Howard appointed Richland County dog warden

MANSFIELD — Dane Howard is the new Richland County dog warden.The retired Huron County sheriff starts his new full-time job today."I am very excited to be Richland County's new dog warden," Howard said in a prepared statement. "I look forward to being part of the team and I hope to have a positive impact on Richland's dog community."Howard, of New London, replaces Dave Jordan, who was terminated Feb. 19 after serving as the dog warden since 2004. According to the Mansfield News Journal, a $150,000 settlement between Richland County and a former county employee was revealed during a News Journal investigation of the sudden firing of Jordan. For the last year, Howard had been working on a part-time basis for the Richland County Sheriff's Office as the manager of the property room in the crime lab. He said his responsibilities were "evidence take-in" and property disposal through the court system. Howard worked about 25 hours a week.Howard spent 30 years in law enforcement, including two four-year terms as the Huron County sheriff, from 2009 through 2017. He started his career with the Plymouth Police Department. Howard retired shortly after losing his election bid for a third term as sheriff to Todd Corbin, who was one of his deputies. "I've been enjoying retirement quite a bit," Howard told the Reflector. "I'm just trying to pitch in and help out. … I'm 54 and and I want to stay active."Howard has been married to his wife Peggy for 32 years. The couple met when they were Plymouth police officers. They have a 2-year old Great Pyrenees dog named Shire and a 10-year old Pomeranian named Tasha.Richland County Commissioners Tony Vero, Marilyn John and Darrell Banks appointed Howard as the next dog warden. The commissioners, in a prepared statement to the News Journal, said Howard's experience in overseeing multi-million dollar budgets helped make their choice an easy one and "his unique experience, along with his current status as a county employee" will make the transition "a seamless one."There are about 10 employees in the dog warden's office, including deputy dog wardens, office staff members and workers who oversee the kennels. "Richland County is fortunate to have a person of Dane's background and we are eager to begin a new chapter at the dog warden's department," Vero said in a statement.While Howard told the Reflector his main job is to administer and run the office, "it's about taking care of the dogs."