Undoubtedly one of the most interesting new business additions to Jeff Davis County is that of the Cooper’s Critters owned and operated by Austin Owens of Prentiss.

Owens, a newcomer to the JDC, offers a range of services in animal extraction that may prove to be of great benefit to home and business owners in the county and surrounding areas.

Owens says he sort of fell into his career when he lived in Florida and raised various animals including about thirty chickens.

“I didn’t realize how good I would be at catching and relocating raccoons,” he muses, “but I had plenty of practice to protect the animals we owned.”

Owens worked for an animal extraction company in Kentucky and while in school at East Kentucky U working on a biology degree he took care of the university’s snake collection both venomous and nonvenomous learning a good deal in the process.

He holds an operator’s permit that gives him license to remove mice, rats, snakes, bats, raccoons, opossums, beavers, coyotes, fox, skunk, nutria, armadillos and all types of squirrels using traps in and out of season. Migratory bird permits are on an as-needed basis.

Owens says each job is different and encourages those who need his services to call to discuss the problem and get an estimate of price.

He is a wildlife conservationist at heart and is adamant on relocating all but those classified as nuisance animals the list of which includes hogs, coyotes, fox, beaver, nutria and skunk. “These animals are carriers of many diseases including rabies and the state does not allow relocation,” states Owens.

Most of our “good ole boys” may thinking they can just eliminate the offending culprit but Owens offers valuable information and services none of us like to think about.

“Animals that have invaded your homefront or business don’t just bring themselves to the premises,” explains Owens. “They bring feces, fleas and urine eliminations in attic or under the house that cause damage from moisture and microbial spores that propagate mold and mildew and all manner of diseases. I have seen ceilings collapse under the weight of debris and wet, nasty insulation and people have gotten sick when trying to do the cleanup themselves without the proper precautions.”

Owens states the less glamorous part of his job is removal of animal debris from antics and under houses, attic cleanouts and insulation re-installation, antimicrobial treatments for toxic animal wastes and dead animal removal. Once the culprit(s) are removed and the areas cleaned he closes entry and potential entry points and uses preventative treatments to discourage further infestations.

“I am here to help,” states Owens, “It’s important to me to do a good job at a decent price. Cooper’s Critters’ primary goal is your health and peace of mind.”

Owens states he knows his limitations and if it is necessary will call in other organizations or agencies for assistance. You can reach the animal extractor at Cooper’s Critters 601-792-4911.