Once dispatcher, Griggs leaves as Monett animal control officer

Popular figure to take regional post with the state
 
Karen Griggs, who has served as Monett’s animal control officer for six years, stepped down last week to take a position with the state, continuing her involvement with animals.
Griggs started with the city in June 2016 as a dispatcher, focusing on animal control. She took over as animal control officer in March 2019, succeeding Glenn Palade. She has been well-liked throughout the city in her role.
“Glenn had a Facebook page for animal control, but it got hacked,” Griggs recalled. “I made the Monett MO Dog Pound Facebook page to replace his. We’re now sitting at over 7,000 followers. Some posts get over 80,000 likes. We have followers from all over the country. When I’ve asked for food for the dog pound, it’s not unusual to get bags from California or the East Coast.”
The community outreach that Griggs promoted has paid off.
“The support I’ve got from everyone in town has been the biggest surprise for me,” she said. “So many people are willing to help and donate and do whatever we need.”
Through partnerships with residents and businesses, Griggs hosted regular adoption events to find homes for sheltered animals, and generated thousands of dollars’ worth of donations in the form of pet food, blankets, toys and other necessities for the pound.

Best adoption
Her favorite story from her career as an animal control officer focused on finding a home for a dog through social media.
“In my first year on the job, we had some people from Salt Lake City who wanted a dog,” she recalled. “They had friends who live in Missouri and found him through the Facebook page. They just knew this was the right dog for them. My mom, Christa Stout, was making a trip to Denver. They met her there. Everything worked to make transporting him out here happen. The only hitch was the dog got carsick. He did a lot of drooling on the way. We have pictures and videos. They fell in love with him immediately. He just knew he was there for them. It was a match made in heaven.”
Griggs will most miss working with the dogs. “I truly love doing what I do. I truly loved being the animal control officer. I hoped to do it longer, but the body gets old. Picking up 75-plus-pound dogs just wasn’t as easy as it once was.”

New position
Her new role will still keep her interacting with animals. Griggs will become the animal health officer for the Missouri Department of Agriculture, overseeing area animal control operations. Hers is a regional territory, covering four counties. She will be able to keep her home in Monett. Her first day was Jan. 26. The Monett Police Department held a reception in her honor on Jan. 23.
“The City of Monett has been fortunate to have Karen as a dedicated animal control officer,” said City Administrator Mickey Ary. “Her dedication and care at the City Dog Pound were a great asset to the community that will be missed.”
“Animal Control Officer Griggs was a great asset to the Monett Police Department, serving the community diligently working to return animals to their owners or find new loving homes,” said Monett Police Chief George Daoud. “We congratulate her on her new job and look forward to working with her as our new state inspector.”

City adjusts
In her absence, the city is utilizing a temporary operating procedure while it works on recruitment for the animal control officer position During this time, no dogs will be housed at the Monett pound and temporary animal containment will be utilized on an as-needed basis for immediate public safety issues.