ASHLAND — The county’s deputy dog warden on Thursday delivered an optimistic outlook for the shelter.
“The positive movements are continuing everyday,” said Curtis Hall, an Ashland County Sheriff’s Office deputy and the man tapped to perform the enforcement duties of a dog warden.
He and Shannon Hamilton, the shelter’s newly hired kennel manager, shared comments before Ashland County commissioners on Thursday. Their comments stood in contrast to a tumultuous 2024 at the shelter, which involved resignations, firings and a controversial euthanasia policy.
On the enforcement side, Hall reported fielding 291 calls related to stray dog incidents since his appointment in July. Of those, he’s issued 17 citations.
“So, obviously, I’m leaning toward education and not citations,” Hall said. In some cases, however, citations will need to be written. The next dog license enforcement day, he noted, is Feb. 1.
Hall said he resolved around 400 licenses that hadn’t been renewed or needed to be purchased — cutting the 943 un-renewed dog licenses in the county nearly in half.
He referenced a case that involved a Pitbull biting a 6-year-old boy as the only felony case related to dog bites. Three people have been charged in the August incident and await either trial or other court proceedings.
Hall said the dog involved is being held as evidence.
Shelter numbers
Shannon Hamilton, the dog shelter’s newest kennel manager, said is happy with the direction of the shelter and shared initiatives that he hopes will keep captive dogs healthier and more adoptable.
In 2024, Hamilton said the shelter housed 236 dogs. Of those, 116 were reclaimed and 125 were adopted, he said. Shelter staff transferred another 18 dogs to rescues, he said.
There were four dogs euthanized in 2024. Hamilton said that calculates out as a 1.69% “euthanization rate.”
“That’s very good,” he said.
One dog has already been euthanized this year, Hamilton said. The dog was euthanized because of behavioral issues, he said.
Hamilton said one of the shelter’s focuses this year involves bolstering its foster dog program, which is currently operating under a trial run. The initiative places dogs in a home before a permanent adoption.
“We’re finding out that it’s going to be beneficial for the dog to be in a home as opposed to the shelter,” he said. “It’s also going to bring cost-savings to the taxpayers. Not as much work involved in caring for a specific dog.”
Other efforts to increase adoption rates include establishing a separate “animal care room” inside the shelter. The room, Hamilton said, will allow staff to perform intake, health assessments and vaccinations in a separate room. Those actions had been happening in the kennel previously, Hamilton said.
The shelter is also working with a dog behavioralist to train dogs and “color coding” dogs based on levels of aggression. The colors will serve as indicators for volunteers, for their safety.
Currently, the shelter houses 23 dogs.
“A dog shelter is not a great place for dogs … it’s not for long term purposes,” Hall said, highlighting the agency’s efforts improve adoption rates and dog health. He said the shelter hopes the initiatives help reduce its population of dogs by 10-15%.
The shelter is hosting a dog adoption event on Jan. 18. It will be at the shelter, 1740 Baney Road, from noon to 4 p.m.
Newly elected Ashland County Sheriff Kurt Schneider heralded the shelter’s staff and volunteers for their efforts to build trust in the community.
“They’re really putting a lot of effort and things in. The support from (Ashland County commissioners) has been outstanding. I’m pleased to be a part of it,” he said.