BATAVIA, OH (Oct. 26, 2023) – Clermont County Animal Shelter maintained no-kill in 2022, according to Best Friends Animal Society’s annual data report. This means the shelter saved more than 90 percent of the dogs and cats that entered the shelter last year.
“Congratulations to the dedicated and hard-working team at the Clermont County Animal Shelter – and to the volunteers and organizations that support the shelter,” said Bonnie Batchler, president, Board of County Commissioners in Clermont County. “Your efforts have paid off in a big way.”
Commissioner David Painter said: “We’re very proud of the excellent work of the team at the Clermont County Animal Shelter and the many volunteers who support their efforts. The Board of County Commissioners takes the well-being of Clermont County’s dogs very seriously. When the county took over operation of the shelter, we vowed to keep it no-kill – and we have lived up to that promise.”
“We applaud the outstanding effort of the staff and volunteers at the Clermont County Animal Shelter,” Commissioner Claire Corcoran said. “Your hard work has helped us achieve our vital goal of keeping the shelter no-kill. Keep up the good work!”
Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization dedicated to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters by 2025, recognizes this achievement as a positive step forward and one that can be replicated by other shelters in Ohio.
To learn more about Clermont County Animal Shelter, visit https://clermontcountyohio.gov/animalshelter/
A 90 percent save rate is the nationally recognized benchmark to be considered “no-kill,” factoring that approximately 10 percent of pets who enter shelters have medical or behavioral circumstances that warrant humane euthanasia rather than killing for lack of space.
Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters by 2025. Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from an estimated 17 million per year to around 378,000. Best Friends runs lifesaving programs across the country, as well as the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Working collaboratively with a network of more than 4,200 animal welfare and shelter partners, and community members nationwide, Best Friends is working to Save Them All®. For more information, visit bestfriends.org.
BATAVIA, OH — Thanks to quick action by the Clermont County Animal Shelter’s team, a pit bull mix named John Wick survived a gunshot wound.
The Animal Shelter became involved after receiving a call from a concerned citizen who had brought two stray pit bull mixes into her home due to inclement weather. The dogs, both over 2 years old, appeared to be siblings.
A neighbor had shot John Wick with a 45-caliber gun after he attacked her cat.
“The dog is friendly with people,” said Caleb Peterson, the shelter’s director. “But his natural prey instinct most likely led him to the cat.”
Deputy Dog Warden Aaron Horsley crawled under a porch to retrieve the injured John Wick. He took the dog to an animal hospital. Miraculously, no vital organs had been hit.
The shelter paid the hospital bill of almost $2,000.
Peterson reports that John Wick has been “sweet, interacting with everyone” while recovering at the shelter. He will remain at the shelter for the next couple of weeks, until drains and sutures are removed.
Once renovations are complete and a fee schedule is set, the shelter will open to the public. The dogs will become available for adoption. Until then, after a stray hold (giving owners time to claim the dogs) expires, a rescue can pull the dogs and make them available for adoption.
“We could have euthanized the dog, but we continue to strive to be a no-kill shelter,” Peterson said. “We do everything we can to prevent euthanasia, and have been 100 percent successful since opening on Jan. 1.”
Transition to county operation of the Clermont County Animal Shelter is going smoothly, according to Facilities Management Director Wade Grabowski. He gave an update at today’s Board of County Commissioners meeting.
BATAVIA, Ohio (March 22, 2019) – The Clermont County Animal Shelter will be closed to the public from March 31 through April 5 to install new flooring.
The shelter, which is managed by Clermont Animal CARE Humane Society, will reopen to the public on Saturday, April 6. Saturday hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
The shelter is located at 4025 Filager Road, Batavia.
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BATAVIA, Ohio – Interested in learning more about county government? Have you ever seen a K-9 team in action? Do you want to find out more about the county’s Opiate Task Force? If so, please join us in April during National County Government Month.
Clermont County will hold several open houses and activities during the month.
The public is invited and is asked to register at https://clermontcountyohio.gov//national-county-government-month or call Kathleen Williams at 513.732.7597, or email her at kwilliams@clermontcountyohio.gov.
Saturday, April 7
Celebrate the outdoors at Sycamore Park
10 a.m.-noon: Nest Fest at Sycamore Park. Learn how to identify bird eggs and nests, use your “owl eyes” for our egg hunt and meet birds of prey up close thanks to our friends at RAPTOR Inc.
Address: 4082 SR 132, Batavia
Meet your new pet
1-2 p.m.: Meet the folks at the Clermont Animal CARE Humane Society animal shelter, 4025 Filager Road, Batavia. The new managers of the animal shelter will talk about their philosophy and initiatives. You can also meet the dogs and cats available for adoption.
Address: 4025 Filager Road, Batavia
Thursday, April 12
Celebrating successes in the opiate epidemic fight
2-3:30 p.m.: Join Clermont County’s Opiate Task Force as it celebrates Ohio’s ‘A Week of Appreciation,’ Batavia Township Community Center. Learn more about the task force’s accomplishments, initiatives and resources as it thanks those who have been on the front lines of fighting this epidemic. Light refreshments.
Address: Batavia Township Community Center, 1535 Clough Pike, Batavia
Saturday, April 14
Rendezvous on the River
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.: Help the Clermont County Park District celebrate spring and National County Government Month with the season-opening event at Chilo Lock 34 Park. We’ll have food, fun and special guests on every floor of the Visitors Center from noon to 3 p.m. Enjoy the playground, hike the trails and watch the mighty Ohio River from the boat ramp or the observation deck all day long.
Address: 521 County Park Road, Chilo (off U.S. 52)
Thursday, April 19
Ensuring public health
2-3 p.m.: Public Health is more than just flu shots. Visit your Public Health officials at the Clermont County Public Health Nursing Division to see what it takes to protect the health of Clermont County and its residents.
Birth certificates, flu shots, septic system inspections, plumbing permits, restaurant inspections, WIC, free car seats for needy families, and reducing drug overdoses in the community are just a few of the things that Public Health does. Stop by for an open house and talk to your public health department.
Address: 2400 Clermont Center Drive, Suite 200, Batavia
Enforcing laws & protecting citizens
6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.: Tour the Sheriff’s Office. See the Crime Lab. In the parking lot, see a demonstration by the K-9 unit, and the Special Response Team – including a robot used in dangerous situations.
Address: 4470 SR 222, Batavia – please park in adjacent Municipal Court parking lot
Saturday, April 21
Spring Litter Clean-Up
This annual volunteer event is held in communities throughout Clermont County. Appreciate our county’s beauty? Volunteer to be part of this countywide event – whether in cities, townships and villages, along the Little Miami and East Fork, or at East Fork State Park. Find out more information here: https://www.springlittercleanup.com/. #GreenClermont
Tuesday, April 24
Protecting our water & environment
10-11:30 a.m.: Tour the Bob McEwen Water Treatment Plant and learn how water from Harsha Lake becomes drinking water. And learn more about how we are protecting our watershed from the Office of Environmental Quality and Soil & Water Conservation District. #GreenClermont
Address: 3960 Greenbriar Road, Batavia
Disability awareness
4-6 p.m.: Learn about services offered by the Clermont County Board of Developmental Disabilities, as well as other agencies in the Tri-State area that serve children and adults with disabilities. Members of the Clermont County Voices self-advocacy group will be available to give facility tours and answer questions about the challenges they have faced in their everyday lives.
Address: 2040 US Highway 50, Batavia
#LeadingTheWay
#CountiesMatter
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BATAVIA, Ohio (Jan. 31, 2018) – Commissioners today approved a one-month extension to the deadline to buy 2018 dog licenses.
The expiration to buy dog tags for this year was today, Jan. 31. But with a new humane society managing the county animal shelter, Commissioners agreed that a one month-extension, to Feb. 28, would be in order.
On Jan. 1, Clermont Animal CARE Humane Society began managing the operations at the county shelter in Batavia. Clermont Animal CARE was awarded a one-year contract, with possible extensions, to manage the shelter in November 2017, following a request for proposal process.
Since then, Clermont Animal CARE has begun an outreach campaign to encourage more dog owners to buy tags for their animals. All license fees go directly into the operation of the animal shelter for the rescue, care and housing of the community’s lost and homeless dogs.
“Clermont Animal CARE approached us to see if we would be open to extending the deadline,” said Auditor Linda Fraley, whose office manages the sale of dog licenses. “They had additional marketing ideas they wanted to have the time to implement, to encourage more people to buy tags before the penalty sets in. We wanted to support that.”
Under Ohio law, all dogs three months of age and older are required to be licensed. The tags help ensure that stray dogs are returned to their owner.
Tags are available throughout the county. The animal shelter, at 4025 Filager Road, also sells tags. One-year licenses cost $16. If tags are bought after Feb. 28, a penalty fee of $16 will be assessed. More information can be found on the Auditor’s website.
Robin Tackett, President of Clermont Animal CARE, said that the organization plans to sell tags at My Furry Valentine, Cincinnati’s largest pet adoption event, on Feb. 10-11 at the Sharonville Convention Center.
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BATAVIA, Ohio (Dec. 20, 2017) – The Clermont County Board of Commissioners today approved Curtis Bonhoff as chief dog warden in the county. Bonhoff will begin his duties on Jan. 1, 2018, and will be employed by Clermont Animal Care Humane Society. Clermont Animal Care will begin managing the county animal shelter on Filager Road on Jan. 1.
Bonhoff, a licensed humane agent, is one of the dog wardens now employed by Clermont to the Rescue Humane Society, the current operator of the animal shelter. He has worked at CTTR for the past year-and-a-half.
“Curtis has built a reputation of trust in the community,” said Cindy Unkenholt, Vice President of Clermont Animal Care. “He understands the balance between enforcement and education.”
Among other responsibilities, dog wardens in Ohio investigate cases of animal cruelty.
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