This is Nancy Hill, director of the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service.

I've known Nancy a long time. Liked her for a long time, too.

She has a job that would crush the spirit of a lesser person. But she knows it has to be done.

Some of us say we love animals. Nancy Hill lives it.

She can even tolerate people most of the time.

When she sends me something for The Slice, it's always good.

Here's an example, from Oct. 11, 2001.

Nancy Hill was driving near East Valley High School when she saw a boy on a bicycle stop and look down.

"I looked too and saw what appeared to be an injured seagull on the sidewalk," she wrote.

Hill, director of Spokane County Animal Control, had to drive a block or two before she could turn around. When she got back to the scene, she saw the same boy riding his bicycle.

"I pulled over and asked if he had seen an injured bird," she said.

The boy, who looked to be about 13, explained that he had moved it to a safer position on some grass.

Hill found the bird nearby. She saw that, in addition to moving it, the boy had left it part of his lunch -- an apple and some pretzels.

"This really touched me," she said.

Hill took the bird to a veterinarian. It couldn't be saved. But she won't soon forget the apple and pretzels.

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