Milford Animal Control Officer Stepping Down After 25 Years

MILFORD, MA — Long-serving Milford animal control officer Rochelle Thomson is resigning from her job due to an illness, Thomson wrote in a letter to the Board of Selectmen recently.

Thomson said in the letter that she is suffering from a "personal nonrecoverable illness" and can no longer perform all her duties as animal control officer and chief animal inspector. She has worked for the town for 25 years.

"The decision for me to give my resignation has not been an easy one and it fills me with great sadness," she wrote. "However, I am not in the best of health to perform fully the responsibilities required to do my job effectively. I hope that my departure from my positions will not cause too much undue stress or inconvenience. Although I can no longer do the work that I once could, I hope that I can remain a valuable resource and help out wherever or whenever I can."

Thomson added that she can assist the town in finding and training a replacement.

Thomson has responded to many memorable animal situations in Milford over the years, including a 2013 incident where she was sprayed by a skunk multiple times while trying to get a McDonald's cup off the critter's head.