ASHLAND — An optimistic trio from the Ashland County Dog Shelter provided an update to county commissioners on Thursday, after a year of financial and public scrutiny.
Ashland County Sheriff’s Deputy Curtis Hall, who doubles as the county’s dog warden, walked commissioners through the numbers first.
He’s handled 345 calls so far this year, prosecuted three instances of abandoned dogs, and made more than 300 phone calls related to licensing and complaints. The county currently has 9,818 licensed dogs — the bulk of which help fund the shelter.
When Hall stepped into the role last July, the shelter had already borrowed $130,000 from the county’s general fund to cover anticipated expenses. At that time, he said, “the financial status with the shelter was a hot button topic.”
Today, things look different.
As of July 31, the shelter’s fund balance sat at just under $87,000. On paper, that leaves a projected shortfall of about $8,200 to meet payroll through 2025. But Hall said that projection doesn’t include expected income from license renewals, adoption fees, and donations.
“When you add in recent license revenues, that shortfall drops to about $354,” Hall told commissioners. “And that’s before any donations. So, don’t panic yet.”
The biggest hurdle now, he said, is modernizing payment options.
“We need credit card readers,” Hall stressed. “We can’t keep growing without them. Nearly every business in the county relies on credit card revenue.”
Commissioners did not take action regarding credit card readers on Thursday.
Shelter statistics, adoptions, and community work
Kennel manager Shannon Hamilton shared what’s happening inside the shelter.
This year, 166 dogs have come through the doors. Of those, 72 have been adopted, 74 returned to owners, and 19 sent to rescue organizations. Five dogs have been euthanized. One of those included a dog involved in the Savannah dog bite case.
The numbers place the shelter’s live release rate at nearly 98%— a figure Hamilton called “a very good number.”
Turnover among staff has also been non-existent this year, which Hamilton said has helped stabilize operations. The shelter has taken part in community events like the ACCESS summer kickoff — where Hall took a pie to the face — and continues to showcase dogs through media partnerships.
Assistant manager Ellie Powell highlighted new programs, including a foster initiative that has successfully placed nearly every dog in a temporary home before adoption.
“Foster homes help dogs adjust to real-life environments,” said Powell, hired by commissioners in April. “It makes them truly amazing adoptable dogs.”
The shelter also started group play sessions, giving dogs socialization and exercise. On the medical front, Powell reported that 36% of tested dogs showed positive for Lyme disease, an issue the staff is tackling with treatment and monitoring.
Looking ahead
The shelter staff is developing a potential partnership to match veterans with trained service or companion dogs. The program aims to place five dogs a year with local veterans at little or no cost to them. Sponsorships would cover training expenses.
Commissioners praised the shelter team for turning around an organization once mired in scrutiny.
“It’s just amazing to me that in one year, the face of this dog shelter has changed so much,” commissioner Denny Bittle said.
Challenges remain, however.
Heat management in the shelter’s kennel pods has drawn questions from the community, especially after a summer heat wave. Commissioner Jim Justice brought up the concern and posed the question.
Hall said industrial fans now pull cool air into dog areas, holding average temperatures in the upper 70s.
Bittle said installing full air conditioning would drive utility costs too high for the county.
Other long-term questions involve how to handle costly emergency medical cases when nonprofits like No Paws Left Behind can’t step in.
“Dogs are people’s property,” Bittle said. “If we put $2,000 into saving a stray, but the owner can’t pay, who covers that? These are policies we’re still working out.”
Still, the mood was optimistic.
“We’ve got the recipe,” Hall said. “Now we just need time to cook the food. Give us three consistent years, and we’ll show you how good this shelter can be.”
Thursday’s update comes on the heels of Kristin “Krissi” Fussner’s announcement to run for county commissioner. Fussner, a former dog shelter staffer, said the ongoings at the shelter over the last couple years influenced her decision to run.
“I’ve been hearing people voicing their concerns and opinions. Everyone wants change, but there was nobody stepping up to try it … so I finally just made the decision,” she said.
Fussner, 55, plans to run against Bittle, whose term expires in December 2026. She hopes to run as an independent candidate, meaning the deadline to file her petition with the board of elections is May 4. She has until then to collect 183 signatures around the county.
