Although the leap from grooming poodles to answering 911 calls may seem like a large one to some, CJ Deusenberry says she had no problem making the adjustment.

Deusenberry has worked as a dispatcher in the UC Davis Police Department for 15 years, but for more than a decade before that she and her mother had been happily taking care of dogs in her hometown of Rio Vista.

"I groomed some dogs for their whole lives," she says. "It was fun. My mom took care of the people end of it, and I took care of the animals."

However, Deusenberry seemed destined for another calling -- literally. "We saw an ad to apply for a dispatcher position in the local newspaper, and I said, 'I can do that,'" she recalls. "My brother dared me to put in an application."

Deusenberry spent three years dispatching at the Rio Vista Police Department. She transferred to Davis in 1988 and until 1999 was still helping her mother run their grooming shop on the side.

UC Davis has nine dispatchers. Shifts are designed to ensure two dispatchers are on duty 24 hours a day. In addition to handling 911 calls and other requests for officer assistance, they also relay a variety of information to patrol officers.

Deusenberry says her staff handles approximately 58,000 calls a year. They range from the mundane, like lost bikes and livestock blocking the road, to the inane -- a student once phoned the police department asking for his anthropology grade -- to reports of a death.

When she is not handling emergencies at work, Deusenberry enjoys spending time with her 3-year-old great Dane, Luke, whom she loves to take camping. Deusenberry is also an avid jewelry collector. She is particularly fond of more exotic gems like black opals, tanzanite and blue diamonds, but also collects her birthstone -- amethyst.

In addition, Deusenberry has painted for 10 years. She uses a combination of black ink and paint pens to create still-life art with a comical feel. "I like doing it," says the Dixon resident. "One minute I'm painting, and all of a sudden it's hours and hours later and the piece is done."

As a dog groomer, Deusenberry didn't have to deal with robberies or deaths. Dispatching has exposed her to some uglier aspects of life, she says, But, she adds, "That's part of the job. You have to take the bad with the good." And on the plus side, she says, "It's something different every single day. You never know what's going to happen."