WEST UNION, Ohio | It’s not that unusual to find a box of abandoned puppies along the road, according to Adams County Dog Warden Paul Hughes.
Last week seven black and white, furry puppies were found by a road construction worker and turned over to the Adams County Animal Shelter.
The puppies were only about three weeks old, said Hughes.
“Last summer I found another box along U.S. 52 full of puppies with their eyes still closed and a loaf of bread left for them to eat,” he said.
“This is wrong is so many ways and sad. People need to take responsibility for not getting their dogs spayed or neutered. This is why we have such a mess. They need to bring them to the pound, so they have a chance of surviving,” said Hughes.
“We are a dog pound that works to get all the adoptable dogs out to rescues or to be adopted, but we couldn’t do it without the help of so many rescue groups, and volunteers. It’s not just me, it’s us,” he said.
For example, that box of seven puppies that was scheduled to be picked up by Lickety Split Pet Transport (Ed and Melva Kimball of Manchester, deliver dogs and cats from dog pounds and shelters to rescues), was delayed because the Kimballs’ truck broke down on the way to the shelter.
Melva Kimball said she drove more than 500 miles just last week delivering pets to special rescue shelters in Columbus, Dayton, Springfield, and Cincinnati.
Mary Prater, owner of Sacred Hearts Animal Rescue and Sanctuary, then volunteered to drive the puppies to a rescue shelter in Cincinnati which specializes in taking care of younger puppies who need more nurturing, said Hughes.
“Without all our volunteers and rescue groups, we just couldn’t save so many. And those people who donate help so much too. Two ladies from the county donated $600, blankets and cleaning supplies to the pound last week. You don’t have to donate money, we always need supplies, especially bleach and dish soap,” Hughes said.
The ACDP can shelter an average of 20 dogs. Young puppies, dogs needing extra care, and dogs that have been at the pound for several days are transported quickly to a rescue. There they will be bathed and taken to a veterinarian so they are ready to be adopted, he said.
However, dogs are also always available for adoption at the pound. A puppy is $30 and dogs over three months are $20. Hughes said he keeps the fee low so owners can more easily afford to take their new pets to the veterinarian.
“People need to understand the responsibility of taking on a pet. That is why we have such a mess. Also, it can be a major issue if they get sick. It’s a long commitment of time and money. And they need to socialize their dog just like you would make sure your child socializes with other people. And you need to keep your dog contained. But that doesn’t mean keeping it tied all the time. Dogs need to be exercised daily just like us,” he said.
“They’re suppose to be our companions not a nuisance kept out of the way of our daily lives,” said Hughes.
A great way to see if adopting a dog is the right decision is to volunteer to foster a dog at home, Hughes said. And it can help to get the dogs moving from pound to rescue. People can learn if they can make the commitment and it’s a nice way to find the right fit between dog and owner, he said.
Sally Hayslip, Adams County transport coordinator said the teamwork between everyone is amazing.
“The dog pound can get so blasted with dogs, it seems so daunting how we’ll ever get them all adopted. But then rescues and volunteers, and Paul work together to find homes and shelters.”
In just a few weeks those seven puppies will be ready to be adopted. Anyone looking to find a pet can look at the shelter website at www.petfinder.com/shelters/adams.html. Additionally, just looking at the Petfinder site can lead to dogs that are available in any part of the U.S. and Canada.
For Lickety Split Pet Transport blog page search for Lickety Split Pet Transport on Facebook.
For more local shelter information search with a zip code on the Petfinder site.
