Beginning December 1, 2022
Regular Dog License $17.00 Late Penalty $17.00
Three Year Dog License: $51.00
Life Time License: $170.00
Kennel License: $85.00 Late Penalty: $85.00
Puppy Tag After July 1st: $8.50 Puppy Penalty: $8.50
Why the increase?
The Holmes County Dog license fee has not been increased since 2012 where it went from $12.00 a license to $15.00 a license. At it’s current fee Holmes County is below average in comparison to other counties with a similar population. With the average license fee being $16.00. The Dog Warden’s Shelter and Services are funded primarily through dog license fees and it does not receive tax payer dollars for it’s operation. In the past 10 years the Dog Warden’s Department has been able to maintain the current fee due to increase in licensing compliance. This increase was brought on by increased enforcement of Ohio’s dog licensing laws by the Dog Warden’s staff. At this time a rise in fees is needed to continue updating the shelter and continue making sure that the dogs in the warden’s care are well taken care of. It is also important that the Dog Warden’s employees have all that they need to effectively and safely provide their services to the community. Holmes County has a population of roughly 43,000 people with a registered dog population of 28,000 which includes 1,300 kennels. The day to day operations of the shelter and the dog warden’s duties falls on the three employees of the Dog Warden’s Department and it has become apparent that additional employees are needed. In Holmes County your three dog warden employees help operate the shelter and perform the duties of both dog warden’s and humane agents in the field. Below is just a few of the responsibilities of both.
| Dog Warden | Shelter |
| Transport dogs to and from veterinary | Maintain the shelter as needed |
| Patrol County pick up strays or dogs running at large. | Provide food/water/and shelter to dogs at the facility. |
| Enforce dog licensing requirements. | Clean interior and exterior kennels once a day sometimes two as needed. |
| Investigate dog bite incidents | Answer phones and assist citizens |
| Investigate livestock claims | Take lost and found reports |
| Conduct kennel inspections | Conduct intake on dogs coming in. |
| Investigate dog running at large complaints | Conduct outcome on dogs leaving. |
| Respond to stray dog and aggressive dog situations | Conduct meet and greets with potential adopters. |
| Investigate animal cruelty concerns for dogs | Clean the shelter daily |
| Participate in community events | Landscaping/ yard work weekly |
| Investigate underage puppy sale complaints and unlicensed kennel complaints | Promote dogs via social media through photo/video |
| Respond to after hours emergency’s | Manage social media page and emails. |
| Enforce Dangerous Dog Laws | Provide medication and vaccination to dogs |
| Provide assistance to other law enforcement agencies. | Participate in community events |
| Be present in court for arraignments and court procedures. | Walk dogs when volunteers are absent and work on behavior issues to help them become more adoptable |
| Manage Volunteer Program |
The goal for 2023 is to hire an additional employee to help with shelter operations to free up time for deputies so that they can focus their time on patrol work including handling complaints and kennel inspections. We want to always maintain a shelter that the community can be proud of and provide exceptional service to the community both four legged and two legged. In the last 7 years we have done a lot to make sure the pups and the citizens of our great community are taken care of. Below is a list of updates done in the last 7 years. If you have not been out to see the shelter recently please stop out!
- Removed carpet and old flooring in shelter and installed new.
- Closed up patio in front of the building and turned it in to an office. Then created an adoption room from the existing room.
- Painted entire shelter inside and out.
- Invested in new patrol vehicle.
- Removed and replaced rusty chain link fence on exterior kennels.
- Put in a concrete parking lot with lines and handicap spot.
- Removed rusty and sharp interior kennel doors and installed new stainless steel custom doors to help with stress levels in kennel.
- Removed rusty old puppy cages and installed new portable ones.
- Installed a custom gate for large garage door opening to maximize air flow through the kennel in the spring/summer/ and fall months.
- Removed and replaced rusty old guillotine doors that separate interior and exterior kennels.
- Replaced rusty exterior medal doors to the shelter and leading back to the kennel area.
- Updated the business sign out front.
- Purchased a storage shed to free up a small room to be used as a quarantine/after hour drop off room.
- Began a volunteer program.
- Updated landscaping at the shelter to be more appealing.
- Invested in computers and printers for patrol vehicles to be more efficient and effective in the field.
- Created a new play yard for the dogs.
- Renovated interior of the building to be more efficient and cleaner.
