ANIMAL SHELTER — The Jefferson County Animal Shelter, situated at 200 Airpark Drive, Wintersville, is the home of the county’s canine warden and humane society. — Christopher Dacanay
WINTERSVILLE — If dogs are man’s finest pal, then there have been 3,681 finest pals registered in Jefferson County in 2023, based on the Jefferson County Auditor’s Office. If these finest pals ought to escape and roam by native communities, it’s the Jefferson County Dog Warden’s process to securely apprehend them and reunite them with their homeowners.
Chad Coil has been the county’s canine warden for 10 years. Funded by and dealing beneath the supervisory management of the Jefferson County commissioners, Coil is joined by two assistant wardens and a part-time pound keeper.
Open frequently from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, the warden’s workplace shares a building at 200 Airpark Drive, Wintersville, with the Jefferson County Humane Society. The humane society is a nonprofit animal advocacy organization that provides veterinary providers and manages the animal shelter, although the wardens are those who decide up the unfastened dogs, feed them and clear the kennels.
The canine pound could be reached straight at (740) 264-6888, although people with a criticism most frequently name the animal shelter at (740) 314-5583. In the case of a criticism, Coil defined, the animal shelter line will likely be picked up by the humane society’s receptionist, who will take the message and ahead info to the canine warden.
Often out of the workplace to deal with different complaints or serve citations and letters — 14-day notices that homeowners should decide up their dogs after they’ve been within the kennel for a while — the wardens will take the criticism info and observe up with a name, Coil stated. Sometimes the calls lack ample info, so the wardens desire to observe up with the complainants earlier than responding.
The wardens will reply to a canine biting a person, attacking livestock or operating off its property. They don’t deal with humane instances, that are dealt with by an officer within the humane society, or cases of dogs barking, that are addressed by officers from the municipality through which the canine resides. The wardens cowl all of Jefferson County, excluding Steubenville, which has its personal animal management officer.
For a dog-at-large criticism, Coil stated, the wardens will challenge a verbal warning in the event that they don’t witness the canine operating unfastened. If the wardens do observe the canine shifting at massive, that’s grounds for a failure to regulate quotation. If the canine has a license on it, Coil added, the wardens will try and convey it again to its proprietor earlier than bringing it to the kennel.
Responding to canine chunk instances depends upon numerous components, Coil stated. If a canine is on its property and bites somebody, there’s not a lot the wardens can do, because the canine is permitted to guard is property, although that’s weighed towards the proprietor’s accountability to “protect the general public from the dog, within reason.” Multiple bites are a difficulty, particularly when those being bitten are supply drivers or utility staff.
“If I know I have a delivery coming, I’m not going to let my dog out and be around to bite that person,” Coil stated.
In the case of a lacking canine, the wardens will take the supplied info and try and make a catch. If unsuccessful, they’ll notify the homeowners of the canine’s final identified location. The wardens can use traps, Coil stated, supplied that the canine has first been confined to a selected, small space.
“If the dog is constantly moving, there’s no sense in putting a trap out because we’re going to catch everything else but the dog,” Coil stated, noting a earlier case instance whereby the wardens couldn’t use traps as a result of different residents stored scaring the canine and making it transfer places.
Failure to regulate is probably the most frequent quotation, Coil stated, including that preliminary citations can run people as much as $100 and climb for subsequent citations, relying on the courts.
Of the three wardens, solely Coil is at present in a position to deal with dogs, as one assistant recovers from an harm and the opposite finishes household go away time. Between that and the opposite duties as a warden, Coil will take calls as quickly as he’s in a position. Coil stated he runs about 32 instances a month on common, with one other 10 or 12 off-duty instances.
Though some — maybe dissatisfied with the wardens’ response occasions — may be inclined to take canine catching into their very own palms, Coil stated, it’s crucial that they go away it to the wardens, who’re sworn officers, have obtained on-the-job coaching and possess the correct instruments for the work, like catch poles and traps.
Someone with out the correct instruments could cause extra hurt than good, Coil stated, noting that if a person is bitten, the canine will obtain a mark on its chunk file, which by regulation should be shared at any time when the canine is adopted or transferred possession. Dogs that chunk should even be quarantined on the kennel for 10 days, a time that may be mentally taxing for the canine, Coil stated.
Coil recalled a case whereby somebody coaxed a unfastened canine into his or her automotive, at which level the canine wouldn’t let the person again in. That made the rescue harder for Coil, who then needed to maneuver by carseats to make the catch.
“People are trying to help, but the best thing they can do is contact us,” Coil stated, noting that the wardens are required by regulation to answer each name. “We do our best to answer every call as they come in. If we’re busy and can’t answer, we’ll get to it the next business day.”
Coil stated he’ll sometimes name complainants again and reply whereas he’s off obligation to ensure a canine is just not operating and actively inflicting bother. The wardens even have an after-hours service just for emergency calls — if the canine is performing aggressively, operating on a serious roadway, injured or caught by another person. Those off-duty responses quantity to extra time hours, Coil stated, which the wardens attempt to mitigate as a lot as attainable.
Based on the present workers scenario, Coil stated, the wardens are extra reactive than proactive, however there are plans to do extra patrols when attainable.
Coil himself has at all times cherished dogs. A self-proclaimed “stickler” on accountable pet possession, Coil served 21 years within the Air Force Security Forces as a Okay-9 handler and kennel grasp. His recommendation to canine homeowners is to make sure their dogs are registered with the county and their kennels are correctly insulated and have recent meals and water.
“I like working with the dogs the most,” Coil stated. “There are some good dogs out there that deserve better than what they have.”
Coil stated that people are welcome to ask him questions by calling the shelter.
