BUCYRUS — The Crawford County Dog Warden’s Office is part of the county’s law enforcement community and is bringing awareness to what it does to assist with area animals.
Dog warden Angela Chandler has been in the position since 2016, working first as the deputy warden with former dog warden Linda Armour until she retired. Her deputy dog warden is Jerika Davis.
An incident in which a Columbus man says he was attacked by a local dog last week led to the death of the dog after being shot by a Bucyrus Police Department officer. The man did not suffer a dog bite and the dog was put to sleep at a local veterinarian’s office, while suffering from her injuries, due to the estimated cost of the reconstructive surgery needed to assist the dog.
Chandler said there are things people can do when approached by an unfamiliar dog while walking down the sidewalk.
“The first thing is, do not scream. Stop, put your hands at your side. That allows you to take a non-threatening position when you do that. Then back up slowly, do not run. Screaming will make the dog’s behavior escalate quickly,” Chandler said. “If the dog continues at you, lay down, curl up in a ball and put your hands over your head to protect that area until help arrives. For kids, we use the example of tornado drills.”
Chandler said she teaches this method at local schools when speaking to kids and teachers. She also recommends for adults to carry a walking stick or umbrella when out walking to swat a dog away if it continues coming towards you in an aggressive manner.
“Most trainers are now teaching the command, ‘Off,’ instead of telling the dog to get down,” Chandler said.
Chandler said neither she nor Davis carries a gun while on the job. They carry bite poles for defense.
“We are allowed to under the law but find it less intimidating for the dog and dog owners not to,” Chandler said.
The dog warden’s office was called to the incident on South Walnut Street last week after the dog had been shot by the officer.
Chandler said law enforcement calls her office when needed, normally if the dog is deemed vicious or dangerous under the law.
“Under the new law, we have six dogs in the county listed as dangerous dogs on the books. Those dogs have been deemed dangerous by our office under the Ohio Revised Code,” Chandler said. “One is a corgi, two are labs, two are pit bulls, one is a jack russell.”
Chandler has completed training sessions with law enforcement officers in the past and recently offered training again.
“They can actually designate a dog as dangerous, too, under the new ORC law,” Chandler said. “It has to fit certain criteria.”
She said law enforcement officers have some training on their own when it comes to aggressive dogs.
“If they feel their life or someone else’s life is in danger, they can tase or shoot the dog, if we cannot get on scene in time,” Chandler said.
She said three calls about the same dog running loose gets the dog a nuisance designation and after that, they can be bumped up to a dangerous dog.
Dogs running at-large within the city limits put their owners at risk of being issued a citation.
“We normally cite on the third time a dog is running loose,” Chandler said. “The first offense is a minor misdemeanor that carries a $175 fine. The second offense is a fourth-degree misdemeanor with a $250 fine and up to 30 days in jail. It never goes above an M-4 but the fines and jail time increases with each offense. If it is a dangerous dog that is running at-large, it is a $250 fine and up to 30 days in jail on the first offense. It can go up to a third-degree misdemeanor with a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail.”
She said dangerous dogs may be seized and held until the court date. They are kept at the Humane Society Serving Crawford County in a kennel away from other animals.
Chandler said dogs need to be licensed and have their tags on their collar.
“If a dog is not licensed or does not have their tags on, we have to take them to the shelter and there is a reclaim fee for the owner to retrieve the dog,” Chandler said.
She said it is the time of year for dog owners to renew their dog licenses, until Jan. 31.
“There is a $16 fee per license and that amount doubles on Feb. 1,” she said.
The licenses may be purchased at the Crawford County Auditor’s Office or the humane society.
She also reminds dog owners to update their information on their dog licenses if they move.
“Sometimes we pick up a dog in Galion that is registered to an owner in Bucyrus because that person has moved to Galion, but we cannot locate them,” Chandler said.
Davis and Chandler have scanners in their vehicles to scan stray dogs for microchips to locate their owners.
Chandler said she and Davis take stray or lost dogs to the humane society and are responsible for handling dog bites and the 10-day quarantine of those dogs if they have bitten someone.
Chandler and Davis are available Monday through Friday during regular business hours and on-call 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
“People can call the office if they need us. If we are not in, the calls are forwarded to our cell phones and we will call back as soon as we are available if out on a call,” Chandler said.
To contact the dog warden, call 419-562-4993. The dog warden’s office is located in the county commissioner’s office on the third floor of the Crawford County Courthouse in Bucyrus.