Article published November 10, 2009
Search for new animal care officer
I walked to the mailbox today to find a set of Blade articles and editorial regarding the horrendous disregard for life at the Lucas County Dog Warden's facility. It sickened me.
I recently moved back to Ohio after living in Los Angeles, Calif., where I owned and operated a dog rescue. My unadoptable dogs moved with me.
Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control has a huge problem with abandoned, dumped, abused, and neglected dogs, many pit bulls, and they work closely with private, non-profit rescue groups in order to minimize euthanasias and rehabilitate and re-home these innocent creatures. It is current practice. It is the humane thing to do. The recent case of Michael Vick and the remarkable success of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in rehabilitating and ultimately adopting out his fighting dogs is a prime example.
Los Angeles also has clear and enforceable policies and procedures requiring all dogs over six months to be spayed or neutered and microchipped. The latter has ensured many dogs and owners to be happily reunited. All officers and staff are required to attend one of the numerous "no more homeless pets" workshops and seminars offered across the country each year by the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Mr. Skeldon and the Lucas County commissioners' unwillingness to lead the office of dog warden into the 21st century in animal welfare is inexcusable and a poor reflection on the county. Mr. Skeldon should resign and the commissioners should search for a leader in current animal care and control practices who will move to drastically reduce the senseless euthanasia rate, establish procedures to reunite dogs and owners, and work with qualified rescue groups to increase adoptions and hope for these dogs.
I am a cousin of Tom Skeldon and wish him no harm, but sometimes it is just time to move on. The commissioners must also bear responsibility for their lack of oversight and direction.Karen Pilche
Glouster, OhioSkeldon: Resign or be replaced
Shame on the county commissioners if they sweep the issue of dog euthanasia under the rug.
What has been allowed to perpetuate on Erie Street is a disgrace to this great county, not to mention to Toledo. Let's call it what it is. Tom Skeldon is killing our county's animals at an alarming rate. Is it really euthanasia in the true sense of the word? I think not.
Just as we have parents who force our community to deal with their irresponsiblity and dump their children onto the lap of society, we will always have irresponsible pet owners who force society to deal with their carelessness. Unfortunate as it is, that's life, folks.
I applaud Pete Gerken, Ben Konop, and Mike Beazley for their efforts and implore them to not give up the struggle to give animals a chance at life and to find their forever home. Gentlemen, you are their voice. Please do not turn your back on them. I believe that there is enough community support demanding change. In the economic climate that we live, let's not overlook the possibility of volunteers from the community to make that change happen.
To Tina Skeldon-Wozniak: I hope you will not let family ties to interfere with this task. It's time Lucas County appoints a dog warden whose attitude is in contrast to Mr. Skeldon's. I urge Mr. Skeldon to step down or for the commissioners to find a replacement for him.
Sheree
Kowalski-Royster
MaumeeInsist warden fall in line, or leave
It amazes me how Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon can sit and say there is nothing else he can do to help get dogs adopted and reduce the number of dogs that are euthanized.
Are you kidding me? He refuses to work with reputable dog agencies that have said they would take dogs from the warden's office to help get them adopted. He rarely has put dogs on petfinder.com. I have used that site before and most times no dogs for Lucas County Dog Warden's office were listed. I am sure they would say they are so busy protecting the public from vicious dogs they do not have time for that.
However, often I have gone running and have seen a Lucas County Dog Warden's van parked at Pearson Metropark, with the occupant just sitting there reading a paper. Mr. Skeldon says that the trouble with "multibreed rescue groups" is that they only want the cute adoptable dogs not the older dogs, so in his mind it is better to kill them all than to save a few.
To me, that is the most uncompassionate thing I have ever heard. I hope when Mayor-elect Mike Bell takes office he sticks to his guns and gives Tom Skeldon an ultimatum, either shape up or ship out.
Sherrie Maurer
Ogden AvenueHeartless warden needs other work
Just in case, Tom Skeldon, you are removed from your position as dog warden and find yourself in need of employment, here are a few suggestions:
1) A farmer in Georgia is looking for an assistant who shoots greyhounds that can no longer win at the race tracks in Florida (pay is low, $10 per dog).
2) Out-of-state company possibly will come to Ohio to cull whitetail deer. I hear the methods they use are quite barbaric and inhumane.
3) Experiment on dogs, cats, and primates to test drugs, cosmetics, and how many electrical shocks it takes to kill different animals of different sizes.
4) Establish a puppy farm to breed, interbreed, and underfeed, no cleaning of shelters necessary.
Any of those jobs should satisfy your cold, unfeeling, desensitized nature, unless, of course, like war criminals, you can claim you were just doing your job.
Carol Mason
MaumeeBeware of county dogs' 'death van'
On a recent morning, I was returning home after taking my dog, a stray that I had taken in, for his morning walk. I observed a young-looking female dog running loose.
After taking my dog home, I crossed the street to take another look at the loose dog. To my horror, a dog warden had arrived and was taking the dog to its death van. I ran up crying out, "I can give it a home, can I have the dog?" The warden replied that the dog was a pit bull and considered vicious, and pit bulls are not allowed to be adopted. My neighbor who works with a rescue organization was told this also on calling the warden later.
It is distressing to know that no difference is made between the dog that is proven to be dangerous and one that almost certainly is harmless and might have made somebody a congenial pet. In my case, it is distressing to know that I was within seconds of saving that dog from the death sentence that has, no doubt, been carried out. What about applying "innocent until proven guilty" to dogs?
LEONARD HARGRAVE
North University AvenueDogs require a suitable warden
When a dog arrives at the dog pound, he has been lost, abandoned, neglected, and abused. The traumatized animal is then thrown into a cage with the smell of death all around, and then judged to be adoptable by a man who has consistently displayed a palpable disregard for the fact that this is a living breathing, feeling being. Many dogs are betrayed by their caregivers, including the veterinarians who debark pitbulls.
Tom Skeldon is clearly unfit to be involved with any aspect of animal welfare and should resign as soon as possible. I commend the dog warden committee and its chairman, Steve Serchuk, for its pragmatic and compassionate recommendations to the county commissioners regarding more visionary care of our lost, abandoned, and stolen pets other than unceremoniously throwing them into an incinerator.
Sally J. Keller
Sabra Road
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