SCIOTO COUNTY, OH — Scioto County’s already strained Dog Warden’s Office has suffered another setback.
Just days after commissioners appointed the Scioto County Dog Shelter Director to serve as the county’s dog warden to keep operations afloat, they acknowledged Thursday that the director has not yet completed the state-required training for the position.
The revelation came as commissioners announced another dog warden has resigned, marking the third resignation since March and the second this month alone.
“We have another resignation from the Dog Pound.”
“This seems to be happening quite a bit out there. I think it’s because the Dog Pound is kind of in a transition right now. We’re doing a lot of things to try to work out things.”
The latest developments underscore the continuing staffing crisis at the Scioto County Dog Shelter, which has spent much of the year battling employee turnover, overcrowding, controversy, and the demands of enforcing Ohio’s new Avery’s Law.
🚔 Training Still Hasn’t Happened
Commissioner Merit Smith said the county appointed the shelter director as dog warden so someone would have the legal authority to respond while officials search for another employee.
“Actually, yesterday we appointed the shelter director as the dog warden so that we would have a dog warden while we’re working through this thing.”
However, Smith acknowledged there is one major hurdle.
When asked whether the newly appointed dog warden has completed the state’s required certification, he replied:
“As of yet, no.”
“We have talked about that because we don’t have anyone here who can train them. We’re going to have to get ahold of someone in another county or through the state. We haven’t got that set up yet, but we have discussed it.”
Sheriff’s Office Being Considered
With resignations continuing to mount, commissioners confirmed they have spoken with Scioto County Sheriff David Thoroughman about the possibility of his office assuming responsibility for dog warden operations—a model used in some Ohio counties.
“We have talked to the Sheriff. He is investigating what that would entail.”
Smith stressed no decision has been made.
“It doesn’t mean we’re going to do it. We’re just trying to look at options.”
Low Pay Continues to Be a Challenge
According to Smith, the latest resignation was driven largely by economics.
The employee wanted to return to school and needed a better-paying job.
“Quite honestly, they said they needed more money than what we’re paying.”
Smith acknowledged the county’s budget leaves little room for increases.
“Unfortunately, the county is in a situation where we can’t raise any salaries.”
He questioned whether the county will be able to attract qualified replacements.
“It’s questionable what are we going to get when we put it out there for the job. Are we going to get good applicants? We really don’t know.”
A Department Under Constant Pressure
The latest resignation comes after months of upheaval that have included:
- The resignation of former Dog Warden Heather Stevens;
- Civil rights complaints and workplace investigations;
- Shelter maintenance and mold concerns;
- Repeated reports of deputies being unable to immediately reach a dog warden during emergencies;
- Avery’s Law adding new responsibilities for dangerous dog investigations; and
- Community organizations such as Scioto Hounds stepping in to provide food, vaccines, and facility improvements.
Smith remains optimistic the county is making progress.
“It’s gonna take some work to get there.”
Still, he offered perhaps the clearest assessment yet of the challenge facing commissioners.
“Since I’ve been here, it’s probably one of the biggest problems we’ve had.”
For now, Scioto County finds itself searching for another dog warden while relying on a newly appointed replacement who has yet to receive the state training required for the job—a situation that illustrates just how difficult stabilizing the department has become.