ASHLAND — Ashland County commissioners on Thursday revised a controversial dog euthanasia policy.
The resolution, which passed unanimously, was not on the commissioners’ initial agenda, typically posted to the board’s Facebook page the day prior.
“We reviewed this yesterday and to be honest with you, we made that decision yesterday to put it on the agenda today. There was no mal-intent (sic), it was just trying to get this on as quick as we could,” said Denny Bittle, the board of commissioners’ president.
Bittle offered up the amendments at the end of the commissioners’ meeting, which was attended by one community member.
Chief among the changes was the euthanasia policy. Commissioners approved a 29-page handbook entitled the Ashland County Dog Shelter Rules and Regulations on Jan. 11. One of the rules surrounding euthanasia stated “dogs that have been at the shelter for more than one year will be euthanized.”
The policy caused an uproar of dog lovers and community members who worried those dogs, around 12 at the time, would be put down shortly after the policy’s ratification.
Mass euthanasia didn’t happen, and commissioners vowed to update the rule through input received by an advisory committee that met several times earlier this year.
The new rules surrounding euthanasia at the dog shelter are now more robust, Bittle said. They include specifics around the criteria used to determine when a stray is to be put down.
Those include severe illness or injury, behavioral issues, quality of life and “overpopulation and resource constraints.”
Shannon Hamilton, the shelter’s interim kennel manager, said he’s been aware of the new rules for a couple weeks.
During that time, commissioner Bittle went back and forth with him, Ashland County Sheriff’s Office deputy Curtis Hall, the shelter’s office manager (Arlene Beasley) and Veronica Negrey, the shelter’s head of volunteers.
What does ‘overpopulation’ mean?
When asked to define “overpopulation,” Hamilton said the kennel can hold 51 dogs at one time. So anything over that number would be overpopulated.
There is space for up to 14 additional cages in the future, but it’s unclear whether that will ever happen. That space is currently being used as storage and a playroom.
“I’ve been here about a year,” Hamilton said. “And we’ve never operated at full capacity and it’s never gotten to the point where that’s an issue.”
Decision-making process
The euthanasia section that was amended included a section entitled “Euthanasia Decision-Making Process.”
“The decision to humanely euthanize a dog will always be hard. That decision should be made carefully and, whenever possible, with the input of multiple individuals,” it reads.
It continues to state an informed decision will be made “in consultation with a veterinarian, staff, and the Ashland County Commissioner’s Office.”
It also states “dogs may be assessed” by a certified behavioralist/dog trainer.
Hamilton said the shelter has worked with a behavioralist that provided written assessments on “three or four” dogs. He declined to identify the behavioralist, but he said she has worked with Sarge, Zeus and Brutus — dogs considered potentially challenging to adopt, Hamilton said.
The assessments, he said, provide details on the dog’s body postures, stress levels and notes on ways to better train them.
“It’s really just an assessment done to help us make them more adoptable,” Hamilton said.
The behavioralist did not provide a written assessment on Bowie, a young dog deemed dangerous in August for biting a volunteer, Hamilton said. That situation relates to the reason Hootman was fired earlier this month.
County records show Bowie was euthanized on Oct. 17 by Ashland Veterinary Clinic.
‘Really impressed’
“Honestly, I’m really impressed with the thought process in the whole policy itself,” Hamilton said, adding the original policy was “worded poorly.”
“It gives a lot of opportunities to explore different options for dogs. We’re looking at every situation as a whole,” he said.
The new rules that ended up being approved Thursday, however, were not made accessible to other staff and volunteers prior to commissioners’ vote.
Also, the staff and volunteers will not have to sign a paper that verifies they’ve read through them, like they had to do in January.
“I just don’t see the need for it,” Commissioner Jim Justice said.
Negrey did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The move comes on the heels of firing Patricia Hootman, the dog shelter’s kennel manager, and a volunteer, Linda Bolin — the latest casualties of a period in time characterized by tumult.
The tumult, in part, has stemmed from disagreements over the euthanasia policy.
Read the amended dog shelter policies below.