1. Who are you?

a. My name is Mike Leskouski, I do Animal Control for the towns of Lexington and Bedford (Massachusetts). So, I do both.

2. What animals do you typically work with?

a. We work with any domestic animal, dogs, cats. We do a lot of wildlife issues.

3. How did you get involved in this type of work?

a. About 25 (twenty-five) years ago I used to do work for Bedford police department, I’d get details, I really had a love for animals. The gentleman from animal control was getting ready to retire so I said, yah know what? I think I’d like to work with animals and do what he did. Because I used to do ride alongs with him and I really enjoyed it.

4. Why did you choose animal control?

a. Well, just because of my love of animals, and me doing ride-alongs with the animal control officer. It’s just something I wanted to do to help animals and make a difference.

5. When do you get the most calls?

a. Coming up, probably in April with spring it just seems like a lot of wild life is being born so we get a lot of wild life calls. The dogs are more active obviously, in the parks and in the woods. So that’s my busiest time of year: April, May.

6. How can someone contact you?

a. All they’d have to do it call the Lexington or Bedford (Massachusetts) Police department and they’d dispatch me through the radio.

7. What is the most common illness you see?

a. For wildlife we’ve been coming across a lot of, it’s called Rodenticide Poisoning. People that use rat poison. What happens is that the mice will eat the poison in the house, then they go outside to die, the Hawks and the Owls will eat the mice, and then they get poisoned. So that’s very, yah know? It’s not good. So, we try and discourage people from using poisons in their home. Because it’s affecting the wildlife. Cats can get at it, so it effects a lot of things, if the cats eat the mice, then the cats get poisoned. Because the mice ingest the poison so we try to deter people from using it.

8. What is the most common injury you see?

a. A lot of leg injuries, and stuff like that.

9. What should someone do if they see an injured animal?

a. Call the Police department and they can get in touch with animal control, and well come out and asses the situation to see what needs to be done.

10. What should someone do if they see a baby animal that’s alone?

a. Well, if it’s a baby bird that falls out of the nest, if they can they should try and put it back up into the nest or if they can put it on a (tree) limb to get it off the ground so a cat or a dog doesn’t get at it, and call us, animal control we can come out and handle it. But if it’s a baby bunny or a baby deer we recommend that you leave it alone because the mother could be out getting food to bring back. Keep an eye on it to make sure the mother does come back, which they usually do. But mostly just leave it alone.

11. If you could only tell the public one thing, what would it be?

a. We always want them to help but call us, we’re the professionals, we know what to do. Some people try to interfere with wild life, sometimes you just got to let wild be wild. So, call us, let us handle it because we’re trained to do it.

12. What are some good resources?

a. A great resource is Mass wildlife and they have everything on there. Or go to the animal rescue league page for domestic animals, but for wildlife go on Mass wildlife and everything is on there, its a great webpage

13. How to donate:

a. They can go online either to the animal Rescue League or MSPCA, go right on their website and there’s a button you just click on to donate and you can donate what ever amount you want.

14. What to donate:

a. We’re always more than happy to take like gently used blankets, towels, stuff like that, and Stop and Shop and other supermarkets donate food so we have plenty of that but we could always use towels and blankets.