Beam looking into possibility of expanding kennels
Holmes County dog warden Jonathan Beam said there are ongoing discussions about expanding the dog kennel portion of the building to the south across the parking lot to provide care for more dogs.
Facing an ever-growing influx of dogs into its kennel, the Holmes County Dog Warden and Adoption Center could soon be expanding its facility to better accommodate and care for the dogs in its care.
Holmes County dog warden Jonathan Beam recently met with the Holmes County Board of Commissioners to discuss what it would entail financially to expand the building’s kennel area.
The discussion centered around expanding the kennel area to the south of the existing kennel, moving from the current 14 dog kennels to possibly 25-30 kennels.
Beam said there are times now when they have to pair dogs up in kennels because they have too many, which means matching compatible dogs, and they have a waiting list of dog owners and other businesses waiting to have surrendered dogs placed in the kennel.
Commissioner Joe Miller questioned Beam as to what the new addition would do to the department’s day-to-day operations.
Beam said nothing significant should change with his personnel nor their daily functions.
“I don’t think we would need more people, and we have someone hired to clean the kennels — that’s what she does — so we probably shouldn’t have to hire anyone new to take care of (the kennels),” Beam said. “As far as general costs, the bigger the building, the more cost of upkeep, but the big thing is being able to help the community feel safer at the building because all of our dogs right now are brought in through the front door where the public comes in, which could create a dangerous circumstance. It would also help the staff too, to be able to come to work without being stressed about the possibility of having to put dogs down because we don’t have the space.”
He said one important factor of the addition would be an intake room where they could bring dogs into the facility away from the general public.
Beam said of tracking the flow of dogs being brought in over the past three years, this is an issue that isn’t going to go away any time soon.
“If we have a situation where we have to take in a bunch of new dogs, we can’t,” Beam said. “We’d have to go somewhere else, and that is difficult. And nobody likes the choice of having to put a dog down, but that could be a reality we face with the situation the way it is right now.”
Beam said for families and business operations that raise puppies making their department the first place many people turn to when wanting to surrender a dog, it puts the onus on the department to find a home, but in many cases, it has to turn away those requesting assistance.
Beam said they have created some temporary kennels and dog boxes outside, but that is a quick fix and not a long-term answer to the issue.
“If we are going to do something, we need to do it right,” Beam said.
He said the department has done some groundwork in figuring out possible additions and the costs that may be involved, but nothing is set in stone.
One benefit Beam said other than the idea of the funding coming from the county was the additional option of going to the public to seek donations for the addition.
“I think a lot of people would be willing to donate to the cause,” Beam said. “If we did some hard-core fundraising, I think we would do very well.”
With a growing number of families acquiring a dog or dogs during the pandemic, Beam said the possibility of having more dogs come in as surrenders is possible.
“I think it’s a need,” commissioner Ray Eyler said. “It’s not going to get any better.”
Commissioner Dave Hall inquired if parking would be an issue if they expanded south, and Beam said there should be sufficient area to satisfy both the additional kennels and the parking, although that would be something they would have to consider before expanding.
Hall suggested the county visit other dog kennels to get some ideas as to the best options and said while he believes it is a necessary step, it’s still a matter of cost and figuring out the best options.
Miller also suggested they seek someone who specializes in this type of construction. He applauded Beam and his staff for being proactive in approaching a possible solution to their issue.
“We have a community that really cares and fuels us and loves dogs,” Beam said.