“It’s about doing what we can for the animals.”
That’s the mantra for Gladewater Animal Control Officer Shelly Cullum. It goes all the way back to childhood.
“My nickname growing up was ‘Critter’ because I always had something,” she says, some animal she’d plucked from danger, was nursing back to health, was trying to place in a new, safe home.
Cullum’s found her work home in Gladewater, and there are plenty of critters to help here. It’s her third long-term stint in animal control after recovering from a brief bout of retirement following 14 years with the City of Marshall.
Instrumental in transition that community’s shelter to no-kill, “She’s an animal lover. She’s looking to start up programs,” says Gladewater 
Police Chief Kyle Ready, eager to spread the word about Cullum since ACO has once more come under the GPD umbrella. “We do have an animal problem in Gladewater.
“We always have,” and Ready’s confident Cullum is the person to tackle it once and for all: “We’re in our infancy as far as animal control. She wants to get us above par, get a volunteer program started where people foster animals in the city. She’s a super great person. The community’s going to love her.”
He’s quick to tell the story of Cullum driving to New York to hand-deliver a litter of puppies to a trusted rescue operation.
“She’s gold. She told me, ‘If I can find them a home, I’m finding them a home.’ She understands we’ve got to get to the point of getting a shelter built. That is her ultimate goal.”
Cullum came on board with the City of Gladewater in early September following former ACO Colby Warren’s transition to the City of Winnsboro.
“I’m enjoying it thoroughly,” Cullum said this week. “It’s a lot less stressful than the other gigs I was at. I enjoy getting out and meeting the people.
“That’s one of the biggest things: I want to meet the people and the animals of Gladewater, that way I can get them back home.”
Microchipping’s one remedy she relies on, and Cullum’s eager to organize another free chipping event for local pets.
“If I pick them up, I can scan them in my truck, find the owner on the spot and return them home.”
Her first stint in animal control began in 1994. After a decade on the job and a six-year gap, she took up the task again in 2010 in Marshall.
The old shelter there was a priority.
“We did take in a lot of animals. We were able to get the funds from private donors to help build a new facility for Marshall,” Cullum said, praising the ‘Friends of Marshall Animals’ outreach for a big role in the ultimate success. “We built a new facility and I ran that for three years. We were able to turn the euthanasia rate where we were a No Kill Shelter by the time I left
“That was through rescues, fosters, volunteers, donors. It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s very nice to see them go and not be euthanized.”
Right now, Cullum’s focused on keeping the kennels comfortable behind the Gladewater Police/Fire HQ. Space is limited, and she angles to connect strays with their owners quickly. If that’s not possible, there are other healthy options for the animals, especially in the age of social media.
“I’m trying to get their pictures posted and adopted,” Cullum said, asking owners to text her at 903-930-8465 if they see their pets. “I’ve been lucky so far. I’ve been able to scan microchips and get them back to their owners.”
She offices in the same small structure that houses the kennels, but the goal is to be out in public as often as possible, getting wandering animals out of harm’s way as quickly as she can.
“I’m very particular about my kennels,” Cullum said. “I like to keep them clean,” Cullum says. As for her charges, “I have to name them all. They’re not numbers.”
One recent intake was christened ‘Duncan’ after a friend. A nearby street sign often lends its name to a rescued animal.
“You run out of names eventually,” Cullum quipped, pondering a moniker for an as-yet untraceable intake Monday while crossing her fingers the owner would catch her post on @GladewaterAnimalControl on Facebook.
She definitely doesn’t want to fall into the “euthanasia trap” again, not when she’s used proven strategies to avoid it.
“I’ve lived in both worlds. It’s very rewarding to be no-kill,” Cullum said. “I would love to be able to use the knowledge that I have in getting a new shelter built so we can do adoptions. There’s so many programs you can do with the animals when you have a shelter. Kids can come and read to them. You can walk them. That’s down the road. You can’t do anything without funding of course.”
Working with nearby communities, such as Kilgore and Big Sandy, could jump-start the effort.
“They’re trying to start something themselves,” she added, and with the better part of 25 years in animal control under her belt, Cullum’s cultivated a healthy array of names and numbers to ensure as many animals as possible find a new home.
“I do have a lot of connections from where I was to send them on rescue,” she said. “It’s just connecting, getting a foster base, volunteers.”