The high kill rate at the county's pound, said to be one of the highest in the state with 2,483 dogs euthanized last year, or 80 percent of all dogs taken in.
"We could save a lot of dogs but they won't let us," said Rita Bonnell of Rossford,Ohio who operates a rescue shelter and disagrees with the warden's policy against transferring animals to "all-breed" operations other than the Toledo Area Humane Society.Mr. Teneyck said his dog Bear got loose on Aug. 16 and was observed being hit by a silver or gray car. He said his family scoured the neighborhood looking for the dog and visited the county pound on two separate days to see if he was there. Although Bear was not licensed, his name was put on a missing dog list, Mr. Teneyck.
Mr. Teneyck said he then received a phone call from the dog warden's office the morning of Aug. 18. He said he was told that they had found his dog with a broken leg. However, in the next breath he was told that they had euthanized the animal that morning.