Cincinnati Animal CARE, Hamilton County’s only open-intake animal shelter, took in 112 dogs in just seven days — including 38 seized through active animal welfare investigations — and is pleading with the community for fosters, volunteers and adopters, the shelter said in its Nov. 5 news release. WXIX reported on Nov. 8 that the shelter had hit critical capacity after the investigations, carrying the same figures.
Of the seized dogs, 24 came from two separate Hamilton County properties in two days: humane agents and dog wardens removed 14 large, shepherd-type dogs from one property on Tuesday, and another 10 dogs of varying sizes from a separate property on Wednesday, Cincinnati Animal CARE said in its news release. More than a third of the week’s intake cannot currently be adopted, because those dogs remain on investigation holds, the shelter said.
“People see an overcrowded shelter, but they don’t always see what’s happening in our neighborhoods that’s contributing to it,” Meaghan Colville, chief dog warden and chief operating officer at Cincinnati Animal CARE, said in the shelter’s news release. “Our humane agents and dog wardens are removing animals from situations where their health and safety are at risk, not only to animals but to people as well. Those animals need immediate housing, medical attention, and daily care, but because these are active investigations, we can’t simply place them for adoption to make room for the next animals coming through our doors,” Colville said in the Cincinnati Animal CARE release.
The legal process explains the squeeze. Deputy dog wardens must file for a probable-cause hearing within ten days of a seizure, and seized animals cannot be made available for adoption until their legal status is resolved — until then they must remain in the shelter’s care, receiving housing, medical attention and daily care, Cincinnati Animal CARE said in its release. As an open-intake shelter and the county’s sole provider of animal services, the shelter cannot turn animals away, and it now has no available kennel space, with dogs living in temporary accommodations, the shelter said.
The week is the latest peak in a months-long crisis. Over the past three months the Hamilton County Dog Warden responded to seven high-volume cases involving six or more dogs from a single property, including the largest seizure in the shelter’s history in August, involving more than 150 animals, Cincinnati Animal CARE said in its release. In October the shelter reported 536 dogs in care and 1,083 animals across all species, housing dogs in pop-up crates, pens and garage space, according to the shelter’s October release.
Since taking over county animal services in 2020, Cincinnati Animal CARE has maintained a lifesaving rate of more than 90 percent and facilitated more than 30,000 adoptions, the shelter said in its release. Colville encouraged residents in the Cincinnati Animal CARE release to check on neighbors who may be struggling to care for pets, to spay and neuter their animals, and to report suspected cruelty or neglect before conditions become critical.
What happens next: probable-cause hearings for the seized dogs will determine their custody and whether bonds are required to cover care costs. In the meantime, new fosters and volunteers receive priority onboarding, and both campuses — 3949 Colerain Avenue and 4210 Dane Avenue in Cincinnati — are open daily from 1 to 6 p.m. for residents ready to foster, volunteer or adopt an available animal, Cincinnati Animal CARE said in its release.