Possible changes part of dog warden discussion
Creating more space at the Holmes County Dog Warden and Adoption Center to create a better avenue to adopt dogs was only part of the agenda as dog warden Jonathan Beam spoke with the Holmes County commissioners.
Holmes County dog warden Jon Beam met with the Holmes County commissioners on Monday, Nov. 25 in the Old Jail meeting room in Millersburg to discuss upcoming budget thoughts and the ongoing discussion centered around future improvements to the adoption center facility near Millersburg.
Beam’s initial focus was on dog tag sales, noting there was a small decline in the number of tags the department created in 2024. He said along with that, they saw a significant decline in the number of kennel licenses, something that didn’t shock him.
“I know back in 2022 it peaked with people getting into the breeding industry,” Beam said, noting the breeding industry has stemmed off dramatically since that surge took place prior to and during the pandemic.
“A lot of these kennels who jumped into the business are now getting rid of all of their dogs,” Beam said.
Beam said in 2022 Holmes County had nearly 29,000 registered dogs, which included all kennel dogs, regular tagged dogs and any dogs purchased in Holmes County. That number is around 25,000 to date.
Beam said he has compared those numbers with other similar counties, and the highest number he found in an even larger county was close to 11,000 dogs.
“It gives you an idea as to the number of dogs (in Holmes County) compared to other counties,” Beam said.
Beam said it was a bit premature to estimate the 2024 dog tag sales in the county because December is historically a huge month for dog tag sales, and that would adjust the budget for year end.
Because of budgetary concerns, Beam said the department would have to at least explore the possibility of raising dog tag fees from the current $17 and the kennel licensing fees from the current $85.
He said by law the dog tag fees can only rise a maximum of $2.
He then discussed the capital improvement fund, stating the West Holmes FFA recently donated more than $4,000 to the fund.
One recent project that drew funds from the capital improvement fund was work done on the building’s septic system, where four new leach lines were added. Beam said that was due to the amount of dog hair than continually clogs the system.
“Like most kennels, you’re dealing with dogs, and we have grates that collect dog hair, but it isn’t fool proof, so we ended up having to bite the bullet and we had J. Miller & Sons come in and do the necessary work,” Beam said.
Additionally, medical expenses continue to rise as the department incurs plenty of rising medical expenses in dogs due to tic-born instances, pregnant dogs and dogs being hit by automobiles.
The department works with East Holmes Veterinary Clinic on all its animals, and discussion turned to the cost of that versus bringing young veterinary students in to serve as in-house veterinarians.
“In the future we need to look into putting a veterinarian system in and having kids coming out of college gaining experience by serving in-house,” Commissioner Dave Hall said. “I know that veterinarian work is a big expense.”
Beam agreed, and they said they would discuss that possibility. Beam said because of the limited space they have, it is difficult to separate the kennel part of the process from the adoption part, and that led to further discussion about adding to the facility at some point to better support the medical and adoption process.
Beam said a larger facility would allow the department to bring dogs in and have them medically treated before they are moved into the adoption area. He said currently many dogs are moved in and out without medical needs being met because of space issues, thus putting the burden of having shots and spay and neutering on the adopter or foster family.
Beam said they have many community members who call in and donate to pay the medical expenses of some of the dogs.
“It gives you a sense of how the community wants to see the type of quality care their dog warden gives, and they also want to help out,” Beam said.
He said nearly $17,000 has been donated toward medical care, with $2,600 of that dedicated specifically toward spay and neutering expenses.
Beam also discussed adoption fees, which are currently $52, an amount he said was probably cheaper than most counties.
He also said there has been discussion around moving to a 50/50 pay plan for both vetted and unvetted dogs.
“An unvetted dog means it doesn’t have much of anything other than what is included in the original adoption,” Beam said, noting additional expenses like rabies shots, heartworm testing and being spayed or neutered are additional expenses, which is why he wants to continue to discuss a 50/50 payment plan for those adopting dogs. “I like the 50/50 plan because we aren’t making them pay everything.”
Beam said the most important thing is getting dogs adopted into caring homes.
The commissioners agreed to continue to seek options in how to best provide for the dogs in the kennel.
“I want to thank you for your leadership,” Hall said to Beam. “I know it’s challenging trying to get all of those dogs adopted, and you’ve got a good team.”