By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The question isn’t who let the dogs out – but rather who will pick up loose dogs in Bowling Green after the animal control officer retires at the end of this week.
At a recent Bowling Green City Council meeting, Police Chief Tony Hetrick explained that with the retiring of Tom Sieving, the Wood County Dog Warden will be asked to handle dog issues in the city. Members of the police division will continue to handle small nuisance animals like possums and raccoons, and dogs after normal work hours.
Last week, Wood County Dog Warden Andrew Snyder informed the county commissioners about the shift in coverage.
Snyder said Bowling Green handles about 90 reports of stray dogs a year. The dog warden’s staff covers the entire county with four deputies. That staff will drop to three next month when one deputy leaves.
That may mean a slower response time than Bowling Green citizens are accustomed to, he said.
“If we have deputies scattered across the county, the response time may be longer,” Snyder said. The staff will continue to handle calls in order of their urgency, he added.
Bowling Green Police Division will work with the dog warden when needed.
“They have been very good about handling dogs,” Snyder said. “We can notify them if we anticipate delays.”
The county dog warden will likely not be able to offer the personalized service that the city’s animal control officer has over the years. Several of the stray dogs picked up by Sieving never made it to the dog shelter.
Sieving would often drive around with the lost dog in his van until the police got a phone call from the worried owner, or in many cases, he already knew where the dog belonged.
“A lot of times, Tom knew the dogs in the city,” said Rodney Cook, a deputy with the Wood County Dog Shelter.
The city police division will continue to respond to animal abuse, cruelty and abandonment complaints, and unconfined dogs if dog warden staff are not available, Snyder said. The Wood County Humane Society handles animal abuse and neglect cases in the unincorporated areas of the county.
The city of Perrysburg may be headed the same direction with its animal control officer – which would add to the dog warden’s responsibilities, Snyder said.
“It’s definitely going to add to our workload,” he said of the Bowling Green change.
Before making any changes to staffing or hours, the dog warden said his office will see how taking on Bowling Green’s loose dogs impacts his office. Snyder said he may consider adjusting the hours of operation. However, he is concerned about limiting the time the dog shelter is open to the public.
“We’d hate to do that,” he said. “We’ll have to see how things play out.”
Snyder also updated the county commissioners on the suggestion to Bowling Green Parks and Recreation that the city create a dog park. Snyder noted there is already a dog park next to the county dog shelter, in the county’s East Gypsy Lane Complex.
“Hopefully, they can use our park,” he said.
Snyder also reported on the growing number of dog bites being reported, and the paperwork required with each incident.
He also shared the dog shelter’s latest live release rate of 90.6 percent. That rate is 95.8 percent when subtracting the number of dogs whose owners request euthanasia, and jumps as high as 99 percent when calculating just the dogs that are deemed eligible for adoption.
“We’re very happy with that,” Snyder said.
Beginning on Oct. 1, complaints regarding dogs running loose, dog bites and aggressive or vicious dogs in Bowling Green during normal business hours will be handled by the Wood County Dog Warden, which can be reached at 419-354-9242. For emergencies call 419-354-9001.
Anyone needing to make a report outside of the Wood County Dog Shelter normal business hours may call the Bowling Green Police Division at 419-352-2571.
