Vigil pays tribute to ‘pit bulls’ killed at Fulton County pound
Groups protest breed-specific policy they say goes against state law
BY ALEXANDRA MESTER BLADE STAFF WRITER
WAUSEON — Their faces lit by the glow of candlelight, more than 80 dog advocates stood outside the Fulton County Dog Pound in peaceful protest.
Their candles fluttered as the names they gave the 15 dogs most recently killed at the pound were read aloud: Sweet Pea, Spud, Jessie, Ronin, Pinky, Sasha, Cuddles, Buster, Milo, Zoe, Petey, Spot, Rover, Faith, and Kane.
Fulton County No Kill, a gr$#@!-roots group, and the Ohio Coalition of Dog Advocates organized the vigil in memory of all dogs killed at the pound and to protest a Fulton County policy that essentially mandates any “pit bull” or “pit bull” mix not reclaimed by an owner be killed.
“It’s our hope that it raises awareness among the community as to what is being done with their tax dollars,” said Jean Keating, the group’s president. “It will hopefully make the commissioners more aware of how their constituents feel about what’s going on at the county pound.”
PHOTO GALLERY:
Click here for more photos from the vigilThe commissioners unanimously passed Resolution 2012-47 in May, 2012, just after and in spite of the Ohio Legislature’s removal of breed-specific language from state code and against the recommendation of their legal counsel, Fulton County prosecutor Scott Haselman, to remain breed neutral. The policy states that no dog identified by the dog warden or $#@!istant dog warden as a “pit bull” or “pit-bull” mix will be adopted out or transferred to a rescue group from the pound.
That policy means death by lethal injection for any unclaimed dog labeled a “pit bull,” including puppies.
Of 18 dogs identified as “pit bulls” or mixes thereof taken in at the county shelter so far this year, just seven were reclaimed. Five were killed at the pound because that went unclaimed, including a healthy 6-month-old mixed-breed female dubbed Sweet Pea on Tuesday.
“The killing of healthy puppies can’t be tolerated,” Ms. Keating said. “It’s unconscionable and cruel.”
Four “pit bulls” were put down at their owners’ request, and two were dead when they were picked up. Three more dogs never entered the pound and were returned to their owners in the field.
The two leaders of Fulton County No Kill, Carol Dopp of Chesterfield Township and Tasha Grieser of Archbold, Ohio, said dogs should be judged by their behavior, not their physical appearance. The pair met with County Administrator Vond Hall in mid-August to discuss the matter with the intent of placing it on a county commissioners’ meeting agenda. They were rebuffed.
Mr. Hall said he approached the commissioners, who refused to open a discussion about the policy and have not met with representatives of either group.
“The board members fully understand the position the No-Kill group has, and they also fully understand their own position,” he said. “They do not see the need to discuss what they feel they already understand.”
The coalition also has tried to open a discussion with county officials but said it has received “no response.”
“We’re all getting shut down,” Mrs. Dopp said. “They are waiting for us to go away, and we’re not going away.”
Dog Warden Brian Banister, who according to county records recommended and initially drafted the policy, said he agrees with the county’s decision about “pit bulls.”
“I think a lot of it is designed to keep the public safe from these kinds of dogs,” he said. “When a ‘pit bull’ attacks, it is usually much more severe than another breed of dog. The last thing we want is for a dog to leave here and hurt somebody.”
However, Mr. Banister said he does not use any kind of formal behavior evaluation to determine if a dog, regardless of breed, might become aggressive. Instead, he relies on general observation to determine if a dog can be adopted out.
“It’s a very strong and good indicator,” he said.
Ms. Keating said a Fulton County resident and dog trainer who is certified in a behavior-evaluation protocol developed by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals offered to evaluate the county’s dogs at no charge. That offer was refused.
“We are not a shelter,” Mr. Hall said. “The [Ohio] legislation in place does not at all seek the disposition of or evaluation of the dog. The offer also requested taking dogs to Lucas County for further study, which is contrary to policy.”
Mr. Hall said the county is legally charged with protecting people from dogs, and those people protesting the policy appear to be “expressing concern about the animal, not the public.”
Mrs. Dopp said the groups have never said that a truly aggressive dog shouldn’t be put down in the interest of public safety. But automatically deeming a dog too dangerous to live because of the way it looks instead of how it behaves is the issue.
“It’s not making the community safer,” she said.
Ms. Keating said a dog warden’s job is to enforce state law, “and that is breed neutral. It identifies potentially aggressive dogs — of any breed — before they become a problem.”
Kim Farrell, who lives north of Tedrow, Ohio, and attended the vigil, said she thought the Ohio code meant the county would be breed-neutral until she learned about the breed-specific policy six months ago. She said she abhors breed-specific legislation and is repulsed by the county’s policy.
“Too many dogs that could have been good dogs, and could have had somebody love them, weren’t given an opportunity because our policy is so outdated and archaic,” she said.
And while the groups’ goal is to get the county’s policy repealed, Mrs. Dopp said they have made it known they would accept a compromise.
“If their true issue is a fear of liability, of someone in the county suing them for adopting a ‘pit bull’ and getting bit, then fine,” she said. “But I have no idea why they would not let a rescue take a dog from the county rather than kill it, especially puppies.”
Dow Whetstone of Wauseon also attended the vigil. He learned about the policy a few months ago and was surprised the county treats “pit bulls” differently.
“Every dog should get a fair shake,” he said. “Every person I meet, I give them a fair shake. I would do the same with a dog. This [policy] doesn’t make sense.”
Vigil pays tribute to ‘pit bulls* killed at Fulton County pound - Toledo Blade 
i will try to capture some more soon but here are my questions:
