Adams County’s Dog Shelter has a new dog warden, a new administrator, and a humane agent. We are pleased with the progress and with the effort. The gas chamber is gone and many changes have taken place. If you can help this dog shelter, please contact Chris Troutman (administrator and humane agent) at adamsctydogs@yahoo.com.

2/04/08  The director of the Ohio SPCA, Teresa Landon, interviews Chris Troutman:

   

Teresa: Since the lawsuit, I know that you have been working to make things better. We would like to know about the changes and current status regarding euthanization, adoption process and statistics, hours, etc. so that we can put the improvements on our web site. Has anyone been trained in lethal injection or are you still gassing?

Chris: I was trained in humane lethal injection this past March.  I am proud to say we are no longer a gassing facility and will never be again.  I put very few animals to sleep and by the grace of God, I have put NO adoptable animals to sleep. Our petfinder site, http://www.adams.petfinder.com/, will speak to the number of animals we are working to save. We now vaccinate, worm, and treat our dogs with loving care.  We have a washer and dryer so we can have blankets.  We have medicines, toys, nice bowls, and even a computer system!  We do our best to maintain the hours required in the court order. We have more than proved that we have made the changes and are working for the animals and the community.
 
We now do a food outreach program and I travel to Columbus on a regular basis to load food so that we can share. We are feeding so many animals and helping our senior citizens, police depts., and low income families feed their pets.
 
Teresa: I’m assuming that the court order is being followed and that old, sick, and young puppies are not gassed.

Chris: Since I joined the pound when the old dog warden died, I can assure you there was NEVER any sick, young, pregnant or old dogs gassed.  We worked (and still work with for other needs)  with Dr. Bailey, and he handled these needs for us.  Dr. Bailey does not put healthy dogs to sleep and neither do I.  We work that much harder to find rescues and homes.

Teresa: Do you interview adopters, check references or vet history? Any spay/neuter requirements?

Chris: We have minimal adopter requirements other than a personal interview, an adoption fee that seems to keep the rift raft at bay and we do require a spay/neuter agreement. With rescues we require a vet reference, copy of adoption application, and petfinder/adoption site prior to dogs leaving our pound.  I am hard nosed about where our dogs go.  Death is not the worst thing that can happen to a dog.  Last year our goal of dismantling the gas chamber was reached, this year our goal is to have every dog that leaves ACDP spayed/neutered.  Large goals for a little pound.

Teresa: We would also like to know what obstacles you still face, the improvements you need, and how the public can help you.   

Chris: We still are working in a run-down, antiquated dark, cold, and wet building. We get very little money as our budget is bare bones; we have only one full-time employee, one part-time employee and a couple of fantastic volunteers that pull us along.   We need a new building and it looks like our newly formed humane society will provide that late this year.  The public can help us by spaying/neutering their pets; reaching out to their neighbors with the same message; and helping others who have pets but limited funds (share a bag of dog of cat food, offer $$ for spay/neuter, etc.).  We need volunteers to help us at the low cost spay/neuter clinics (RASCAL) we host almost monthly. The endless hours that go into this most needed program are provided by our humane society members.  Additionally, our humane society has donated thousands of dollars to vet animals.  We need volunteers, workers, transporters, and foster homes.

Teresa: I know that there is a lot of animal cruelty in Adams County. How have you faired as the humane officer? It’s not an easy job.

Chris: This is a tough job.  I often want to throw in the towel.  Seems no matter what I do, it is not enough.  I also get so many nonsense calls, such a waste of my time.  I don't have the hours I'd like to dedicate to this job, but I also don't have the $$ needed to run all over the county, burning up my own gas in my own truck, and then there is the problem of where animals go when they are taken?  Everyone wants me to fix the problems, but no one wants to get involved to help.  I'm sure you understand what I am saying.
 
I hope this gives you some insight on what we have done and are now doing.  Known as the "little pound that could" we just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

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Press Releases

Columbus, Ohio - A pet dog, killed by Adams County Dog Warden Gary Jordan, within one day after being seized from its family's yard, is one of the many animals on whose behalf the Ohio Humane Education Association (OHEA) is filing suit against the Adams County Commissioners and the dog warden. The suit states that Jordan has repeatedly failed to comply with Ohio law requiring dogs to be held for at least 72 hours before they are destroyed - and that county commissioners have failed to compel the dog warden's compliance with that law. Also noted in the suit is Jordan's practice of shooting dogs, which OHEA alleges violates Ohio law requiring humane euthanization methods that immediately and painlessly render the dog initially unconscious. The suit further notes OHEA's repeated offers, since 2002, to assist Adams County in ensuring compliance with Ohio law. "The bottom line," says Teresa Turner, OHEA Director, "is that despite all our efforts, we believe dogs in Adams County are still being treated terribly. We felt we had no choice but to take legal action." If the Fourth District Court of Appeals finds in favor of OHEA, the pound could be required to, among other things, stop shooting and gassing dogs and to hold dogs for the required time before killing them. Turner says that a finding in favor of OHEA would represent "a real victory for the animals-for those who cannot help themselves."