The phones have been ringing off the hook at both the Scioto County Dog Pound and Sierra’s Haven animal rescue since a story in Thursday’s Portsmouth Daily Times about the discovery of 18 dogs in a mobile home on Bertha Avenue in Portsmouth, and both facilities are wanting residents to know the dogs will not be euthanized.

“I can pretty much guarantee you that none of them will be euthanized,” said Pam Frowine of the Scioto County Dog Pound. “We have been contacted by rescues that if no one adopts them they’re going to take them.”

Of the 18 dogs discovered in the mobile home, two died and one is still being treated.

“We have had calls, and people have come in,” Frowine said. “We’ll start taking applications Monday morning for all of them. Then we will contact the people who are going to be able to adopt them. They will be spayed or neutered, and then they will go to their new homes.”

Frowine said that by law the Pound must wait to see if the owner claims them before they can be adopted out, so adoptions will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday. The woman living in the mobile home is 85, and had the dogs in cages with no ventilation in 90 degree weather. Frowine said she does not believe the woman will claim the dogs.

Dee Keller of Sierra’s Haven said she has received many negative calls since sending the dogs to the Pound.

“In the last day-and-a-half, since the paper came out, all I did at Sierra’s was spend time on the phone,” Keller said. “They were all really upset because they said, ‘How could you let those dogs, after all they’ve been through, be put down on Tuesday?’ Everyone has read it, and I have tried to explain to them that that is telling you what the policy is for the Pound. They do put dogs down on Tuesday, so people assume that is going to happen. It is not. Some of those who called said, ‘I donate to you. I’m changing my whole opinion of your place.’ They are not going to be put down and we knew that when we sent them over there, because the Pound was helping us.”

Keller said she got a call from a woman in Florida who had read the story while she was on vacation and was upset because she is not in the area.

“She said, ‘I have to do something.’ It was killing her to know that all of these dogs were going to be put down on Tuesday,” Keller said. “They are not going to be put down. They will most likely get more than one application for some of those dogs. So they will go through the applications and decide who is going to be the best match for the dog.”

Keller said five of the dogs went to groomers.

This incident dredges up an ongoing issue, Keller said. People expect Sierra’s Haven to take every dog and cat brought to them, she said, and they are extremely over-populated.

“I have one girl, who probably doesn’t weigh a hundred pounds soaking wet, who is the best kennel worker you will ever find. She scoops, scrubs, disinfects, gives them water, and still finds time to make sure she gives them fresh water in swimming pools,” Keller said. “She throws balls, she plays with them, and she gives treats to over a hundred dogs back there all by herself. We’re not getting volunteers, and then the Job and Family Service people who are supposed to be coming out in order to get their food stamps and work their hours off are not showing up.”

Keller said it is overwhelming at times because people sometimes adopt a pet, then bring them back. She said that while they sometimes get grants such as those they receive from TV personality Bob Barker, the doctors, Gail Counts and Angie Sherman, not only donate their time, but often work on their days off to attempt to handle the volume of spays and neuters, as well as the other issues the animals have.

Frowine said anyone wanting to adopt one of the rescued dogs should come to the Dog Pound at 82 Arrowhead Drive in Portsmouth at 8:30 a.m. Monday. They can also call (740) 353-8802 for more information.

FRANK LEWIS may be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232, or flewis@heartlandpublications.com.