MANSFIELD — The Richland County Board of Commissioners will look at the possibility of adding a spay/neuter program at the county dog shelter.
Commissioners discussed the topic while meeting with Richland County Dog Warden Dave Jordan, Humane Society officials and Mansfield resident Hettie Rohwer on Tuesday.
Rohwer, whose two dogs were attacked by pit bulls on March 1 at her home, hopes to see something in place that will ensure all dogs adopted from the shelter are spayed or neutered.
According to Jordan, those looking to adopt a dog from the shelter must undergo a lengthy application process, which involves a background check. Applicants must also sign an agreement, saying they will spay or neuter the dog they wish to adopt.
Commissioner Marilyn John said she’s received a complaint about the spay/neuter stipulation from a person who wanted to adopt a dog from the shelter but was denied because the individual didn’t intend to spay/neuter the dog.
People who adopt a dog from the county shelter are given a $20 voucher for spaying/neutering.
Instead of having the voucher program, Rohwer wondered if the adopters could foot the bill of having the dog taken to a veterinarian for a spay/neuter operation before taking the dog home.
Jordan referred to the spay/neuter agreement individuals must sign before adopting a dog, saying, “We are choosing more responsible people… We’re not a kill shelter anymore because the policies have been so effective.”
In 2000, the average number of dogs impounded each month at the county dog shelter was 279, while the average number of dogs that were euthanized each month was 164.
The voucher program and background checks were implemented in 2004. By 2008, the average number of dogs that were impounded a month dropped to 182 and the average number of dogs that were euthanized per month fell to 24.
“Coming up to 2017, we have reduced the number of dogs impounded to 78 — not because we’re not out there pulling them in, it’s just because there are not as many dogs out there, and I would argue (that’s) because our policies have reduced the number of stray dogs out there right now,” Jordan said.
Today the average number of dogs euthanized per month is down to 1.
Commissioner Tony Vero said in some bigger cities, dogs don’t leave the county dog shelter unless they’ve been spayed or neutered.
Missy Houghton, executive director of the Humane Society of Richland County, said the humane society has a spay/neuter program in which a veterinarian comes to the shelter every other Tuesday and does about four hours of surgery for the animals at the shelter. Service is also provided for animals belonging to low-income individuals who are able to show proof of financial hardship.
“We are looking to expand that,” she said of the program.
Adoption fees cost $175 for adult dogs and $225 for puppies (the cost of spay/neuter is included in the total fee).
Jordan said only a small amount of impounded dogs at the county dog shelter are already spayed or neutered, estimating five of 80 dogs.
He said Crawford County does not have its own county dog shelter but contracts with the Crawford County Humane Society, which has a spay and neuter program.
Lake County, like Richland County, has a voucher program in place.
“The problem for a county our size is transporting that many dogs to a veterinary clinic that can even handle doing 15 to 20 dogs additionally per week,” Jordan said. “Paying for it isn’t the biggest problem. It’s the labor and logistics of transporting the dogs, the aftercare, things like that.”
