ASHLAND — The call came Thursday morning.
Nearly a week later, the work hasn’t stopped.
Humane Society of Ashland County Director Tiffany Meyer received a call from the county sheriff’s department at 11 a.m. Aug. 27 to help remove a large number of dogs from Happy Mountain K9 Facility — a commercial dog breeding operation in Loudonville.
The humane society arranged transportation, retrieved the animals and began assessing their needs by 3:30 p.m. that same day.
“The first 30 hours are crazy,” Meyer said Tuesday.
They removed 72 dogs from the property, 50 adults and 22 puppies.
The humane society does not have its own building. Some dogs were sent to Heartland Technical Education Center, where students and volunteers have helped care for them.
Others were transported to surrounding rescue organizations based on the space and care available.
“Anne (Leidigh) was coordinating with rescue groups to get the animals dispersed and to the right facility,” Meyer said.
Registered Veterinary Technician and Instructor Anne Leidigh said her students at Heartland Tech quickly moved from classroom lessons to hands-on animal care.
Students helped unload the dogs and build additional pens after they arrived. They also have helped with physical exams, vaccinations, deworming and flea treatments.
“They literally do all of the feeding, all of the cleaning, all of the bathing, all of the socializing or walking — that’s all the kids,” Leidigh said.
Managing a large quantity of dogs requires all hands working overtime to give the animals care. Leidigh expressed how grateful she is for her students’ hard work during this difficult week.
“They have really stepped up,” Leidigh said. “They volunteered their time after school. They’ve taken direction and ownership of making sure the animals get phenomenal care.”
The humane society has also started scheduling spay and neuter procedures as the dogs move toward adoption.
Then came 13 more …
The number of animals needing care grew unexpectedly.
One of the dogs, Maya, stayed in her crate while staff worked to get the other dogs settled until a volunteer noticed something in there with her.
“There’s a puppy in here,” a volunteer said.
Maya was giving birth.
The staff moved Maya to an isolated room where she could deliver the rest of her 13 puppies, bringing the total number of dogs from the operation to 85.
“We’re just trying to get them all placed,” Meyer said.
Leidigh said Maya has been a great mother and they continue to receive care from the volunteers and students at Heartland Tech.
Community support continues
The response hasn’t stopped with the people directly caring for the dogs.
Community members have donated money and supplies. Volunteers have given their time. Rescue organizations have helped make room for animals that need placement.
Leidigh said the community has consistently responded when the humane society asks for help.
“There has never been a time where the community hasn’t stepped up to help,” Leidigh said.
She saw that response firsthand when a refrigerator used to store vaccines stopped working.
Leidigh asked for help on Facebook and within 15 minutes, someone was offering to purchase a new refrigerator.
That meant money the humane society could have spent replacing the refrigerator could instead go toward the animals’ care.
“These are just people that care,” Leidigh said.
People interested in donating should contact the humane society for more information on essential items. The best way to donate would be through monetary donations and gift cards so products can be purchased as needed.
The dogs still have several steps to complete before they can find forever homes.
They need veterinary care, vaccinations and spay or neuter procedures. Some also need time to adjust to new surroundings and become comfortable with people.
The work continues long after the first 30 hours. The humane society’s team of volunteers and Heartland Tech students are still working to care for the animals until they are ready for adoption.
The focus now is to give each dog the care it needs. Then eventually, a permanent home.
