Jerry Aschenbrenner, was born in Watson, SK, on the 16th day of April, 1940. Growing up with an agricultural background, three careers and life experiences gave him a breadth of understanding for humans and animals in the modern urban municipality.
Jerry graduated from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Training Depot in Regina, Saskatchewan in 1959. As a member of Canada’s national police force, he moved through the ranks, enjoying rural policing and Highway Patrol duties in Western Canada. A highlight of his career was his involvement in VIP Security including his role coordinating motorcades during the Visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton.
After a policing career that spanned 21 years, he began a second career with the Alberta Department of Justice. Working in the court system gave him at broader understanding of the judicial process. After two years in the Justice system Jerry began a third career managing Animal Services for the City of Calgary. His experience in policing and justice helped him to develop a new way of thinking about the complexities of human and animal interactions in modern urban neighbourhoods.
He soon realized bylaw compliance needed an increase in monetary consequences for those who didn’t comply and an increase in value for the paying public. Within a decade, his City of Calgary department became a model for Animal Services across North America. A drive-home program for lost animals, zero subsidies from municipal taxes and the ‘People for Responsible Animal Control’ (PRAC) program were three elements of this success. Ever the humble one, he refused celebrity status, choosing instead to focus on serving the city that paid his salary. His crowning achievements were opening a modern Animal Services facility and accepting the first Summit for Lifetime Achievement from Urban Animal™.
In 2014, two scholarships will be awarded under the Urban Animal™ Emerging Leader program and recognized during the 2014 Urban Animal™ Foundation Dinner on Thursday evening, October 23rd.
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