LEWISTON — One gets a sense that even the animals are in mourning.

Wendell Strout, Lewiston’s colorful animal control officer for nearly 30 years, has died. He passed on Monday, family members said, at the age of 60.

For more than 25 years, Strout was the man you called if you had a lost dog, a strange acting raccoon or bats flying around inside your house.

His adventures in animal control were so frequent and so varied, it often drew him fame beyond the Lewiston-Auburn borders. In 2007, the History Channel came to Lewiston to get Strout’s take for an episode about a mysterious dead animal found in Turner.

Locally, he worked every day with other animal control officers, including those from state agencies and many who worked for private companies.

“Wendell,” said Misfits Rehab owner Jennifer Marchigiani, “was always fun to deal with.”

Her most recent memory of the man, Marchigiani said, was getting a call from Strout who had found random chickens running wild in Lewiston.

Chickens aren’t wildlife by definition, Marchigiani pointed out, but Strout wanted the animals taken care of so he rounded them up and brought them to Misfits Rehab.

Strout worked well with all creatures, great and small, his peers said. But he worked especially well with humans.

“Wendell was one of those guys who, once you met him, he was your friend for life,” said Lewiston police Lt. Derrick St. Laurent. “He was a colorful guy and I think you kind of have to be in that line of work.”

Lewiston police paid tribute to Strout on their Facebook page Tuesday, and it was clear that the officer who wrote the post understood Strout personally.

“He will always be remembered for his raspy voice and his contagious laugh,” the post reads, “which brought warmth and light to everyone around him.”

When he wasn’t chasing hawks from city buildings or running down stray dogs, Strout was close to his family, and in particular his daughter Delanie.

“My dad lived his days like every day was going to be a good one,” Delanie said on Tuesday. “He was a stranger to no one and made friends everywhere. He put a lot of time into the things he loved, and was very compassionate for his communities he was involved in. He was a character and protector to grow up around, and I’d pick him in every lifetime.”

And baseball. Strout was deeply into the game, whether it was at the professional level or softball in and around his home in Greene. He coached softball and was an active member of the Police Athletic League.

“Wendell and I would talk for hours on the phone about baseball/softball hitting strategy,” said Chuck Gurney, one of Strout’s closest friends. “Whenever one of our players was in a hitting slump we could always count on the other for some good advice. The community has lost a good man and I have lost a great friend.”

At the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society in Lewiston, word was spreading on Tuesday that Strout had passed.

“His more than 25 years as an animal control officer for several of our contracted towns made him a familiar fixture at the shelter,” said shelter Director Katie Lisnik. “Having preceded even our most tenured staff member, none of us know life at the GAHS without him. Wendell’s humor, tenacity, and deep care for this community will be remembered fondly by all of us who had the privilege of working with him.”

Some people, like Tyla Davis of Poland, knew Wendell both from his work with the animal population and from just running into him from time to time at area clubs.

“Wendell could be both the quietest guy in the room, but the most larger-than-life guy in the room, all at the same time,” Davis said.

Strout worked closely with the media at times, and was a constant source of funny, uplifting or downright strange news for the reporters who came calling.

“Wendall had a heart of gold and always gave people the benefit of the doubt,” said Sun Journal photographer Russ Dillingham. “He was always available whenever needed and I could always count on him answering my calls or emails.”

It was easy to understand why reporters kept close to Strout — in his role as animal controller, every day seemed like an adventure. There were big adventures, little adventures and a few that were just downright peculiar.

In 2019, Strout made the news after a stealthy cat sneaked in and stole part of a Thanksgiving turkey Strout had won in a raffle.

But Strout was also responsible for bringing animal abusers to justice, a role he took on with particular ardor. In 2022, Strout tracked down and charged a 17-year-old who had been seen swinging a cat by its tail.

He also cracked down on those who kept exotic animals, a practice deemed unsafe for the animals, the owners and the community at large.

On his many animal adventures, Strout worked often with fellow animal control officer Rich Burton, who covers some of the area’s smaller towns. On any given day, Strout and Burton might be dealing with skunks, snakes, predatory birds or colonies of cats.

And no matter what the adventure, Burton said, Strout had a way of reassuring and charming the human population.

“He made friends wherever he went,” Burton said.

At the Animal Emergency Clinic in Lewiston on Tuesday, an effort was underway to set up “Wendell’s Stray Pals Fund,” aimed at raising money for the care of stray animals.

All over social media, meanwhile, more and more people were hearing of Strout’s passing and sharing their memories of the man.

Melissa Ann recalled Strout coming to the rescue when a cat ran through the halls of St. Dominic Academy. Whenever there was an animal in need, she said, she knew that Strout could be counted on for help.

“You may have been gruff on the outside,” she wrote in a Facebook post, “but deep down you had one of the biggest hearts.”

“Wendell,” said Davis, “was just an absolute gem of a human being.”