As one would expect from a man who has worked in the same office for 41 years, Cass County Animal Control Director Michael Grice has witnessed a lot of changes over the span of his career.

When Grice first began his service to the people and pets of Cass County in 1975, animal control consisted of him, a partner and a director — who left the department several weeks later — working out of a small building that consisted of an 8-by-6-foot office, a garage and a dog kennel that Grice described as “deplorable,” with animals frequently attempting to escape — with varying degrees of success, he said.

“We have some old photos of dogs standing on the roof,” Grice said.

Today, Grice runs a department that operates out of an office that is considered one of the nicest facilities for its size in the state, with a team of dedicated control officers who handle around 2,000 dogs and cats across the county ever year, Grice said.

More important than the physical operation is the philosophy that Grice has helped instill in his small but dedicated squad during his two tenures as director — to serve not as mere dogcatchers, but as protectors and advocates for local animals, he said.

“We still do enforcement, writing tickets and things like that, but we are also here to speak for the voiceless,” Grice said. “We try to do things right, by the law and by the animals.”

At the end of December, though, the longtime department head will step down from the position in order to pursue a new opportunity several miles away — in the county commissioner chambers as the newly elected representative of Cass County’s Sixth District.

Grice, of Cassopolis, was elected in November to serve on the Cass County Board of Commissioners, running unopposed after securing the Republican nomination for the position in August. Grice will take the seat currently occupied by Board Chairperson Bernie Williamson, who did not seek reelection.

While his first time holding elected office, Grice is no stranger to public service, serving for not only four decades in animal control but also as the longtime sheriff of Silver Creek Township, a position he will retain even after assuming office as county commissioner.

Born in Niles, Grice has lived in Cass County for all but a single year of his life, graduating from Dowagiac Union High School in 1972. After spending a few years working construction with his family, the lifelong animal lover pursued a position with the animal control office in 1975, as soon as he heard there was an opening, and was hired to the department by the county board, he said.

After spending 10 years under the tutelage of several directors, Grice took over leadership of the department in 1985. He stepped down seven years later, though, at the behest of then County Administrator Terry Proctor, though he remained a crucial member of the animal control department as it underwent several pivotal changes, including the opening of its present facility in 1996 as well as transferring under the control of the Cass County Sheriff’s Office in 1997.

In 2009, the board of commissioners once again selected Grice to lead the department, recommended by Sheriff Joseph Underwood.

Grice also served for 12 years on the Michigan Animal Control Association, stepping down in 2012 in order to focus more on his duties back home, he said.

With Underwood set to retire at the end of the year and longtime Cassopolis Police Chief Frank Williams stepping down earlier this year, Grice decided to join them in riding off in the sunset, to begin the next chapter of his service to the people of Cass County, he said.

“I have seen plenty of examples of officers who hold on to their jobs for a long time, thinking the badge defines them,” Grice said. “I did not want that to happen to me as well. I love this job, but I do not need the uniform to make a difference.”

Grice is leaving the department in a good spot, with a strong team in place and strong support from the community, he said. Taking over his position will be veteran senior enforcement officer Ron Butts, a member of the department since 1991, Grice said.

In between wrapping up his duties as director, Grice is preparing for his new position on the county board, learning as much as he can and talking with current members about the new role.

“I am looking forward to the new challenge,” he said. “I hope we will able be able to work together as team.”