New Animal Control Office Director Hired In Wallingford

WALLINGFORD, CT — Parris (Mitch) Gibbs has been hired as the new director of the Wallingford Animal Control, Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. announced Tuesday.

Gibbs was an assistant animal control officer in New Haven and Hamden, and previously worked part-time in Wallingford as an assistant animal control officer. He has completed the 90 hours of instruction for animal control officer training conducted by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture in 2017, according to Dickinson.

“We are pleased that Mr. Gibbs accepts this appointment and look forward to working with him,” Dickinson wrote in a news release.

Gibbs replaces Katie Ehlers, who resigned in May. The hiring comes at a time when controversy has surrounded the animal control office in recent weeks.

Animal advocates have been pleading with Dickinson to install air conditioning in the kennel portion of the shelter with the recent heat waves hitting Connecticut.

Democratic mayoral hopeful Riley O'Connell recently shared a 2018 memo from Ehlers to Dickinson requesting air conditioning in the kennel. She warned of “inhumane conditions” for the dogs and requested that funds from a $700,000 trust fund be used to pay for the air conditioning.

Dickinson controls the trust fund that was donated to the town for improvements and repairs for the animal shelter. The air conditioning issue was discussed at a recent Town Council meeting, with Councilor Gina Morgenstein describing the situation as "inhumane" and fellow Democratic Councilor Vincent Testa speaking at length about the lack of air conditioning and the summer heat approaching, the Record-Journal previously reported.

Dickinson, who has been mayor since 1984, recently told WTNH News 8 that it was the first time the issue was raised with him, and made similar comments during the council meeting.

Dickinson has said he would wait for Ehlers’ replacement to be hired and get that person’s recommendations before upgrading the animal shelter.

The animal control staff welcomed Gibbs’ hiring in a post on Facebook.

“It is our honor and privilege to introduce the new director of Wallingford Animal Control, ACO Mitch Gibbs!” the post reads. “You may recognize this guy, as he used to be one of Wallingford’s Assistant ACOs (and also one of Hamden’s) prior to moving on to New Haven Animal Control full time. We are absolutely delighted and blessed to have him back in Wallingford, and are very much looking forward to all of the wonderful things we know he will bring to the table!”