Summit County’s Facebook page is exactly what someone would expect from their local government.
Posts alert community members to important service announcements, community events and employment opportunities. Occasionally, sprinkled between election reminders and holiday closure notices, there will be a photo of a dog with one simple question in the caption: Do you recognize me?
In an ideal world, the dog’s owner is an avid Facebook user, or at the very least has friends or family members who would recognize the lost canine on their behalf. Summit County Animal Control hopes to reunite animals with their families within five days; otherwise, the department evaluates man’s best friend to determine whether adoption through a partnered rescue agency is a viable option instead.
But what if the animal in question isn’t a dog or cat?
The Park Record has been reporting on turkey sightings in Park City for months, publishing accounts from police detailing calls from concerned travelers encountering the large bird native only to North America. The articles have become surprisingly popular, and county officials said it’s a trend mirroring the their own on social media — whenever Animal Control asks for help finding the owner of any animal that’s not a dog or a cat, the post always outperforms other content.
It’s a strange trend, they said, especially considering Summit County Animal Control very rarely has an animal other than a cat or a dog to post online. In fact, Animal Control Director Stacy Gunn said in the past two years, the department has only assisted with three birds: one parrot and three chickens.
“In 2025 so far, we’ve had one parrot, two chickens and one rabbit, and we’re already past half the year,” Gunn said. “But in general, it’s not very common.”
Four cases overall is barely a drop in the bucket for the department, which fields over 1,800 cases per year. Mathematically, cases relating to an animal other than a cat or a dog is only approximately 0.2% of Summit County Animal Control’s workload annually.
Animal control officers don’t actively attempt to capture birds in the field, though. Instead, they rely on people using carriers or boxes to catch them themselves before dropping the birds off at the department in Wanship.
“The best way locals and visitors can keep their pets safe and secure is to be a responsible owner: Make sure your pets have identification on them and keep it up to date, abide by the county codes for animal welfare and notify Animal Control if you see a pet that seems lost, abused or actively threatening to other animals or people,” Gunn said.
More information about Summit County Animal Control is available online by visiting summitcountyutah.gov/946/Animal-Control.