MONTGOMERY COUNTY — A new animal welfare task force is looking to make changes to the “dog crisis” in Montgomery County.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, the Montgomery County Animal Welfare Task Force said Dayton is one of the worst cities in the county for loose dogs.
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“It’s definitely a concern, and people need to pay attention to their own pets,” Robyn McGeorge said.
McGeorge is a co-chair of the task force.
She said the number of dogs in the county is unimaginable for local shelters, the Humane Society, and the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center.
Shelters are being flooded with phone calls about loose dogs out in the cold or running across busy streets.
“We really need the community’s help right now because we’re in a dog crisis and things are really out of control,” McGeorge said.
JoAnn Hughes said she is doing her part.
She works for Pawsitivity training people’s pets.
On social media, she saw an Australian Shepherd running around downtown Dayton.
She tracked the dog for two weeks and eventually caught him early Tuesday morning.
“He was actually shivering; he was not shaking like a scared dog. He was shaking like a cold dog,” Hughes said.
She said they named the dog Miles for all the miles he traveled over the past two weeks. He will be placed up for adoption once he is ready.
The Humane Society said it can be hard for people to see animals outside on their own in the cold.
But it isn’t illegal for people to keep their pets outside if they have proper shelter.
“There’s a lot of dogs that live outdoors 24/7 that probably shouldn’t and don’t necessarily have the enclosures to keep them warm,” McGeorge said.
It’s why she said the task force hopes to change laws regarding animal crimes.
“As far as tethering laws and things like that and changing wording in laws to help with investigations regarding cruelty and neglect because it’s very vague right now, and the more we can make it specific, the more that’s going to help in order to actually prosecute someone who is being cruel to an animal,” McGeorge said.
The Humane Society encourages people to call if they see a dog they think needs help.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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