltffie picks the dogs up, one in each f evei Iiand and puts them in the back of a can .his truck. no or Bolmanskie drives out to the city land fill off Farm Road 1687. As he : fives up, four vultures picking trough a garbage pile notice him iid fly away. Bolmanskie pitches le two dead dogs into an empty Die, climbs back into the truck and rives to the sanitation department in Fountain Street. 1 Bolmanskie has been employed ^ >y the city of Bryan since June 1969 I 0 clean the animal pound and re- O tove dead animals from the city Ireets. Bolmanskie has lived in the Iryan area all his life. He has been a as station attendent, an ice man nd now he is a sanitation worker, i Bolmanskie’s supervisor, Darrell Jolley, puts high value on the job lolmanskie does. [ “Joe is of immeasurable value to |s. Someone has to do the job and Oe doesn’t seem to mind. “Most people in sanitation would it before they’d pick up a mashed g. I’d a damn sight rather give up ost of the other guys than Joe be- use Joe is the only one who will do is unpleasant task.” At the santitation department Bolmanskie rolls a cigarette and vaits for his foreman to tell him rfiere the day’s dead animals are so be can pick them up. Today there Sre only two dead animals, one on Stevens Street and one at Carver 'treet and Highway 21. Bolmanskie drives down Steven W' Street at 10 miles per hour, looking Battalion photo by David White A forlorn beagle, resident of the Bryan dog pound, looks as though he would rather be somewhere else. He is just one of the victims of the city’s pet overpopulation problem. asked )ing, 1 of the street until he spots the fly covered german sheperd, a victim of this country’s animal overpopulation problem. Bolmanskie gets out of his truck and looks down at the dead animal and shakes his head. “Isn’t that a sight,” he says, “I’d like that dog alive. I like those german police dogs.” Bolmanskie bends down and picks the dog up by a hind legs. A small puppy runs out into the street to investigate what is happen ing. “Here comes another one that’s going to get it, too,” Bolmanskie says and then yells at the dog, “Get out of here, pup. ” The dog retreats down the street at the harsh sound of Bolmanskie’s voice. Bolmanskie drives to the corner of Carver Street and Highway 21 and looks in the high grass for the second animal. After a brief search he finds the badly decomposed re mains of a large dog. Bolmanskie angrily says, “People wait till they’re nothing but bones before they call me.” He picks up the ani mal despite the overpowering stench of decaying flesh and puts it with the other one in the back of the truck. Bolmanskie drive back to the land fill to bury these two dead ani mals. This time the vultures are not picking through the garbage piles but three thin dogs are, more victims of the animal overpopulation problem. Bolmanskie backs the truck up to a hole and almost runs over one of the stray dogs in his way. Into the hole go the two dead dogs and Bolmanskie heads back to the sanitation yard. Bolmanskie keeps busy most days picking up dead animals but on days like today he does other odd jobs around the sanitation yard. An hour before he gets off at 2 p.m. he goes back to the pound to clean it again. As he drives up to the pound Tony Dileo, the humane offi cer, is there with his truck for trans porting dogs. Another officer arrives and they begin loading animals into the cage on the back of the pickup truck. These animals are bound for the Texas A&M University Veteri nary School, where they will be used in experiments and eventually killed. Fourteen dogs are squeezed into the truck including the three lab rador puppies. Only two beagles and a dog already rejected by the veterinary school as “too mean” are left in the pound. In 1977 the Bryan police picked up 1,886 dogs and 724 other ani mals. Of these 1,733 dogs and 697 other animals were turned over to the veterinary school, according to Bryan police records. In comparision, the Houston animal control center rounds up 150 to 200 dogs a day — all victims of the animal overpopulation problem. According to the Animal Protection Institute of America 30 million dogs and cats will be born in this country in 1978. At least 13.5 million will die on streets or highways. Others will live their lives scrounging through garbage for food. Joe cleans the dog pen again and begins to walk to his car. He says, “Some day I’m going to get a dog out of there, either a; hunting dog or a german police dog,” Joe already owns two dogs. Most days Joe talks and looks forward to six years from now when he will retire and be able to do what he likes best — fish in the Brazos River and hunt squirrels. In the meantime he cleans up the mess left by Bryan’s animal overpopula tion tragedy. BOOK SALE! Paperbacks 3 $ 1 00 S Hardbacks *1 00 • Reference Texts Novels Etc. Mysteries • aTm University Bookstore Ito the ditch for the dead' animal. • ^ *he Northgate Jflpe drives back down the other side • each Etc. Benefits: An excellent benefits package is offered which ^ includes medical-dental and life insurance cov- ^ erage. 30 days annual paid vacation eachT year, paid travel expenses and more. Minimum qualifications: High school grad uate preferably with some college with a-^( math or science major. Relocations is required, Applicant must pass physical and mental^ examinations and qualify for a security clear- ^ ance. To ensure enhanced career develop- ment, federal regulations limit age to 24. United States citizenship is required. For further information: call Mr. James Smardon at (713) 822-3423 in Bryan (call collect). ^ Write Northwestern Mutual or Call: 779-5555 Ask for Stephen C. Peters BB&L Building 2800 Texas Ave. Suite 401 Bryan, Texas 77801 Name Phone Number 1IH4A Just in time for Graduation, EOS has received an exclusive line of Lasercraft custom desk accessories. These distinctive accessories, of beautiful walnut engraved by laser, make the perfect Aggie Graduation present. Engineering & Office Supply 402 W. 25th Bryan 822-2011 1412 Texas Ave. College Station 693-9553 SATURDAY " Av ' ' Ji ■ - ■ " : , : S - ■ : > , - . '■-V The Buzzard Boot gooshy ankle collar, husky crepe sole, thick closeline laces. due to its tendency to make feet giggly, purchasers are limited to two per pair. 32.99 Everyday Price narrowand medium widths IBMS Downtown Bryan <£/toe StQ'l&i "The Image Makers''