Starting Saturday, Aug. 1, a new animal welfare agency will be taking over animal control and animal care in Hamilton County. After more than 60 years, the SPCA is ending their contract with the county, so the Cincinnati Animal CARE Humane Society will be stepping in to manage the Northside shelter and related operations.
To learn more about what that means, we asked Cincinnati Animal CARE's Media and Community Relations Manager Ray Anderson about what's in store for the shelter and what their vision is for animal welfare in the county.
CityBeat: Can you tell me what prompted the change in animal welfare agencies for the county after 60 years? And how that was decided?
Ray Anderson: The SPCA announced last August that they'd be ending their contract with Hamilton County. We have seen the county's desire to be a leader in the region in animal services and look forward to taking on this responsibility.
CB: Can you tell me more about Cincinnati Animal CARE — history, mission, etc.?
RA: We're a sister organization to Clermont Animal CARE Humane Society, who took over their county shelter three years ago. We're a nonprofit group focused on bringing a new approach to sheltering. It's 2020, the idea of a "dog pound" just isn't something communities will tolerate and that's why we take a progressive approach to animal welfare. Every animal will be treated as an individual and put on a path toward a live outcome.
CB: What will be different and what will stay the same after Cincinnati Animal CARE takes over? Like adding any trap-neuter-return services? Will you still be conducting humane investigations?
RA: The services people have come to expect will remain and yes, we support Trap, Neuter and Release (TNR). We'll also provide community support for pet retention — licensing and microchipping will be available on-site. Humane investigations are the responsibility of our animal control officers and will continue.
CB: How many animals are currently at the Northside shelter? Are you guys going to be adapting intake or adoption policies?
RA: We'll have a clearer picture of how many animals will be under our care when the official changeover happens on Aug. 1. When it comes to intake, we believe that the shelter is a last resort and that so much more can be done in the community with the right support and programming so that animals can be rehomed without even entering the shelter. We employ an open adoption policy in which we trust the community and aim to help match adoptions so they are successful.
CB: Will Cincinnati Animal CARE be a no-kill shelter? What's the vision for the shelter moving forward?
RA: No-Kill is our philosophy, just as it was with Clermont Animal CARE. It's an ambitious goal, but a demonstrably achievable one with their 98% live release rate and providing alternatives to surrender. We have the team that knows how to do it and has done it, but we can't accomplish it in Hamilton County without community support. That could mean everything from coming in and adopting a pet, to volunteering as a dog walker, to using monetary donations to pay for a family's groceries so they can afford to keep their pet. Animal lovers in the community don't want the dog catcher to come scoop up an animal, throw it in a cage for three days and hope someone adopts it, and these kinds of different solutions are what we mean when we say Sheltering a Different Way. No-kill is a community ethic.
Cincinnati Animal CARE Humane Society's Northside Animal Shelter is located at 3949 Colerain Ave., Northside. And Saturday and Sunday, they'll be hosting a drive-up and drop-off event where they are asking the community to donate enrichment items.
"Just like Fiona and the rest of the Zoo animals get enrichment activities, we're looking for things like Kong toys, dog puzzles and dog treats, so our animals can be mentally stimulated. We'd love for the community to drive up and let us know they have a donation and we'll take it without them having to leave their car, so we can maintain proper social distancing," says Anderson.
The shelter is always accepting all sizes of Kongs, especially large ones; Nylabones; Dawn dish soap; bleach; towels; treats (Milkbones, Zukes, any soft/moist training treat); collars (especially large ones); and slow feeders.
