Colorado association will evaluate operations at dog warden's office

Lucas County Dog Warden Julie Lyle JETTA FRASER Enlarge

A national organization that works with animals will come to Toledo in early September to help evaluate the operations at the Lucas County Dog Warden's office.

The Lucas County Commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved bringing the American Humane Association to the county pound on Sept. 9-10. It will cost the county dog warden's department $5,800, Lucas County Administrator Peter Ujvagi said.

Commissioners also approved two other resolutions at their meeting Tuesday - one to reorganize the fee for returning unlicensed and vicious dogs to owners and the other to restructure the fee for area rescue groups to adopt dogs from the pound.

Lucas County Dog Warden Julie Lyle had asked for the county's help in improving her facility.

"I think some of our procedures need tweaking," Ms. Lyle said. "They will help us to move forward with change."

Representatives from the American Humane Association, based in Colorado, will evaluate the department for cleaning procedures, medicine, customer service, adoption procedures, and safety, said Dena Fitzgerald, program manager of shelter support for the association.

The association will give an initial evaluation and follow up with a complete report within 60 days.

Ms. Fitzgerald said her organization generally evaluates shelters that want to improve but need advice on how to do that.

"They are really looking to make improvements and make the Lucas County shelter more progressive and be the best they can be," she said.

Some felt a local organization would have been equally able to evaluate the county pound, said Steve Serchuk, chairman of the Lucas County Dog Warden Citizen's Advisory Committee.

But he said his committee would have been in favor of the decision had they voted on it.

The commissioners also voted to change how much owners will pay to regain custody of unlicensed or vicious dogs. Previously, they paid a flat rate of $100, but now they will also have the option to save $15 if they let the county pound spay or neuter, as well as put a chip in, the dog.

"That's just to encourage people to take that up," Ms. Lyle said.

Mr. Serchuk felt this change would be beneficial because fixing a dog reduces its aggressiveness.

"The owner should get a better behaved dog, and the public likes it because it's less likely to bite," he said.

The commissioners also approved the amount the Lucas County Dog Warden can charge to allow area rescue groups to adopt its dogs. The harder the dog is to adopt, the lower the fee will be.

The fee will be $10 for dogs that are difficult to place in a home, $25 for a regular dog that has not been fixed, and $50 for dogs that are already spayed or neutered, Ms. Lyle said.

By creating a system for rescue groups to adopt dogs from the county pound, Ms. Lyle hopes to decrease the pound's rate of euthanasia.

Mr. Serchuk said his committee voted unanimously to approve the change at its June meeting.

"We're trying to increase the number of dogs adopted both at the pound and through area rescue groups," he said.

Contact Sarah Mervosh at:

smervosh@theblade.com

or 419-724-6050.