Overrun with dogs

NORWALK — The Huron County Humane Society is stretched "beyond capacity" after rescuing 20 dogs from a home a home in Willard last Friday. Amanda Fearing, the humane society's medical director, described the case as "sadly common, except for the numbers." According to Fearing, the humane society received a tip from a neighbor of the alleged suspect who informed the group that someone "had a large number of dogs" and the caller was concerned about the animals' welfare. The humane society sent its humane investigator to the address and found more than 20 dogs at the residence. "Our investigator was able to get the cooperation of the individual and remove the dogs without issue," Fearing said. Although the dogs were removed from the alleged inhumane conditions, the animals are currently undergoing veterinary exams, bathing, nail clippings and other hygienic procedures. So far, the results have been better than expected, with the majority of the dogs described by Fearing being "decent weights and fairly social with no signs of physical abuse." "We are in the process of vetting and treating the dogs for medical issues. So far they don't seem too bad off, it's mostly skin issues we are dealing with," Fearing said. Fearing describes the root cause of the issue to be unrestricted breeding amongst family pets and not a professional breeding operation. "This seems to be the case of a couple of dogs that were not spayed or neutered and just got out of hand," she said. "When it starts to spiral and they start breeding, one little slip-up and here you are, with a bunch of dogs." The sheer number of dogs has the staff under pressure, with Fearing reaching out to area groups for help in housing the animals. When a reporter visited the shelter on Wednesday, multiple dogs were being housed in each cage and the cages filled every available area in offices, hallways and common areas. The Huron County Dog Warden's office has agreed to house three dogs, according to Joshua Jasinski, Chief Dog Warden and the Erie County Dog Warden's office has taken possession of four others, according to Erie County Dog Warden Barb Knapp. "Seeing all those dogs over there having to live in cages, I knew we needed to help them out, and we could take four," Knapp said. "If everyone helps out by getting their animal spayed or neutered, we can solve this problem of overpopulation." According to Jasinski, there is an ongoing investigation into the licensing of the dogs that were removed. Huron County Humane Society Controller Scott Sparks is concerned that the large influx of animals will burden the group's already stretched budget, according to a news release. "As a (nonprofit group), we rely entirely on the generosity of donors and do not receive any guaranteed public funding. Unfortunately, donations have been significantly down this year — at the very time when our expenses have continued to rise," the release states. "This intake has required extra staff hours to provide proper care and cleaning, as well as transportation back and forth to multiple veterinarians to address the health needs of the incoming animals," it continued. "Our veterinary costs have increased sharply, along with our utility bills, which are impacted by the increased water and electricity use needed to clean and maintain the larger and more demanding enclosures." With resources stretched thin, Sparks pleaded with residents to help the shelter by donating. "As (the) controller, I can confirm that we've had to dip into our cash reserves multiple times this year just to cover basic operational costs — something we strive to avoid unless absolutely necessary. These ongoing challenges make it incredibly difficult to provide the level of care these animals deserve without the support of our community," Sparks said. He continued: "We accept donations in the form of cash or credit cards, both in person and over the phone (please note that credit card swipe fees do apply). Supporters can also make secure donations online through our website at www.huroncountyhumanesociety.com or through our Facebook page at facebook.com/HuronCountyHumaneSociety. He concluded: "Every contribution — no matter the size — makes a meaningful difference and helps us continue to care for the animals that depend on us."