Editor's note: In every town, there's usually a specific individual whom residents associate with a place — the transfer station, the senior center, the library. The Eagle-Tribune is taking a look at the faces behind the places in a dozen Southern New Hampshire towns. This is the final story in the series.
DANVILLE — The former electric company dispatcher chases calls these days. Calls of the wild, the domesticated and the in between.
When an animal-related call comes in, Danville Animal Control Officer Sheila Johannesen goes out. Her affinity for animals and commitment to them make her a consummate pet- and animal-person — a veritable go-to person for animals in town.
One of the more memorable calls she has received was a year ago. It came with little time to spare, telling of a cat wedged in a tree, likely having tumbled from its upper reaches. The feline was feral and had been wedged and immobile for a week or longer. Hungry and dehydrated, it was nasty mad.
Johannesen arranged its rescue and veterinary care. Later, it was adopted.
Janie Sigilman, Danville's tax collector, describes Johannesen as a matchmaker of sorts. She has a knack for matching people with prospective pets that have been rescued, often from abusive situations.
Through Johannesen's help, Sigilman adopted two golden retrievers, Sweetie Pie and Carlie, that had been rescued.
"She just adores animals," Sigilman said.
A minute in Johannesen's yard brings into focus her love for two- and four-legged creatures.
There are the bird feeders, the dog statue in a flower garden.
There's the bark of her dogs, telling her to come in and lavish more attention on them.
Then there's a croak in the distance that she recognizes as a great blue heron feeding its young.
Johannesen works out of her home and, during the week, responds to calls of distress at all times.
Sometimes, she responds on her own time. That was the case in the celebrated Sam story.
Johannesen was instrumental in the rescue of Sam the golden retriever, nicknamed "Golden Ghost."
The Deerfield dog disappeared in May 2004 and was returned to owners Peg and Dennis Sklarski 23 months later, in April 2006.
In the intervening months, Johannesen volunteered on her own time to help Sam and his owners. She kept the retriever fed, filling bowls with food at feeding stations in the wild. She talked daily with the Sklarskis.
"We would call her at any time," Peg Sklarski said. "We did call her in the middle of the night for particular runs when Sam was seen."
Johannesen and the Sklarskis remain close friends. They see each other often and Johannesen keeps tabs on Sam.
Johannesen is not one to sit still when it comes to animals. The need to rescue runs in her veins.
She attends training each year at the New England Animal Control Human Academy and has also been an academy board member for three years.
In Johannesen's five years as Danville's animal control officer, she has received two scholarships to attend training.
Her training includes pet first aid, large-animal rescue and how to help animals during disasters.
Johannesen is a member of the New Hampshire Disaster Animal Response Team.
For eight years, Fremont dog trainer Nancy Brett has helped Johannesen train her dog Spooner, acquired through a rescue operation. The 1-year-old was neglected and terrified of everything, Brett said.
"Everybody is (Spooner's) friend, now," Brett said. The change is due to Johannesen's persistence, her kindly repetition in training this dog.
"You really have to care about a dog to do that because it is not just persistence, it's patience," Brett said.
