Save the dogs

12/2/2012

For far too long, the Lucas County Dog Warden’s office operated largely to kill stray animals, with few if any questions asked. The current warden, Julie Lyle, has presided over a necessary change in the department’s emphasis — to preserving healthy dogs, providing medical care to dogs who can be treated, and preparing more dogs for adoption, not execution.

An important new program of the warden’s office aims to offer care to dogs that need extraordinary medical treatment, including hospitalization, because of the extent of their illness, injury, or abuse at human hands. This holiday season — and beyond — you can contribute to this life-saving initiative.

Cutie’s Fund seeks to raise as much as $20,000 a year to support such emergency care, along with more-standard care provided by the veterinarian at the dog warden’s shelter. It’s named for a 3-year-old Chihuahua that recently required more than $1,400 worth of treatment to remove two puppies that had died, one of which had lodged in the dog’s birth canal.

Cutie survived emergency surgery and has been adopted by Blade reporter Tanya Irwin.

John Robinson Block, the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Blade, and Allan Block, chairman of the newspaper’s parent company, Block Communications Inc. (BCI), have contributed $5,000 to Cutie’s Fund. In addition, BCI is launching a challenge grant that will match public contributions to the program, dollar for dollar, up to $5,000.

These initiatives will enable the dog warden’s office to realize 75 percent or more of its annual funding goal. Your contributions are tax-deductible.

The way Lucas County government treats the dogs that come under its control makes a statement about how it sees, and does, its business. Caring about these animals does not indicate a lack of concern about human needs in this community, as tiresome cynics would have it.

Rather, the two are inseparable.

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You can contribute to Cutie’s Fund online or by making donations in person or by mail to the Lucas County Dog Warden, 410 S. Erie St., Toledo, OH, 43604. Make checks payable to Lucas County Dog Warden and write “Cutie’s Fund” on the subject line.