Latest news with #ColumbusHumane
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Yahoo
Uncovering gaps in Ohio's animal cruelty laws
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — NBC4 Investigates is uncovering the gaps in Ohio animal cruelty laws, and in this story, we are digging into how often people are held accountable when they abandon their pets. NBC4 has uncovered that last year, 91% of cases filed with the city attorney's office were dismissed, but many times it's extremely difficult to file charges. That's the case with Nugget, a shy but sweet dog who was brought to Columbus Humane as part of a cruelty investigation. 'We got a report of a home that had some less than sanitary conditions,' said Brittany Williams with Columbus Humane. 'There were various dogs reported in that home, various body conditions. So some thinner than what they would like to see.' Worthington restaurant destroyed by three-alarm fire Nugget is one of a few dogs dumped at a Columbus woman's home. 'Nugget was dumped at this property and this woman knew that our local shelters were full and was not able to get into a shelter and was trying really hard to care for the stray that came in,' Williams said. The woman did not want to dump the dogs again, and tried to care for them, but it became overwhelming. That's when Columbus Humane stepped in. 'She had multiple dogs as well — other dogs that had been dumped as strays and their own dogs that they were caring for,' Williams said. Dumping an animal is a violation of the Ohio Revised Code; specifically the part that reads: 'no owner or keeper of a dog, cat, or other domestic animal, shall abandon such animal.' Proving abandonment can be difficult without hard evidence, like surveillance footage, which was not available in Nugget's case. How dismantling the Department of Education will affect Ohio schools 'Let's say we eventually might know who abandoned Nugget. We took evidence when Nugget came in through that medical evaluation. So that means that we have case evidence,' Williams said. Even in cases where there is evidence of dumping, it's hard to hold bad pet owners accountable. In 2024, Columbus Humane had 366 abandonment investigations. They filed 32 cases. 34 in total were filed with the Columbus City Attorney's office. Of the 34 filed with the city attorney, all but three were dismissed. Columbus Humane said it is rare to have someone to charge in dumping cases and the typical outcome is no charges filed. If a case does move to trial, evidence is presented by Columbus Humane agents. That work for evidence, like signs of abuse, starts in the shelter, with a forensic exam. 'Nugget was very thin,' Williams said. Ohio solar energy project with sheep farming scrapped due to opposition After some time for animals, like Nugget, to decompress, there is a test to see how they react to certain stimuli. 'We want to make sure that these animals are safe for our community,' Williams said. Once they are determined safe to go to a new home, they can move to the adoption floor, which is where Nugget is now waiting for her forever home. 'If you see the cruelty van, it's not always scary,' Williams said. 'They are out there trying to help people and you can do that by helping us too, reporting animal cruelty or anything that you see that you are concerned about is the best way to get that started.' You can report signs of animal cruelty, neglect or dumping to Columbus Humane here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dave Thomas adoption foundation hits milestone
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A local nonprofit dedicated to finding families for children in foster care has reached a major milestone. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption announced that its Wendy's Wonderful Kids program has helped find permanent homes for more than 15,000 children and youth in foster care across the United States and Canada since 2004 — including nearly 12,300 children since scaling the project began in 2012. A central Ohio girl named Samantha finally has a family thanks to the program which supports the hiring of adoption recruiters like Amy Rice who serve the longest-waiting children in foster care. Why is voter registration part of Ohio transportation budget? 'Typically, we're working with children that are harder to place and older or have a lot of special needs that makes it a little more difficult to find a family that can meet those needs,' Rice said. Samantha was born with medical challenges and required a triple organ transplant. Rice, who was assigned her case, said Samantha spent half her life in the hospital. 'I began to go through her file and contact people,' Rice said. The program uses a child-focused recruitment model where adoption professionals begin the search for a permanent family within the network of adults the child already knows. That's how Rice found the McGregors. Columbus buys new tech to help clear roads during snowstorms Ken McGregor, who is now Samantha's adoptive father, lost a son to medical complications in 2018. 'I thought that in my son's memory, that I could dedicate my time and help somebody else that could benefit from feeling love and stuff that I still had left over that I didn't give my boy,' he said. It was a match made in heaven. Samantha was adopted by the McGregors at age 14. 'When she went to live with them, she just began to blossom and her personality and she just let down her guard and trusted them and was able to function like a normal child,' Rice said. Prior to being adopted, Samantha's adoptive mother Aaryn said she had never even celebrated a Christmas morning. 'Oh, we took pictures of Samantha coming down the stairs and she stood with her hands up in the air shaking and screaming and 'look at all the presents,'' Aaryn McGregor said. Columbus Humane warns of missing pet scams While 15,000 children like Samantha now experience safety, comfort and love every day, adoption recruiter Lauren Rivers said there's still a lot of work that needs to be done. 'All children deserve a permanent, stable, safe home to go to,' Rivers said. 'And part of what our job is to help them get there and that way is through adoption and permanency. And so the value is just immeasurable.' Rivers said one of the problems is there are fewer people fostering children. 'If she were to age out, she probably would've ended up in a facility somewhere,' Aaryn McGregor said. 'That would be her reality, so for us, one thing that I have said about her and that I will always say about the kids, and it makes me very emotional, is that they have definitely blessed us more than we could ever bless them.' Ohio was the first state to fully implement the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program. 'Without that support of a family that can just help them through life and teach them, children that age out typically end up going to jail and not graduating high school,' Rice said. Anyone interested in getting involved can click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
What Ohio law says about dogs being kept outside during the winter
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – While animal welfare organizations receive an increase of calls during the winter from Ohioans who are concerned about dogs being kept outside, state law often limits when they can step in. In Ohio, there is no law restricting the tethering of a dog outside or setting a time limit for how long they can be left outdoors. However, the law does require that companion animals have access to food, water and 'adequate shelter.' Any animal that is kept inside someone's residence, as well as any dog or cat, is considered a companion animal under the law. Specifically, pets must have access to protection from the elements, including snow, rain and direct sunlight. If a 'reasonable person' would assume the animal would get sick, suffer or die as a result of the weather in the conditions they are kept in, the shelter is considered inadequate under the law. Mark Finneran, Ohio director of the Humane Society of the United States, said the vague definition in state law for adequate shelter can provide dog wardens and humane agents flexibility, but can also make the law difficult to enforce. 'Vague language can create some obstacles where [humane agents] get called out to a property and maybe they feel like it's not a good situation for the dog, but because of the way the code is written, they're not always able to move forward with charges or they're not able to give specific instructions to a property owner about 'here's exactly what you need to do in order to get up the code,'' Finneran said. Some other states, such as Tennessee, have more concrete definitions of adequate shelter, Finneran said. Some requirements in Tennessee's law include having a structure that is enclosed on all sides and contains bedding material. While there is no statewide law in Ohio restricting tethering or specific guidelines for adequate shelter, numerous cities and townships across the state have passed their own animal welfare-related ordinances. Columbus residents could be charged with a misdemeanor if a dog is chained outside between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. or during severe weather. Bexley and the city of Delaware have passed similar ordinances placing limitations on tethering, according to nonprofit rescue group Columbus Dog Connection. Multiple cities have also passed adequate shelter ordinances, including Delaware, which requires a dog shelter to, among other things, have moisture-proof floors and be raised off the ground. Finneran said if someone is concerned about the conditions a dog is being kept in, the best thing they can do is contact their local animal enforcement agency – in Franklin County, that is Columbus Humane. In Ohio, humane agents possess the power to make an arrest or take a pet if someone is found to be breaking laws regarding companion animals. Columbus Humane told NBC4 in December that providing photos and videos when leaving a tip helps them build evidence to potentially seize an animal. Chief Humane Agent Jessica Scott said when determining if shelter is adequate, the animal welfare organization considers whether the structure has four walls and a roof that protects an animal from the elements. If a resident has a friendly relationship with an individual who keeps their dog outdoors in questionable conditions, Finneran suggested talking with them and attempting to help. 'If you have a relationship with that neighbor or you feel that you can talk to them in a safe way, I always like to start with the spirit of trying to offer something to them,' Finneran said. 'If they don't have a doghouse for their dog, you can offer them an old doghouse that your neighbor or family member had that you can give to them or if they don't have bedding in a doghouse, you can offer them some straw.' The most common reasons people do not provide proper shelter to a dog comes down to an education or resource issue, rather than the individual intentionally being cruel, according to Finneran. 'A lot of times they don't realize that it's too cold for a dog, or that they just don't have the resources to be able to provide everything that dog needs,' he said. Finneran said the Humane Society of the United States is hoping the Ohio legislature will look at the state's guidelines for adequate shelter this General Assembly, and pass more specific requirements. He encouraged Ohioans to reach out to state legislators and elected officials to push for this change. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
