We are a small rural county in Northeast Ohio that has 1 shelter that is also the Dog Pound for our county. I am our counties Humane Societies Animal Cruelty Investigator. Unfortunately, I tend to add to the population at the Dog Pound when I come across an abuse or neglect case. Once the courts or the owners give us custody of the dog we vet the dogs to ensure they are healthy. Upon adoption, which costs $45, that includes first shorts, license for the year, and micro-chip. We also reduce the adoption fee for senior dogs. At times we will choose a color of dog and reduce the adoption fee for that week or for a specific amount of time. Since we are unable to do behavior testing, we offer the adopting family a week to determine if the dog is a good match with their family or not. If not, the family can bring the dog back and they can either adopt another dog that they feel will match with their family well or they will receive a refund of the adoption fee. There is another agency in our county called the Animal Protection League that has had a pole building up for over 10 years, received over 1 million dollars of support between grants and county dollars and they have yet to open their doors. As a result, the county has become disenchanted with fundraising support of the Humane Society that could allow us to offer additional resources to those who adopt companion animals within our county. As the Humane Society we work very closely with a retired Vetenarian who offers low cost spay and neutering and basic animal care at an extreme discount. By offering the services we can adoptions tend to be steady. Unfortunately, both the Dog Pound/Dog Warden and the Humane Society are having to combat misinformation that has led to mistrust of our agencies within the community. As the Animal Cruelty Investigator, I make sure to be very positive in my encounters as well as teach those I encounter of the purpose of the Humane Society and of the Dog Pound. I also do a great deal of volunteer activities to get our name out into the community in a positive light.
#PetSupportServices*------------------------------
Teresa Swisher
Animal Cruelty Investigator
Carroll County Humane Society
Carrollton, OH
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