Although the change comes shortly after recent employee departures left some Humane Society supporters concerned about the group’s future, Humane Society board member Roger Sherrock said it has been in the works for months.
“It’s about the dispatch of the dog wardens,” Sherrock said.
Before, dog wardens had been dispatched to scenes such as unruly dogs or even possible dog bites separately from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center.
“They were putting themselves in potentially dangerous situations,” Sherrock said.
So the humane society and county have been working to transition the staff to the county.
Detrick hopes the changes will help operations run more smoothly at the Humane Society. The non-profit organization has struggled with staffing shortages lately, the Springfield News-Sun previously reported.
Most recently the organization’s shelter coordinator resigned, as well as the shelter office manager. Two other shelter workers were also dismissed from their jobs, the Humane Society’s meeting minutes showed.
The shelter’s interim director will be leaving on Friday, Sherrock said.
While the changes to the county will make are a good idea, shelter volunteer Kathy Voytko said she’s concerned it won’t solve the problems at the shelter. New people need to be hired to fill vacant positions, she said.
“Something has to change very quickly at the shelter because they’re understaffed,” Voytko said.
The shelter isn’t currently taking owner releases, she said, when owners have to give up their pets for financial or other reasons.
It’s a sign the shelter is too full, she said.
“The board needs to be more transparent,” she said. “And we need to make sure that the animals are taken care of.”
The humane society is working quickly to fill the vacant positions, Sherrock said.
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