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Tracy Gross is an animal-cruelty investigation officer and recently was named the 2008 officer of the year by the Utah Animal Control Officers Association.
"I love animals, and if I can help them, that's what I want to do," said Gross, who has worked at Davis County Animal Services for 10 years.
She does outreach in schools to raise awareness of animal control, and one of the biggest tips she can give any dog or cat owner is: Spay or neuter your pet.
"We're just overrun right now with litters and litters of kittens," Gross said from her office at the animal shelter in Fruit Heights.
Gross is looking forward to the new surgery room that should be completed at the shelter by the end of this summer. There, any dog or cat up for adoption will be spayed or neutered.
Gross is also very excited about another addition: a disaster trailer.
She wrote a grant proposal to get the trailer, which can be used by a variety agencies in the region in an emergency.
Evacuation efforts during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 were slowed, Gross said, because many people resisted leaving their pets behind. "They're a part of your family."
A disaster response team is being organized, but when there are no emergencies, the trailer is available for off-site adoptions.
