By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The euthanasia rate at the Wood County Dog Shelter has dropped to less than 4 percent of the dogs impounded at the facility.
“I’m very happy” with that number, Wood County Dog Warden Andrew Snyder said recently after giving his quarterly report to the Wood County Commissioners.
With the help of rescue groups and social media efforts, more dogs are finding homes, Snyder said.
So far this year, the dog shelter has recorded:
- 184 dogs impounded.
- 53 adopted by families.
- 22 transferred to rescue organizations.
- 81 reclaimed by their owners.
- 9 owner requested euthanasia.
- 4 euthanized.
- 2 deceased after impounded.
- 1 deceased before impounded.
Annual dog intakes have dropped from 800 in 2005 to 466 last year, Snyder said.
Snyder credited social media sites for working to link lost dogs with their owners.
“A lot of dogs aren’t coming to us,” but are going straight home, he said.
And the dog shelter has good relationships with rescue partners, Snyder said. He estimated there are 10 groups that the dog shelter has frequent contact with, while as many as 40 other rescue groups the shelter works with occasionally.
Snyder also said the Wood County and Toledo humane societies have been helpful in taking in adoptable dogs.
The county dog shelter has also taken steps to make stays at the facility more comfortable for impounded canines. Dogs are given blankets and toys in their kennels, high-energy dogs are given puzzle-type toys, music is played in the kennel, a portion of the shelter has been air-conditioned and increased efforts are being made to give the dogs outdoor exercise.
Last year, the dog shelter and Snyder were the focus of a protest by members of the Wood County Canine Alliance who were critical of the euthanasia rate at the facility. The euthanisia rates have continued to drop over the years, but the organization felt the numbers were still too high.
Since then, Snyder has made an effort to work with the organization, and some of its members now volunteer at the shelter.
Also last week, Snyder reported to the county commissioners that the Wood County Humane Society will soon be working with the sheriff’s office as the primary reporting site for citizen calls about animals.
Unlike the dog warden and the humane society cruelty investigator, the sheriff’s office is better equipped to handle calls that come in 24/7. Snyder noted that over a recent weekend, the sheriff’s office handled the initial contact with a couple dogs picked up during an OVI arrest and a vehicular crash.
