ZANESVILLE - After more than a year of continuous conflict surrounding the Muskingum County Dog Warden and Adoption Center, Dr. Brian Williams met with county commissioners Monday with the intent to resign.
However, he left the meeting still on board as the primary veterinarian for the adoption center and is hopeful his concerns will be addressed.
"I hear stories about dogs being dragged by leashes, dirty kennels, dogs not properly cared for and nothing seems to be done about it," Williams said.
When Williams was recruited by county commissioners in 2016, his veterinary services were exclusively for surgeries - to spay and neuter dogs.
Over time, Williams said he was asked by commissioners to be more involved - with not only the medical care of the dogs but with the decision making with regard to the welfare of the animals and the community.
"It was supposed to be my decision if an animal was adopted," Williams said. "The warden continues to adopt dogs out after I have flagged them as bite dogs," he continued.
Some of these dogs were adopted and returned more than once because they proved to be aggressive, according to Williams.
"We are not doing a service to the animal by keeping them for several months trying to tame them and we are doing a great disservice to the community by allowing a bite dog to be adopted," Williams said. "One dog was brought into my clinic by the owner to be euthanized. It had already been returned by two previous owners and she didn't want it to be adopted a fourth time knowing how aggressive it was."
Additionally, Williams said no one is following up after dogs are fostered or adopted to make sure that prevention for worms and ticks is continued.
"Worms and ticks cause diseases that are a public safety concern," Williams said.
This is not the first time Williams has addressed commissioners about his concerns for the welfare of the dogs as well as the public. In June, Williams was in attendance when about 40 adoption center volunteers converged in the county commissioners chambers for a special meeting that lasted more than three hours.
Volunteers, separated primarily in two groups with opposing views, had several concerns but focused on the lack of care for dogs at the adoption center and not being allowed more involvement in the decisions of the care for the dogs.
As he did in June, Commissioner Jim Porter reminded the volunteers Monday that while they were appreciated for their efforts, they had little input in the operations at the adoption center.
"The animal shelter has a thick book full of do's and don'ts for their volunteers, if volunteers don't follow the rules they are out," Porter said, adding that the dog pound should look at adapting the same regulations. "Ultimately, it is the wardens who make the decisions and if you break their rules you can be banned."
In response to Williams' allegations of poor living conditions, Dog Warden Bryan Catlin said many of the issues have been resolved since the June meeting.
"We do the best we can with just the three of us," Catlin said. "There are going to be times when dogs are dirty or have poo in their kennel. We can't prevent that all of the time."
Commissioner Mollie Crooks asked that volunteers and employees alike please refrain from social media drama, as it has been brought to her attention that there was some unprofessional comments being made by and toward the wardens.
"Can't we just start with a clean slate and move forward?" Crooks said. "Just be nice and work together."
The commissioners are in the planning stages of building a dog pound/adoption center. Catlin has submitted plans that recently went to an architect. The original facility was estimated at nearly $700,000 - a figure commissioners said can be greatly reduced with better planning.
Williams said he is willing to give the dog wardens more time to improve the conditions of the adoption center and remedy some of the complaints. However, he will not allow his license to be compromised by the neglect of the dog wardens.
cschultz3@gannett.com
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