SCIOTO COUNTY, OH — Just as Scioto County officials were trying to stabilize the troubled Dog Warden’s Office, they were dealt another setback.
At Thursday’s commissioners meeting, officials announced that Dog Warden Eli Miller has resigned, leaving the county searching for yet another replacement at a time when the department is already operating under difficult circumstances.
The resignation comes on top of another challenge facing the office.
The county’s other dog warden, Olivia Phipps, is currently facing an OVI charge in Portsmouth Municipal Court. Sources tell SCDN that because of the pending case, Phipps is not currently permitted to operate a county vehicle while the matter is being resolved—a significant limitation for a position that revolves around responding to calls, investigating bites, and transporting aggressive or stray animals.
Phipps is scheduled to return to court for a pretrial hearing on August 4.
“He Did a Fine Job”
Commissioner Will Mault praised Miller during Thursday’s meeting.
“He did a fine job.”
But commissioners acknowledged the Dog Warden’s Office has become one of the county’s most difficult departments to keep fully staffed.
Commissioner Scottie Powell said the county has discussed possible alternatives.
“Technically we could ask the sheriff to take over the Dog Warden position. But I haven’t had that conversation with him. I’ll just throw that out there.”
Powell also suggested the constant public scrutiny surrounding the shelter has made an already difficult job even harder.
“I’m not saying this is Eli’s reason for the resignation, but there’s been a lot of scrutiny. When people sign up for these roles, they don’t sign up for the scrutiny—they sign up to serve.”
“Even though they’re out there doing the best they can, it’s going to be a pain point for a little bit.”
A Tough Job That Doesn’t Pay Much
Commissioner Merit Smith pointed to another challenge: compensation.
“Unfortunately, with our budget, they don’t make a whole lot of money.”
Smith said most people who accept positions at the shelter do so because they genuinely care about animals.
“If you’re going to work at the dog pound, you’re going there because you love the job. As things change in your life, you do need to make more money to survive.”
That financial reality appears to have surfaced in court earlier this month when Phipps appeared on the OVI charge. Court records show she was declared indigent, qualified for a court-appointed public defender, and even had the standard public defender application fee waived.
One of the County’s Biggest Challenges
Smith described the Dog Shelter as one of the county’s two most difficult issues.
“The two things hardest to deal with are Children Services issues and the dog pound.”
Despite the setbacks, he expressed optimism that partnerships with organizations like Sierra’s Haven and Scioto Hounds will eventually improve operations.
“We’ve put a lot of effort into doing repairs out there. We’re trying to pull all of that together.”
He acknowledged, however, that employees are being asked to do more during the transition.
“We’ve talked to the people out there, and they understand with all this going on they’re going to have to pick it up and do a little bit extra. And for the little amount that they get paid to do a little bit extra sometimes, that doesn’t go over real well.”
The Strain Is Already Showing
Those staffing challenges are already affecting day-to-day operations.
SCDN recently reported that during an animal complaint in Clay Township, deputies were unable to reach a dog warden and instead had to contact the Shelter Director to respond to the scene.
It was just one of several recent incidents in which deputies responding to dog bites, livestock attacks, or loose dog complaints reported difficulty reaching animal control.
Looking Ahead
The resignation of another dog warden leaves county leaders once again searching for staffing solutions while continuing to address shelter repairs, overcrowding, implementation of Avery’s Law, and increasing public expectations.
For commissioners, the challenge is no longer simply fixing a troubled shelter.
It’s finding enough qualified people willing to do one of the county’s toughest—and most scrutinized—jobs.