Longtime Animal Control Officer Retiring this Week

La Grange Animal Control Officer Dean Ahlschlager will retire this week after more than 35 years with the City. He’s been the City’s animal control officer for 32 years. His last day on the job is this Friday, March 8.

The Record caught up with him last Friday on North Jackson St. He was supposed to be off that day for a City holiday, Texas Independence Day. But a resident on the north side of town discovered a baby rabbit stuck in her yard. As he often does, Ahlschlager came out in his personal vehicle to rescue the little critter.

“They hired me as a truck driver on the garbage truck,” Ahlschlager recalled of his early days with the City. “Then I started animal control part time, and I was running the street sweeper. For the last 15 years now, I’ve been full time animal control.”

Ahlschlager trained under the late Al Frels, who served as the La Grange animal control officer in the 1980s.

“He trained me and showed me the ropes,” Ahlschlager said. “Then I started on my own. As the City got bigger and bigger, I had a lot more animals to pick up and take care of.”

Ahlschlager said he didn’t have much experience in animal control when he started, but he was comfortable around animals.

“I was brought up on a farm, so I’d been around animals my whole life,” he said.

Ahlschlager knows most of the dogs in town and the yards they belong in. He’s cared for countless stray cats as well. But he’s also seen some quite unusual critters during his three decades with the City. Perhaps the strangest was a massive Sulcata tortoise he rescued from White Rock Park in 2019.

“I’ve seen it all,” he added. “I’ve picked up horses, goats, roosters, ducks, turkeys, birds, rabbits, racoons – a lot of animals in my days. And a lot of dogs and cats.”

Ahlschlager said he’s also picked up three python snakes during his career.

“The first one, I was really scared of it,” he said.

Ahlschlager has suffered a few bites during his time as well. The worst one came from a blue heeler dog that latched onto his right wrist.

“That one put me in the hospital for three days,” Ahlschlager said. “It’s a dangerous job. You can get hurt.”

For the most part, Ahlschlager said La Grange citizens do a good job of keeping their animals fenced in and out of the street.

“We’ve got a few that don’t listen,” he said. “Sometimes we have to write them a ticket. Then they have to go to the shelter and pay to get it back out.”

Justin Pietsch will replace Ahlschlager as La Grange’s animal control officer. Ahlschlager has been training Pietsch for the last few months.

“I think he’s going to do a good job,”Ahlschlager said. “I told him if he needs any help, I’m only a phone call away.”

Ahlschlager said he plans to get caught up on some farm work after he retires.

“My brother and I have a few cows, and we help each other out,” he said. “I also do a little work of Mr. Jack Cernosek – move hay, shred, help him with his cows. I got a lot of stuff to catch up on. And I’ve got a brand new grandson now, so I’ll have time to spend with him.

Ahlschlager said he’ll miss working for the City.

“I’ve enjoyed it,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed all the people I work with. But when you get old, you’ve got to let a younger generation get in there. I’ll miss the guys.”