Finding the right home

On May 1, the Seneca County Dog Warden began conducting its yearly door-to-door license checks to ensure Seneca County residents have their dogs registered for 2022. All dogs over three months of age are required by law to be registered with a valid license. Kelly Marker, chief of the Seneca County Dog Warden, said under the Ohio Revised Code, section 955, failing to have your dog licensed in the county will result in a minor misdemeanor. "Failure to license your dog may result in a court citation," she said. "If your dog is brought into the shelter wearing the current year's tag, we would waive the impound and boarding fee if the owner picked the dog up from the shelter within the same business day," Marker said. "A dog found without wearing a license must be held for three days and then can be evaluated for adoption," she added. In addition to performing license checks, the Seneca County Dog Warden provides various services under the state law, such as livestock claims, dog bites, re-homing unclaimed dogs and caring for dogs housed at the shelter. Loose or lost dogs may be reported to the warden, and the warden will then attempt to find the owner. "Our goal at the shelter is to reunite dogs with their owners," Marker explained. Marker said it's a common misconception that the warden will only euthanize dogs. "In the unfortunate event that the dog's owner is not found after the state required three-day hold, we try to find the dog a new family if the dog is adoptable," she said. According to the Seneca County Dog Warden's annual 2021 report, the warden returned 98 dogs to their owners; sold 9,812 dog tags; picked up 156 dogs; got 38 dogs adopted; and euthanized 12 dogs. Dogs adoptable at the warden's office are included with a 2022 license and have an adoption fee of $30. Dog licenses may be purchased at the Seneca County Auditor's Office, found online at www.senecacountyauditor.org or mailed to 109 S. Washington St., Suite 2206 with a check payable to Seneca County Auditor.