Once in shelter, dogs evaluated for adoption

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By Matt Sanctis, Staff Writers Updated 11:43 AM Wednesday, December 15, 2010

As the economy continued to struggle over the last two years, shelter workers at the Humane Society Serving Clark County Inc. have seen the number of abandoned dogs increase significantly.

Dog wardens bring in strays to the shelter nearly every day, and in other cases owners have increasingly turned to the shelter to care for their pets when they are no longer able to afford to do so.

In 2009, the agency cared for 103 abandoned dogs, but by November this year, that number had increased to 147.

Laura Hawbecker, who has served in the shelter for more than a year, said the agency provided a home for as many as 70 dogs in one day earlier this month.

When they arrive, the dogs are checked for identification chips, and staff members check to see if the animal was reported lost. State law requires that the animals are kept at the shelter for at least three days, but even after that Hawbecker said the shelter does everything it can to find the pets a home.

“Our point is to try and move them out of here,” she said.

The shelter has a variety of options, including working with other shelters and pet rescue agencies who may have a home for the pet. Some dogs are sent to foster homes, and the agency has secured 16 spaces in an inmate program in Allen County. There, inmates who have been specially trained live with the dogs and teach obedience and house-breaking.

Jimmy Straley, executive director of the Humane Society in Clark County, said it’s a misconception that the dogs are put down after three days. In most cases, the agency will keep a dog as long as necessary unless it becomes seriously ill or if it shows signs of aggression that cannot be resolved.

“Everybody thinks its three days and down,” Straley said. “It’s not, and as long as I’m here it never will be.”

While many of the abandoned pets are healthy, many are under weight initially, and employees are tasked with evaluating and treating a wide range of social problems, ranging from food aggression to fear of people.

Gracie, a 1½-year-old golden retriever, had clearly been abused when she arrived at the shelter earlier this year, Hawbecker said. The dog was constantly anxious, and she continually ran in circles at, apparently afraid of being struck.

The dog was eventually sent to a prison program in Allen County where she was rehabilitated, and in November, Gracie was finally adopted.

Hawbecker said those kinds of successes make her work worthwhile.

“We’d rather them be in a home environment than be here in a cage,” she said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.