Lady Lake Animal Control Officer Denise Williams was awarded the Bright Ideas Award in December 2016 for her efficient running of the animal placement program she implemented in 2015. The Bright Ideas Award recognizes employees of Lady Lake for outstanding achievements that also saved the town money.
When Williams requested a budget to develop an animal placement program, she already had a donor willing to match the budget given to her by the town.
A graduate of the University of Florida in Animal Science, Williams changed her mind about becoming a veterinarian.
“I realized that my passion was not in treating animals, but in making sure that animals have a safe secure place to live,” she said. She worked for Lake County in animal control and was then hired by the Town of Lady Lake. The town did not at the time have a local placement program in place, so she developed one. It is also a convenience to pet owners in this area; they used to have to travel to Tavares to retrieve a found pet that had gone missing. Now everything stays local.
Williams enjoys her job because it is always something new. She says when she has helped an animal, “I can tell they appreciate it.”
Most of the animals picked up are returned to their owners. The others are placed in good homes. Williams will be at the Lady Lake Art in the Park event Saturday and Sunday with a few small dogs and cats available for adoption.
People are welcome to donate items. Williams uses what she can and gives the rest to rescue groups. She makes sure that everything donated gets used.
If you would like to find out more about this program you can visit the website, by going to www.ladylake.org and clicking on the animal control tab.
If you would like more information about items that are needed you can contact Williams at (352) 751-1530 or [email protected]. Drop off boxes for donations are located in the lobby of the Lady Lake Police Department and the lobby of the Lady Lake Library.