Meet Stoneham's New Animal Control Officer Brian Johnston

Stoneham native Brian Johnston recently switched from his position as a public safety dispatcher in the to his new role as animal control officer (ACO).

Johnston answered the call as Stoneham Police decided that the part-time ACO, who also served other towns, wasn't enough to handle the workload. He was asked by Police Chief Richard Bongiorno and Town Administrator David Ragucci if he would take over the position full time. Johnston, wanting to help his community, happily accepted.

Johnston is married with two daughters, who are 11 and 15, and also supports two teenage, female Chinese exchange students. Johnston's faithful companion is his adopted Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Copper.

Johnston has had a lot of success as Stoneham's new ACO. Whether it's dealing with a neighbor's barking dog, driving through town to track down a coyote or getting the clichéd cat out of a tree, Johnston is constantly busy with his new position, often working 12-plus hour shifts well into the night.

One of Johnston's greatest accomplishments thus far is reuniting all 15 lost animals with their owners that have gone missing since he has taken over the position.

Johnston Pitted Against Pit Bull

On March 18 Johnston responded to one of his most serious calls he'd encountered, when he received a report of a three to four-year-old pit bull that had bit a relative of a woman on Green Street.

“My biggest concern is always, 'Was the dog vaccinated?'” explained Johnston. “Luckily it was.”

Johnston arrived on the scene and advised the injured party to seek medical attention for the wound. Johnston was told that the dog wasn't provoked, but had seemed excited all day.

Only One Option

Sadly, the pit bull was put down at the owner's request, as this was not the first incident but was the most severe that the dog had been involved in, according to Johnston.

“I concurred with [the owner] that it was the only option,” Johnston said. “Being an animal lover, this is not a great part of the job, and I offered to assist the owner with this as it is a difficult task.”

When asked what he learned from this experience, Johnston said, “I learned that there are good and bad parts of this job. What I want to stress is that this dog was described as a 'pit bull' and people have a misconception regarding these dogs. This was a great dog when I handled her.”

Johnston went on to describe one of his theories behind being an ACO. “One thing I learned in the Animal Control Academy that I attended was, 'There are no bad dogs, just bad owners.' The owner of this dog adopted her about six months ago and had limited to no knowledge of the dog's past. Unfortunately, she could have been abused or mistreated before adoption.”

If you need to contact Johnston for any animal related incidents, he can be reached at 781-438-1215 extension 3207. Alternatively, you can email him at bjohnston@police.stoneham.ma.us.