The Scioto County Dog Shelter may be under new leadership, but a late-night call shows the challenges facing the county’s animal-control operation haven’t disappeared.
Scioto County Sheriff’s deputies responded to Clay Township after a woman reported two dogs outside her home acting aggressively toward her and her animals. Both dispatchers and the caller attempted to reach the Dog Warden, but neither was able to make contact.
The incident comes as the county continues trying to stabilize animal control after months of resignations, staffing changes and complaints about delayed responses. Commissioners recently hired Cody Brickey to fill the newly combined Dog Warden/Shelter Director position, while Scioto Hounds and other rescue organizations have stepped up efforts to support the shelter.
“Run the Dogs Off for Now”
The call was initially relayed to the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office by Portsmouth Police.
According to dispatch notes, the woman said there were two dogs outside her home that were behaving aggressively toward both her and her animals.
Dispatch attempted to contact the Dog Warden but was unsuccessful.
The caller had tried, too.
With no animal-control officer available, the woman asked deputies if they could simply run the dogs off her property for the time being.
A deputy responded and drove around the residence looking for the animals but was unable to locate them.
The deputy advised the woman to speak with the Dog Warden about a larger problem she said was occurring in the area: dogs being dropped off along the road.
New Leadership, Same Difficult Job
The call illustrates one of the biggest challenges facing the county as it attempts to rebuild the troubled Dog Warden’s Office.
Aggressive and abandoned dogs don’t keep business hours.
Commissioners’ recent job posting for the combined Dog Warden/Shelter Director position specifically called for after-hours emergency response, including nights, weekends and holidays, and cooperation with the Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies.
That need has been evident throughout the shelter crisis. SCDN has reported on numerous occasions when deputies responding to dog bites, attacks and loose aggressive dogs were unable to immediately reach a dog warden.
Meanwhile, the shelter itself remains under considerable pressure.
A recent hoarding investigation dumped a large number of dogs into the county’s care at once. Pike Pet Pals said the shelter received 21 dogs in just 24 hours, most connected to that case. Volunteers from Scioto Hounds and Pike Pet Pals stepped in to help assess and provide basic veterinary care to the animals.
That incident also demonstrated the other side of the shelter’s continuing story. While serious problems have been documented and alleged over the past year, outside organizations are now actively working with the county to improve conditions and help its dogs.
But rebuilding the shelter and strengthening rescue partnerships doesn’t make the calls stop.
On this night in Clay Township, there were two reportedly aggressive dogs outside a woman’s home, nobody could reach the Dog Warden, and a sheriff’s deputy was once again left handling the immediate problem.
