Congratulating Lawrence Higginbottom Being Named Animal Control Officer of the Year

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Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Lawrence Higginbottom of Memphis Animal Services, who has been named Animal Control Officer of the Year by the National Animal Care and Control Association. Part of his job--a part he has a reputation for handling well--is reuniting animals with their owners, a priority with progressive animal shelters like Memphis Animal Services that operate on a ``community-centered'' model, The shelter recently received a $50,000 grant from an animal welfare group to hire a pet-reunification specialist. According to a story in The Daily Memphian, Mr. Higginbottom recently picked up a dog in Memphis that had been on the loose for five years. Because the dog had received an under-skin microchip, Mr. Higginbottom quickly found the owners by phone--650 miles away in Austin, Texas. The family arrived to pick up Cheerio the next day. Because most dogs are lost less than half a mile from their owners' homes, Mr. Higginbottom often finds himself knocking on nearby neighbors' doors with the lost pet on a leash. When the shelter held a dog-owner reunification competition among animal control officers this past summer, Mr. Higginbottom won it. As a proud and longtime member of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, it is inspiring to know that Memphis has such a caring and thoughtful animal control officer. I congratulate Mr. Higginbottom for this well-deserved national recognition.

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