A request to move Animal Control from Grade 2 to Grade 7
Animal Control Director Jaime Haase appeared before commissioners seeking a pay-grade change for Animal Control Officers. Gratiot County's official job description classifies the position as Grade 2. The wage schedule effective Oct. 1, 2025 lists Grade 2 beginning at $16.71 per hour and Grade 7 beginning at $21.32 per hour.
Haase said the officers do more than respond to calls in the field. They also help operate the county animal shelter. She said that some counties separate enforcement and shelter work, while Gratiot County employees perform responsibilities from both sides. The presentation described after-hours calls, neglect and cruelty cases, shelter duties, livestock, medical care, court cases and potentially dangerous situations.
Commissioners ask for more evidence
Bunting questioned whether the proposed increase was justified and compared Gratiot County with larger counties that pay Animal Control employees more. She proposed waiting approximately six months while the department provides regular reports documenting calls, animals received, returns to owners, adoptions and other activity.
Requests for workload reports, wage comparisons and liability guidance are part of the board's budget and oversight role. A separate question is whether remarks made during the discussion accurately described duties already assigned to the officers.
“Strictly to go out and get a dog or a cat”
During the discussion, Bunting described the job as “strictly to go out and get a dog or a cat.” The county's published job description is broader. It says officers respond to complaints, conduct patrols, pick up stray animals, investigate abuse, address animal-related concerns and manage shelter operations.
The job description lists equipment including live traps, sedatives, euthanasia drugs, state testing kits, pepper spray and a shotgun. It also warns that officers may encounter dangerous conditions, contagious diseases and physical trauma. Michigan guidance likewise describes animal control as including cruelty and neglect investigations, animals running at large, dangerous animals and other public-safety responsibilities.
Shelter conditions and animal care
While discussing the shelter, Bunting said, “We're not looking to make things comfortable for the animal. We're just looking to put them there until we find the owner or somebody adopts them.” Haase responded that the shelter has seven dog kennels and was housing approximately 11 dogs at the time.
The remark became part of the public response because shelter work includes animal welfare and care as well as containment. State requirements and training materials recognize shelter care and public safety as parts of the system.
The python question
The discussion turned to livestock, reptiles and other unusual domesticated animals. Staff explained that the shelter is not equipped to safely house every species and outside foster resources may sometimes be necessary.
Bunting raised a hypothetical situation involving a python being taken home by an officer and a child getting into its container. Officer Nathen Lien said that, in those circumstances, he would be willing to take the python home temporarily. His answer addressed the hypothetical; the meeting did not establish that he had previously taken a python home.
Bunting later said that if a snake were poisonous and unwanted, it should be taken out and shot. Animal Control staff disagreed, saying they could not simply kill an animal belonging to someone else and that custody and holding requirements had to be considered.
Alligator discussion raises a policy question
The discussion continued with a hypothetical involving an alligator and potential county liability if an employee took such an animal home. Staff said the shelter is not physically equipped to safely or humanely house every species and that an inappropriate environment could cause an animal to die.
The unresolved issue is what written procedure the county should use when Animal Control encounters an unusual domesticated animal that the shelter cannot safely accommodate. Bunting said the county should consult its insurance provider, prosecuting attorney and possibly other attorneys. The meeting segment did not resolve that question.
What officers said the job looks like
Staff described entering a property with approximately 70 dogs and 40 cats, removing multiple dead cats from another property, handling cruelty and neglect investigations, preparing court cases, providing animal medical care, responding after hours and dealing with livestock loose on roads.
One officer said that, as of the meeting date, he had not had a day off since Aug. 22 because of scheduling and on-call duties. Those descriptions can be compared with the county job description and future workload reports requested by the board.
Comparisons with larger counties
Commissioners compared Gratiot County wages with larger Michigan counties. Staff responded that population alone does not show whether departments perform equivalent work. Some counties have separate shelters, humane societies or other organizations that take over care after an officer delivers an animal. Gratiot employees said their small department performs field enforcement and substantial shelter work.
A useful comparison would therefore include staffing, call volume, shelter duties, workload and services performed by outside organizations—not population alone.
Public reaction and what happens next
After clips from the meeting circulated online, residents expressed differing views. Some focused on the snake remark and the description of the job as involving only dogs and cats. Others defended the board's request for more documentation before approving a significant wage change. Calls for apologies or political consequences are opinions of individual residents, not conclusions of this publication.
The board did not approve or reject the reclassification during the portion reviewed. Records to watch include the requested activity reports, written guidance for unusual animals and foster arrangements, legal or insurance advice, and any proposal returned for a formal vote.
Watch and review the record
The Animal Control presentation begins at approximately 1:19:26 in the Sept. 15 meeting recording. Readers can compare the discussion with the county job description, wage schedule and state Animal Control guidance linked beside this article.
Gratiot County Whistleblower will continue following official responses, additional records, compensation decisions and any clarification of Animal Control procedures.