Pet euthanization figures startle Portage, Porter County
Chicago Tribune
September 11, 2015
As talks continue to build a new animal shelter for Porter County, officials there were aghast to learn that almost 60 percent of the animals picked up by Portage Animal Control and taken to the Humane Society of Hobart are euthanized.
According to statistics provided by Portage Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham, from June 2014 through June 2015, almost 59 percent of the total animals were put down, and about 9.3 percent of the total were euthanized after they were deemed dangerous.
But Portage Mayor James Snyder said he checked with the humane society and the figure is not only from animal control. Residents from mobile home parks are bringing in feral cats to be euthanized, driving up the statistics, and the majority of animals brought in by animal control are redeemed by their owners, he said.
"We get billed if Portage takes an animal there," he said.
The high rate still outrages county officials.
"These numbers are going to paint a very ugly picture," said County Councilman Jeremy Rivas, D-2nd, whose district includes Portage. "Every day it's not built, animals are not being the chance to live by the city of Portage."
Portage has its own animal control officers and has taken its strays to the Hobart shelter for as long as anyone remembers. But as the Porter County Board of Commissioners plans for a new shelter – an announcement of those plans could be made in the coming weeks – whether the county's largest city will participate remains to be seen.
Over the past few years, county officials have come up with, and then nixed, an assortment of plans for a new shelter to replace the one at 2056 Heavilin Road, off of Ind. 2. Officials have long considered the facility outdated and too small to handle the number of animals the no-kill shelter receives. Commissioners announced late last year a new shelter would be built on Indana 49, just north of the Porter County Expo Center, but no details have been forthcoming since then.
Complicating matters between Portage and county officials is what appears to be an almost complete lack of communication to bring the two sides together to determine if or how Portage would participate in a county facility.
Information on the number of animals taken in and euthanized from the Hobart Humane Society was not available.
Brenda Slavik, the shelter's director, said the numbers from Portage were wrong and she didn't know where they came from.
"I don't know what numbers they're talking about," she said, adding numbers are only sent to the cities the shelter serves if they ask for them.
One of the society's board directors said it's not required to release information on euthanazations and the information could be retrieved from the cities it serves -- Portage, Hobart and Lake Station. Several city departments in Hobart said they didn't have that information and an employee at Lake Station City Hall said a public information request was needed to obtain the information.
According to the humane society's website, it takes in an average of 5,700 animals a year. The site claims the animals have a 75 percent chance of adoption.
Board member Chris Skrenka said the number of euthanazations at the Hobart shelter would be higher than at other shelters because it is the only one in the area that serves as animal control for three cities and it also euthanizes animals for residents who can't afford to pay to for the service for their own dying animals.
"Portage animals should be going to Porter County," Skrenka said. "If people criticize, they can go out and build a better mousetrap."
Board president Laura Labadie said the length of time an animals is kept at the shelter varies. She said there was a black Labrador at the shelter for about two months.
Board members said the animals are euthanized if they are very sick or contagious to other animals at the shelter with a deadly virus, severely injured or very aggressive.
In Portage, Rick Henderlong, the city's animal control warden, said the city doesn't deem an animal as dangerous. Cases where dogs attack people go through city court. The city also does not euthanize animals.
"Once we drop an animal at the Hobart Humane Society, we lose complete control over that animal," he said.
To reclaim lost dogs, Portage residents pay a fee to the city and retrieve their animals in Hobart, Henderlong said. The shelter sends a monthly report of the numbers to the city so the city knows how much it owes the humane society for its services.
He called the euthanization rate "really high."
Also calling the number "a lot" was Toni Bianchi, interim director of the county animal shelter. The shelter has euthanized 7 percent of the animals it's taken in so far this year, and Bianchi said national no-kill advocates set a threshold of less than 10 percent for shelters to be considered no-kill.
Because the shelter is often at or beyond its capacity of 81 cats and 50 dogs, Bianchi works with rescue groups to take the animals and get them adopted. Sometimes they call her asking about specific breeds or older dogs, for example, or she contacts them, or they come through and see which animals they want. The county does not charge rescues for the service.
"I look at it this way," she said. "If you do take a dog from us, that's great because it creates an open kennel and it's one more dog we can take off the street."
Council President Dan Whitten, D-At-large, called the euthanization rate "pretty staggering."
"It just seems as if your animal is a stray in that jurisdiction, it starts walking the 'Green Mile,'" he said, referring to the Stephen King book and movie about Death Row. "They need to find a way of not doing that, and one of the ways is to join discussions about the animal shelter."
Whitten said Snyder "has made zero effort" to reach out to the county to be part of the discussion about a new shelter. He suggests Snyder and the city council, as well as the county council and commissioners, get actively involved in the county's plans.
"The kill philosophy does not mesh with the county," he said. "Those numbers shock the conscious."
Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, who's spearheading efforts for a new county shelter, called the lack of communication with Portage frustrating.
"There needs to be a commitment," she said, adding commissioners, who oversee the shelter, are considering two options for square footage for a new building so there will be room if Portage wants to be thrown into the mix, but it would be easier to know now than have to build an addition later.
"We are maxed out in our current facility. If we can help reduce that euthanization rate and get the Portage animals in our shelter, heck, we're interested," she said. "But we need that dialogue and it's going to cost more, but it could be a win-win."
"I'm on the record 50 times saying they need to get the shelter built," Snyder said.
He and City Councilman Ted Uzelac said the city council has sent two letters to the county council about the shelter and received no response, in addition to informal discussion about the need.
Neither Whitten nor Rivas said they have received those letters. Rivas said he's also talked to city officials in general but had no specific meetings on the topic.
Regardless, Snyder said the animals from his city would overrun the county shelter as it is now, creating unsafe and dangerous conditions, even though Portage residents help pay for it through county taxes. He added that he is waiting on the county to get the shelter built.
"The county continues to operate like we're not here, and my residents are the biggest block of taxpayers and they get no service," he said. "Until Porter County gets something done, there's nothing Portage can do."
Portage residents are paying twice for animal services, Uzelac said, adding their tax dollars support both the county shelter and the Humane Society of Hobart. The city pays $25,000 a year to the Hobart shelter.
Still, he said he's not being critical of county officials, and added if they were able to get together, they could resolve the problem.
"Portage is proud to be part of Porter County, but we would like to be more a part of this mix," he said. "My goal is to have some dialogue."
His proposal is for Portage to keep its animal control officers and their trucks, and continue to pick up animals in that city. Animal control could house them for five days, so people have a chance to find them, and if the animals weren't claimed by then, they would be transported to the county shelter.
The plan would include an investment by the city to house the animals temporarily.
"Sure, they're going to have to build a bigger facility but we should have been involved from Day 1," he said.
Humane society defends practices, considering role in communities
Chicago Tribune
September 28, 2015
The board of directors for the embattled Humane Society of Hobart told both supporters and critics attending an open meeting Monday that the board will be deciding soon what role it will be playing in the community in the future.
The center currently acts as animal control for the cities of Hobart, Lake Station and Portage, but various members stated in the past and at the meeting that they believe Porter County, not the shelter, should be taking in animals from Portage.
"This has been going on since the 1990s," longtime board member Carol Konopacki told the approximately 20 people attending the board meeting of Porter County's refusal to take Portage's stray animals.
Board member Chris Skrenka said the shelter will continue to have open admission of animals.
The humane society has come under fire from local animal activists and Portage city officials, prompting Monday night's meeting.
Activists have called for more transparency from the shelter, including being able to see the number of animals it brings in and the number of euthanasias it performs. They also said board meetings haven't been advertised so the public could attend.
Some Portage officials were upset recently when they learned a report that showed 60 percent of the animals picked up by Portage Animal Control and taken to the Hobart facility were euthanized from June 2014 through June of this year. In Hobart, around 40 percent of the animals brought in during all of 2014 were put down, according to statistics provided by the shelter to the city.
Skrenka questioned the accuracy of those numbers and reiterated that the humane society is the only nonprofit in the area that takes in animals from three communities.
"We're not a rescue group. We don't have the luxury of choosing what animals we'll take in," Skrenka said.
"We don't have a sign up front that says bring your animals to us. We're the last stop for most people," he added.
Still, he said, the goal of the shelter is to get as many animals adopted as possible as quickly as possible. He said the average stay before adoption is six days.
Mary Watson, shelter supporter, said
the shelter's detractors aren't helping anyone, especially the animals.
"I've adopted animals from here. They need community support," she said.
Cate Amador, one of the activists seeking more transpareny and less euthanasias at the shelter, said she received some numbers from the City of Hobart concerning animals brought in and euthanized at the shelter that came from Hobart, but asked for more detailed numbers.
"The numbers I received were confusing. How many went to rescues? Several organizations are looking for these numbers. There are grants out there for spaying and neutering, but they need the numbers," she said.
Some attending the meeting asked how they could help and offered their support.
"We need to start working together instead of fighting. We need to move forward," said Jamie Peyton, a Union Township resident who said she wanted to be a board member.
Board president Laura Labadie said the board is working on a new website for the shelter that will have more information, including the date and time of board meetings.
She said she thought Monday's meeting was productive.
"We got a great feel of the peoples' thoughts," she said.
Portage considers county option for animal control
Post-Tribune
January 22, 2016
As plans for a new Porter County Animal Shelter move forward with a groundbreaking tentatively scheduled for May, Portage officials are in talks with the county about bringing their animals there instead of taking them to the Hobart Humane Society.
The discussion comes as the humane society was going to force Portage to make other arrangements for its animals come March 1 but, with the shelter in the works and Portage possibly included, director Brenda Slavik said the Hobart facility will continue to take Portage's animals through the end of the year or until the new shelter is ready.
"We're just trying to get something under them to get them going. We've been doing this for 11 years. We didn't want to do this that long," she said. The shelter accepts intakes from animal control in Portage, Hobart and Lake Station.
Portage is the only municipality in Porter County that does not rely on the county for animal control and shelter services. County officials have long considered the existing shelter, at 2056 Heavilin Road, outdated and too small to handle the number of animals the no-kill shelter receives, and it is not large enough to handle an influx of animals from Portage if that city's agreement with the Hobart Humane Society were to break down before a new shelter was ready.
Many details remain to be worked out, but Portage City Councilwoman Sue Lynch, D-at-large, said the city would like to maintain its own animal control officers and provide a temporary holding area for the animals brought in by animal control.
That would make it more convenient for residents to reclaim their lost pets without having to go to the shelter, which will be located on Indiana 49 between the Porter County Sheriff's Department and the Expo Center, and any animals that aren't claimed by the end of each week could be transported to the county shelter.
"It would reduce the numbers we take to Valparaiso," Lynch said, and the city would no longer be using the humane society, which is not a no-kill shelter.
Taxpayers are already contributing to the county shelter, she said, and while the city would have to pay for the shelter's services once its animals go there, if Portage uses its own animal control officers, it won't have to pay the county for that service.
"The cost can't be the same to Portage as it is for the other communities because we have been maintaining our animal control," she said, adding Portage and county officials have several months to work out the details while design and construction of the shelter move forward.
In September, county officials were surprised to learn the high percentage of animals that were brought to the Hobart shelter from Portage and euthanized, which was almost 60 percent, according to numbers provided by Portage Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham. Portage Mayor James Snyder said at the time the number was being driven up by the number of feral cats brought in from mobile homes and euthanized.
Lynch is serving on a committee spearheaded by Porter County Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, which is working out what services the new shelter will provide.
The county's hope is that Portage will want to be included in the new shelter, Blaney said.
"Obviously, it does make a difference in the size," she said, adding the facility will be designed for future expansion, or for an addition if the county and Portage can't come to an agreement before the shelter is constructed. "It would make more sense to work it out now, and I think both parties are at the table."
Portage would have to pay for shelter services even if the city maintains its own animal control, which is only fair, she said.
"Our goal is to bring them in. We want to bring them in, and it's a better deal for their animals," she said.
County Commissioner Jeff Good, R-Center, said at a recent commissioners meeting that the county would like to keep the cost of the building under $2 million; cost estimates are expected to be available in April when three companies and groups of companies offer up proposals for a new facility.
An anonymous donor has offered a significant donation toward the cost of the shelter and Blaney said that offer still stands.
"Generally speaking, we want to build a animal shelter that is something that Porter County can be proud of, so we don't want to shortchange it," said Council President Dan Whitten, D-at-large, adding the facility should be state-of-the art and a benefit to animals in the county.
He agreed with Blaney that Portage can maintain its own animal control "but they still have to have some buy-in."
The county doesn't want to build a facility too small to accommodate all the municipalities that want to take their animals there, nor do officials want a municipality to use the services and not pay for them.
"That cuts down on our ability to build something nicer," he said. "Everybody should come to the table because it's better. If you're at all an animal lover, you have to be excited about the prospect."
Hobart gives notice to Portage, county over animals
Post-Tribune
March 28, 2016
Officials with the Humane Society of Hobart have given formal notice to the city of Portage and the Porter County Animal Shelter that once the county has a new shelter, the Humane Society will no longer take in Portage's animals.
The letter notes that it's been "many years" since the Humane Society signed a temporary agreement to assist with animal control in Portage, and the city was asked in December to begin making plans for another place to take their animals.
"Now that Porter County is building a new shelter, this is the perfect time to say that the Humane Society will no longer provide animal control services for the City of Portage once the new facility is built," the letter states. "If the city of Portage will not be using the Porter County Shelter, please make plans for a facility of your own or another entity."
The letter says that the Humane Society will continue serving Portage for the time being "but this contract with Portage cannot go on indefinitely as this was supposed to be temporary."
Officials with the humane society could not be reached for comment.
As plans for a new county animal shelter move forward with a tentative spring groundbreaking and completion early next year, Porter County Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, said county officials are in ongoing talks with the city of Portage about being included in the new shelter, and City Councilwoman Sue Lynch sits on an advisory for the new facility.
"We don't have a contract hammered out yet but I think all sides are in agreement that we have to be working together," Blaney said, adding the shelter is being built to handle the additional animals from Portage.
The letter, which was signed by Hobart Humane Society Director Brenda Slavik, Board of Directors President Laura Labadie and Treasurer Carol Konopacki, was sent to Porter County officials dated Feb. 18.
Unlike other Porter County communities, Portage has its own staff of animal control officers and has long been taking its animals to the Hobart shelter instead of the county facility.
Portage will retain its animal control officers under the agreement being worked out with the county, Blaney said. "I think we're all expecting Portage to be there from Day 1."
County officials have long considered the existing county shelter, at 2056 Heavilin Road, outdated and too small to handle the number of animals the no-kill shelter receives, and it is not large enough to handle an influx of animals from Portage at its current size.
The new shelter, on Indiana 49 between the Porter County Sheriff's Department and the Expo Center, is expected to be 10,000 to 12,000 square feet with room to expand, according to a request for proposals released in late February by the Board of Commissioners.
Mayor: Shelter location not good for Portage
Post-Tribune
June 02, 2016
Portage Mayor James Snyder questions the location of the new Porter County animal shelter among other concerns in a letter to members of the Porter County Council and Board of Commissioners.
In the letter, dated Wednesday, Snyder said the most important reason for Portage's dissatisfaction with the location on Indiana 49 near the Porter County Expo Center and Porter County Jail is that it will hinder adoptions.
"Adoption of these animals should be priority number one, and there are few who believe that the location near the county jail and the county fairgrounds is paramount in promoting good and frequent adoption options to families and these poor animals who need a home," Snyder wrote.
Portage is the only municipality in the county that does not use the county shelter. Portage has its own animal control officers and now takes its strays to the Humane Society in Hobart, a kill shelter.
Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, disagreed with Snyder about the Ind. 49 location.
"There's a lot of factors that go into picking the perfect spot and this is it, including saving taxpayer dollars," said Blaney, who also said she doesn't think the shelter's location will hinder adoptions.
"I can guarantee better adoption rates for all the animals in Porter County," she said.
County officials have already addressed many of Snyder's concerns, said Council President Dan Whitten, D-at large. He is meeting next week with Portage City Council President Mark Oprisko, D-at large, and County Councilman Jeremy Rivas, D-2nd, whose district includes Portage, to discuss finances, the number of animals Portage would bring to the new shelter, and other matters.
"The mayor's letter is of no consequence to me," he said.
Snyder also said it would take an hour round-trip for his city's animal control officers to drop animals off at the shelter, incurring greater time and transportation costs.
The County Council discussed the new location with commissioners at their May 24 meeting. Portage City Councilwoman Sue Lynch, D-at large, who was at the meeting and served on a committees for the new shelter, said then that the location would not preclude the city from using the shelter.
County officials considered a number of different locations for a new shelter before deciding on the site on Ind. 49, which commissioners announced about a year and a half ago. Land at Sunset Hill Farm County Park, at Meridian Road and U.S. 6, was dropped as a potential location because the land was owned by the parks foundation and several people opposed using it for a shelter.
Councilman Jim Biggs, R-1st, said at the meeting that much of the county's growth is south of U.S. 30, a point he reiterated Wednesday and one that Snyder disputed in his letter.
"There is no perfect location because the demographics in Porter County change about every five years," Biggs said. "You look at a location that in most people's opinion is centrally located."
The land on Ind. 49 is owned by the county, which was one of the factors in deciding to put the shelter there, but Snyder said in his letter that county officials seemed focused on saving tax dollars rather than purchasing a more prominent property that could foster a higher rate of adoptions. He also mentioned the almost $160 million the county received from the sale of the county hospital, and a $1 million private donation toward the new shelter.
"The focus seems to rest on frugality as opposed to (the) reality of a good location and its users," Snyder wrote. "In this instance, the county's focus will potentially cost the taxpayers millions."
County government has to be frugal because it operates on a larger scale than its municipalities, Biggs said.
"I think our frugal approach is why we have dollars in the bank and I think taxpayers have backed our approach," Blaney said.
Portage officials have not yet signed a contract to join in on the new shelter, which is expected to open early next year. Construction should begin in the coming weeks.
County officials want to work with the city of Portage, Biggs said, and he thinks everyone would be better off concentrating on more important things.
"I respect what they're saying. I understand it but we made a decision we felt was in the best interest of all of Porter County."
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Shelter improves on no-kill rate for '16
Amy Lavalley
Post-Tribune
December 12, 2016
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-porter-animal-shelter-st-1213-20161212-story.html
The Porter County Animal Shelter's euthanization rate dropped this year, as did its number of intakes because of revised procedures meant to keep animals healthier and better match families with prospective pets.
That's according to statistics released Monday by shelter director Toni Bianchi that showed the shelter's euthanization rate dropped from about 7 percent to just over 4 percent between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30 of this year.
Shelters must maintain a euthanization rate below 10 percent to be considered no-kill facilities.
"Medically, we have better protocols in place," Bianchi said, including immediately vaccinating dogs on intake and placing them in quarantine for up to a week, then keeping them in isolation if they're sick.
The shelter staff also is working more with the animals, particularly dogs, because working breeds, such as German shepherds and Doberman pinschers don't do as well in kennels, and offering dogs play groups so they can socialize with other dogs, which reduces aggression, officials said.
"We're getting the animals more enriched so it keeps them from getting kennel frustration," she said. "It does make them more adoptable because we're working with them more."
Handling medical and behavioral issues proactively is helping keep the euthanization rate down, she added.
The shelter took in 650 animals between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, an almost 30 percent reduction for the same period last number. That included a drop in the number of strays coming to the shelter, but also decreases in owner surrenders, adoption returns and seized animals.
The shelter tightened its adoption procedures so prospective pets and owners are a better match, which reduces the number of animals returned to the shelter, Bianchi said.
"We're trying to make sure the animal is going to the right home," she said.
Shelter staff also talks to pet owners before they relinquish an animal to talk about strategies for keeping the pet at home, she said.
The number of strays has dropped with the establishment of a "Lost and Found Pets in Porter County" Facebook page, which matches animals found by the public with their owners. The shelter also maintains a lost and found log that can be accessed by animal control officers, who can match a reported stray animal with an owner, according to a news release.
The shelter also has improved its volunteer recruitment and training, and changed its spay/neuter police so animals are spayed or neutered before they can be taken home. Previously, new owners had 90 days to get their new pet altered.
This also was the first time in many years that there were no significant disease outbreaks in the shelter, Bianchi said, and veterinary bills also have dropped by 47 percent. A total of $142,000 was spent on veterinary care in 2015; that figure will be about $75,000 this year.
Bianchi said that the achievements by the shelter staff have been incredible and the shelter has been able to move from constantly being over-capacity to staying within capacity limits.
"We have already begun planning additional program enhancements that can only be implemented when we move to the new shelter building," she said of the June 1 planned move to a new, larger shelter on Indiana 49 between the sheriff's department and the Expo Center.
County officials have long said the existing shelter, at 2056 Heavilin Road, was too small and outdated to handle the number of animals there.
"The Board of Commissioners couldn't be more proud of the turnaround that Toni and the entire shelter staff have accomplished so far this year in what we all know to be very challenging conditions at the current shelter building," said Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, in the news release.
Porter County Animal Shelter reports improvement
By Bob Kasarda bob.kasarda@nwi.com, (219) 548-4345
Dec 12, 2016
NWI Times
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/porter-county-animal-shelter-reports-improvement/article_d83137e8-6aec-5543-a547-e3d1954f8101.html
VALPARAISO — The adoption rate at the Porter County Animal Shelter was down slightly during the first three quarters of this year over 2015.
But officials there say the reduction is the result of a more effective adoption policy that has reduced the number of animal returns.
The shelter also reported having to euthanize fewer animals this year over last.
A total of 27 animals were euthanized during the first three quarters of this year — 26 for medical reasons and one for aggression, according to the shelter. This compares to 64 animals euthanized during the same period last year.
The percentage of animals euthanized this year was 4.29 percent, which falls well below 10 percent, allowing the shelter to retain its "no kill" status, according to officials there.
The number of strays at the shelter is down, according to officials. The reduction is attributed to the Lost and Found Pets in Porter County Facebook page and a log of stray animals that is remotely accessible by animal control officers.
"I believe that the improvements in our animal intakes are the direct result of programs and procedures that we have implemented at the shelter," said Director Toni Bianchi.
"It is clear that we are making very positive progress in better managing our shelter population," she said.
New Porter County shelter set to open in June
Amy Lavalley
Post-Tribune
December 02, 2016 - 5:46PM
With exterior walls up, the interior of the new Porter County Animal Shelter is getting its due.
Skylights for more natural light for animals and people. A separate area for small-breed dogs. An area for glassed-in displays in the entranceway for puppies and kittens up for adoption. Office space for employees. A surgical area for spay/neuter procedures. And so much more.
After years of discussion and consideration of an assortment of different locations, county officials decided on county-owned land between the sheriff's department and the Expo Center for a shelter to replace the one at 2056 Heavilin Road, which they have long said is too small and outdated.
"I think it's going to be really nice," said Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, who has helped shepherd the project. "On top of being three times bigger, it's going to be many more times healthier for both the people and the animals."
A Friday tour of the new building, led by Marc Bozetarnik, a construction superintendent with Larson-Danielson Construction, showed what the facility will have to offer.
Construction began in August and much the work should be complete by mid-March, he said, which will give shelter officials time to put in place the kennels and other equipment they need to open the shelter by June 1.
At $3.25 million, the shelter is being paid for with $2.25 million in proceeds from the sale of the county hospital and a $1 million private donation by Jacki Stutzman, Blaney's aunt.
The new shelter, at 16,000 square feet, will have the capacity for 120 dogs and 120 cats.
"We think it's state of the art," Bozetarnik said, adding the facility is Larson-Danielson's design and the firm was awarded the contract by commissioners through a design/build process.
The building will feature a sophisticated air exchange system, bringing fresh air into the building every 10 minutes to control odors and limit disease, he said, adding it's the facility's most expensive feature.
"You're looking at the design and there are certain features in this building that are very unusual and cater to the pets, disease control and things you don't think about," he said, adding this is the first animal shelter he's worked on.
Bozetarnik has visited the current shelter and said a new one is "long overdue."
"It's just been really rough for them to do what they need to do there," he said.
The amenities, Blaney said, will make for happier animals and when animals are stressed less, they are less likely to be ill. That, in turn, will make them more adoptable.
"This will be so much better," she said. "It's going to be everything we were hoping it would be and so much more."
Gallery: New Porter County Animal Shelter
December 01, 2016
NWI Times
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/new-porter-county-animal-shelter-taking-shape/article_913258a6-f601-5af4-9f1f-9b285cbe4979.html
New Porter County animal shelter taking shape
By Bob Kasarda bob.kasarda@nwi.com, (219) 548-4345
Dec 1, 2016
NWI Times
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/new-porter-county-animal-shelter-taking-shape/article_913258a6-f601-5af4-9f1f-9b285cbe4979.html
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP — The basic shell of the new county animal shelter is in place and work on the interior of the building is still in the early stages.
But Porter County Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, was thrilled Thursday by what she saw.
"We can't get in here soon enough," she said.
Blaney and her aunt, Jacki Stutzman, who donated $1 million toward the $3.25 million project, visited the site Thursday, which is located just northwest of the Porter County Expo Center along Ind. 49.
"This is magnificent," Stutzman said as she walked into the largest of the rooms, which will soon house many of the building's 120 dog kennels.
The new shelter is 14,000 square feet, as compared to 4,000 square feet at the current facility that was built in the early 1980s along Ind. 2, south of U.S. 30. The new maximum capacity for dogs rises from 50 to 120, and from 80 to 120 for cats.
"Just like the old one," Blaney joked upon seeing the large kennel area.
The new facility is slated to open June 1, she said.
David Merkel, who is serving as project manager for the design builder, Larson-Danielson Construction, said the 10 kennels in the small-breed dog area will each have access to outside runs.
The dogs kept in the larger main kennel area will be escorted out to the runs, he said.
Merkel stopped along the tour to point out an indoor area lined with several windows to give cats exposure to the outside.
The animal areas of the building will feature a special system to change out the interior air 10 times per hour, he said.
Merkel said his crew is shooting to be done March 23, at which time the county will take over with its work on the building.
The county is funding the project through proceeds from the 2007 sale of the former county hospital, which required a unanimous vote by the three county commissioners and seven members of the County Council.
New shelter: 'The animals deserve this'
Bob Kasarda bob.kasarda@nwi.com, (219) 548-4345
Sep 9, 2016
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP — Porter County Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, said her children asked her why there was a groundbreaking ceremony Friday for the new animal shelter when work is already underway at the site.
The answer became clear as one speaker after another voiced excitement about the accomplishment and what it means for the future of the county.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Blaney’s aunt, Jacki Stutzman, who donated $1 million toward the $3.25 million project located along Ind. 49, just northwest of the Porter County Expo Center.
Stutzman said while volunteering at the current shelter, she saw all that the staff has been able to accomplish at that aging site.
“They deserve this,” she said of the new building. “The animals deserve this. Porter County deserves this.”
The new shelter will be 14,000 square feet, as compared to 4,000 square feet at the current facility that was built in the early 1980s along Ind. 2, south of U.S. 30, according to a fact sheet provided during Friday’s groundbreaking. The new maximum capacity for dogs rises from 50 to 120, and from 80 to 120 for cats.
The new building, slated to be open next year, also will feature a spay/neuter clinic, two examination rooms and a grooming area.
Shelter Director Toni Bianchi said the new building will provide greater enrichment opportunities for the animals and result in more adoptions.
“I just can’t thank you all enough,” she said to the group that included various county officials, shelter and rescue staff, and contractors linked to the project.
County Commissioner Jeff Good, R-Center, said the groundbreaking is also significant in that it represents a wider effort to update other county buildings.
“Your buildings are really a perception of who you are,” said Good, who works in the hotel business.
The county is funding the project through proceeds from the 2007 sale of the former county hospital, which required a unanimous vote by the three county commissioners and seven members of the County Council.
County Council President Dan Whitten, D-at-large, lauded the cooperation necessary for the vote, saying that each official has a different background and likely different priorities.
“This animal shelter was clearly a priority of all 10,” he said.
Lack of dog impound facility concerns Portage residents
Joyce Russell joyce.russell@nwi.com, (219) 762-1397, ext. 2222
Sep 7, 2016
NWI Times
PORTAGE — Debra Hric told the City Council recently that she no longer feels safe in the city.
Hric, who lives in Harbor Oaks subdivision, said she wasn’t satisfied with the city’s actions recently after a neighborhood dog mauled her dog to death.
“It’s not about revenge, it is about safety,” she said.
But, said City Attorney Gregg Sobkowski, the city’s hands are tied.
“It is a practical issue. We don’t have a place to impound animals,” Sobkowski said.
Hric’s dog, Dolly, was killed the night of Aug. 30 when, she said, a neighborhood pit bull came out of nowhere, grabbed her 12-pound Shih Tzu, which was on a leash, and killed it.
The incident was reported to Portage police and animal control. The owner of the dog was ordered to quarantine his animal until the city could hold a hearing under its dangerous dog ordinance on Oct. 3.
“I feel it is a safety issue,” said Hric, who was joined by a half-dozen neighborhood residents. “You have quarantined the dog with the owner. What’s to say he’s not going to get loose again?”
Police Chief Troy Williams said it isn’t just Hric’s case. A police officer was recently injured while on a call, he said, and police were not able to take that dog.
Councilwoman Liz Modesto told Hric that they can’t take the dog to Hobart Humane Society because officials there only will hold the animal for three days. They also can’t take it to the Porter County Animal Shelter because the city doesn’t have a contract with the county agency to take animals.
Council President Mark Oprisko said the city is presently negotiating with the county, which is building a new facility on Ind. 49. If a deal is struck, they would be able to take animals there in the future.
Council members said they would also review the dangerous dog ordinance to see if there are any changes that can be made to strengthen the ordinance.
In the meantime, Williams said he would ask for extra patrol in the Harbor Oaks area by officers.
Porter County approves $2.25 million for new animal shelter
Bob Kasarda bob.kasarda@nwi.com, (219) 548-4345
Jun 28, 2016
NWI Times
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/porter-county-approves-million-for-new-animal-shelter/article_bec1ed04-996b-5d1a-8746-1a198a2ac093.html
VALPARAISO — The Porter County Council approved $2.25 million Tuesday night for a new animal shelter in what amounted to the deepest dip yet into the principal from the 2007 sale of the county hospital.
Council President Dan Whitten, D-at large, called the move a "tremendous step forward for the county" and the first of many capital projects that will be made possible by the investment of the hospital proceeds.
"I think this county is going to be very proud," he said.
The money, in addition to a $1 million donation from Valparaiso resident Jacki Stutzman, will be used to replace the county's undersized and aging shelter with a new facility along Ind. 49 near the Porter County Expo Center.
The plans for the new building, as presented last month before some tweaking, call for a 14,500-square-foot building.
"This is about fixing what's broke," said Councilman Jim Biggs, R-1st.
The council's action Tuesday night generated a round of applause from a group of shelter employees and supporters.
The Porter County Board of Commissioners approved the $2.25 million for the new shelter a couple of weeks ago. Unanimous approval from both the council and commissioners is necessary before dipping into the principal from the hospital sale proceeds.
Commissioner Jeff Good, R-Center, said the new facility will pave the way for new revenue from dog adoptions.
It will also attract new volunteers and additional donors, he said.
"I think looking forward there will be a lot of tremendous opportunities," Good said.
Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, who is Stutzman's niece, said, "This is what can be done when we all put aside our differences and find common ground for the good of the community."
Commissioners seek $2.25 million in hospital funds for animal shelter
Chesterton Tribune
By JEFF SCHULTZ
June 15, 2016
http://chestertontribune.com/Porter%20County/commissioners_seek_2_25_million.htm
The job of building the new Porter County Animal Shelter has been officially given to Larson-Danielson Construction.
The Porter County Commissioners voted 3-0 Tuesday to award the contract to the LaPorte-based firm with two contingencies -- that County Attorney Scott McClure has final review of the contract and that the County Council allocate the funds needed for construction.
The Commissioners then voted unanimously to ask the County Council to tap into $2,250,000 of the $10 million in proceeds from the Porter Memorial Hospital sale principal set aside for capital projects.
That is not including the $1 million donation from Valparaiso resident and Shelter benefactor Jacki Stutzman. Her donation will allow additional amenities such as an area where dogs and cats could be spayed or neutered to be built.
Commissioner Jeff Good, R-Center, told the Chesterton Tribune he believes the final cost could be close to $2.5 million, but it’s hard to say at this point.
“We’re basically getting a $3 million building for $2 million is how I see it (with the donation),” Good said after the meeting.
The Commissioners talked of putting Stutzman’s donation in a sub-fund instead of being mixed in with the Shelter’s regular donation fund.
Commissioner President John Evans, R-North, suggested part of the Shelter be named for Stutzman in appreciation for her generosity. Commissioner Laura Shurr Blaney, D-South, who is Stutzman’s niece, said she “did not ask for that” but “she would appreciate it very much.”
The County Council will meet on Tuesday, June 28, to decide whether to support the $2.25 million amount. Under home rule, unanimous votes from both the Commissioners and the Council are required to spend any of the hospital principal.
The $10 million for capital projects represents the amount of hospital money that was not invested into a foundation endowment fund created by the County.
In a related matter, the Commissioners also voted 3-0 to accept a bid of $45,665 from Olson Construction to build a new offsite access road for the Shelter, which was about $10,000 less than a bid submitted by a second firm, Walsh & Kelly.
McClure said he is in discussions with the Indiana Department of Transportation on getting a right-of-way permit for the road extension and mentioned “they are willing to process it.” The Shelter will sit off of Ind. 49 near the County Expo Center and Fairgrounds on Division Rd.
Mike Jabo of DLZ Indiana said bids have also been collected to extend sewer and waterlines from the fairgrounds but advised to wait until July to select one so it will not interfere with the County Fair’s run.
Good said that the proper permitting will be acquired before construction officially begins. “We are holding ourselves to the same standards as everyone else,” he said.
Mayor: Shelter location not good for Portage
Post-Tribune
June 02, 2016
Portage Mayor James Snyder questions the location of the new Porter County animal shelter among other concerns in a letter to members of the Porter County Council and Board of Commissioners.
In the letter, dated Wednesday, Snyder said the most important reason for Portage's dissatisfaction with the location on Indiana 49 near the Porter County Expo Center and Porter County Jail is that it will hinder adoptions.
"Adoption of these animals should be priority number one, and there are few who believe that the location near the county jail and the county fairgrounds is paramount in promoting good and frequent adoption options to families and these poor animals who need a home," Snyder wrote.
Portage is the only municipality in the county that does not use the county shelter. Portage has its own animal control officers and now takes its strays to the Humane Society in Hobart, a kill shelter.
Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, disagreed with Snyder about the Ind. 49 location.
"There's a lot of factors that go into picking the perfect spot and this is it, including saving taxpayer dollars," said Blaney, who also said she doesn't think the shelter's location will hinder adoptions.
"I can guarantee better adoption rates for all the animals in Porter County," she said.
County officials have already addressed many of Snyder's concerns, said Council President Dan Whitten, D-at large. He is meeting next week with Portage City Council President Mark Oprisko, D-at large, and County Councilman Jeremy Rivas, D-2nd, whose district includes Portage, to discuss finances, the number of animals Portage would bring to the new shelter, and other matters.
"The mayor's letter is of no consequence to me," he said.
Snyder also said it would take an hour round-trip for his city's animal control officers to drop animals off at the shelter, incurring greater time and transportation costs.
The County Council discussed the new location with commissioners at their May 24 meeting. Portage City Councilwoman Sue Lynch, D-at large, who was at the meeting and served on a committees for the new shelter, said then that the location would not preclude the city from using the shelter.
County officials considered a number of different locations for a new shelter before deciding on the site on Ind. 49, which commissioners announced about a year and a half ago. Land at Sunset Hill Farm County Park, at Meridian Road and U.S. 6, was dropped as a potential location because the land was owned by the parks foundation and several people opposed using it for a shelter.
Councilman Jim Biggs, R-1st, said at the meeting that much of the county's growth is south of U.S. 30, a point he reiterated Wednesday and one that Snyder disputed in his letter.
"There is no perfect location because the demographics in Porter County change about every five years," Biggs said. "You look at a location that in most people's opinion is centrally located."
The land on Ind. 49 is owned by the county, which was one of the factors in deciding to put the shelter there, but Snyder said in his letter that county officials seemed focused on saving tax dollars rather than purchasing a more prominent property that could foster a higher rate of adoptions. He also mentioned the almost $160 million the county received from the sale of the county hospital, and a $1 million private donation toward the new shelter.
"The focus seems to rest on frugality as opposed to (the) reality of a good location and its users," Snyder wrote. "In this instance, the county's focus will potentially cost the taxpayers millions."
County government has to be frugal because it operates on a larger scale than its municipalities, Biggs said.
"I think our frugal approach is why we have dollars in the bank and I think taxpayers have backed our approach," Blaney said.
Portage officials have not yet signed a contract to join in on the new shelter, which is expected to open early next year. Construction should begin in the coming weeks.
County officials want to work with the city of Portage, Biggs said, and he thinks everyone would be better off concentrating on more important things.
"I respect what they're saying. I understand it but we made a decision we felt was in the best interest of all of Porter County."
Council points to growth in choice of animal shelter location
Amy Lavalley
Post-Tribune
May 25. 2016
The Porter County Council is satisfied with the location of the new county animal shelter and is considering the growth of the county, a council member said Tuesday.
Noting complaints from the Portage administration that the location on Indiana 49 between the Expo Center and the sheriff's department is too far from that city, Council President Dan Whitten, D-at large, wanted confirmation that the site was the best place for a new shelter.
"We're confident that there's no location closer to Portage that works?" Whitten said.
A site under previous consideration at Sunset Hill Farm County Park, at U.S. 6 and Meridian Road, was dropped because that land was owned by the county parks foundation, Commissioner Jeff Good, R-Center, said.
Council attorney Scott McClure said the project is too far along at its current site to pull back.
Future growth in the county will be south, said Councilman Jim Biggs, R-1st.
"Twenty years from now, all those cities south of (U.S.) 30 are going to be saying the same thing Portage is now," Biggs said.
Portage is the only city in the county that hasn't signed on to bring its animals to the new shelter and currently takes its animals to the Hobart Humane Society. Portage City Councilwoman Sue Lynch, D-at large, said the location would not preclude the city from bringing its animals there.
"This location seems pretty logical to me," Whitten said, adding it's not in a cornfield between Hebron and Kouts. "People do go to the fair and the Expo Center, and there is easy access."
The facility will have the capacity to expand but is large enough as it's being built to handle Portage's animals, officials said.
On Tuesday, Larson Danielson Construction Co. of LaPorte presented plans for a 14,500-square-foot concrete block building.
Good, who sat on one of the committees for the project, said the shelter would take up about 1.7 acres of the 5-acre parcel.
The county will need to come up with about $2.25 million for the project, said McClure. The facility is about $2.75 million and the county has received a $1 million donation from Jacki Stutzman of Valparaiso toward that cost, McClure said, but the final figure includes soft costs, such as sewer and water service and extending a frontage road along Ind. 49 to serve the facility.
The new shelter would have the capacity for 114 dogs and 96 cats. The current structure, at 2056 Heavilin Road, can hold 50 dogs and 80 cats, shelter director Toni Bianchi said.
County officials deem the new shelter a priority, Whitten said, and discussion of how to fund it will come at the council's next meeting, when council members will have a better handle on operating costs and whether Portage is joining in, which would help boost revenue.
"We don't have to build a facility for the municipalities. We're building a nice facility because we want to," Whitten said, adding it's up to the municipalities to decide whether to be included. "We want everybody included if they want to come."
Porter County Council pondering $2.25M request for new animal shelter
By Bob Kasarda bob.kasarda@nwi.com, (219) 548-4345
May 24, 2016
NWI Times
VALPARAISO — The Porter County Council seemed generally supportive Tuesday night of plans for a new 14,500-square-foot animal shelter along Ind. 49 near the Porter County Expo Center.
But it will not be known until at least next month if the group will be willing to free up the $2.25 million needed for the building in addition to a $1 million private donation announced late last week.
There was already discussion Tuesday about reducing the size of the structure by doing away with an interior courtyard designed to give cats the opportunity to be outside for greater mental stimulation.
A question was also asked about the operational costs of a proposed system that will replace the interior air in the kennel areas every six minutes.
"I think it's great, it's long overdue," said Councilwoman Sylvia Graham, D-at large.
Councilman Jim Biggs, R-1st, said the proposal speaks volumes that, "This county is going to treat its animals with compassion."
The details of the project were presented by representatives of Larson Danielson Construction Co., which recently won out in the competition for the best overall proposal. The project design is now undergoing some tweaking to fit needs and the county's budget.
Porter County Commissioner Jeff Good, R-Center, has said the hope is to fund the project from money generated by the 2007 sale of the county hospital.
Part of the funding equation will depend on whether Portage decides to join every other municipality in the county in paying to use the new shelter, said Council President Dan Whitten, D-at-large.
He said concern has been voiced that the proposed site is too far from Portage.
Good said the preferred location for the shelter is further north at Sunset Hill Farm County Park in Liberty Township, but no one from Portage came out to support the commissioners when they made an unsuccessful attempt to win approval for use of that location.
Sue Lynch, D-at large, who attended Tuesday's County Council meeting, said she did not believe the proposed location of the new shelter will preclude the city from using the site.
Portage currently takes its stray animals to the Hobart Humane Society.
Construction company chosen for new animal shelter
Amy Lavalley
Post-Tribune
May 17, 2016 - 4:33PM
The new Porter County Animal Shelter inched closer to reality Tuesday as the Board of Commissioners learned which of three design/build teams is closest to hitting the parameters outlined for the project.
In a dovetailing of scores for facility designs and proposed cost, Larson-Danielson Construction Co. of LaPorte offered the best option, said Stephen Kromkowski with DLZ.
Larson-Danielson scored in the middle in the design rankings done by a technical review committee and offered a proposed cost of about $2.7 million, the lowest of the three teams competing for the project. The other two teams are Core, Epoc, Millies and Abonmarche, and Gairup/M2Ke design.
"Everything did meet the criteria that was established," Kromkowski said.
The next step, he said, will be for Larson-Danielson to sit down with a shelter advisory committee and fine-tune the overall design.
"They're not changing the scope and they're not changing the design," Kromkowski said, adding it's more of an "overall refinement" of the plans.
By the commissioners' next meeting on June 14, Commissioner Jeff Good, R-Center, said officials would have "a really good idea" of the cost of a new shelter.
County officials have long said that the current shelter, at 2056 Heavilin Road off of Indiana 2, was outdated and too small to handle the number of animals that come through its doors.
Demolition is complete on the old house on the county-owned land for the new shelter, on a five-acre parcel between the sheriff's department and the Expo Center on Indiana 49, said highway superintendent David James, as well as demolition of the outbuildings on the property.
Additionally, the commissioners and Surveyor Kevin Breitzke, serving as the county's storm water board, unanimously passed a resolution against Great Lakes Basin Transportation's plans for a 278-mile freight train line, which would start in Wisconsin and end in LaPorte County.
The proposed line, an $8 billion, privately funded project, would run through southern and eastern Porter County.
Several other boards in Lake and Porter counties have come out against the plan.
Making way for a new county animal shelter
Bob Kasarda
May 9, 2016
NWI Times
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP — Porter County Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, braced herself against the strong and chilly wind Monday morning so as not to miss another milestone in constructing a new county animal shelter.
“It’s so exciting,” she said while watching an old house destroyed near the the Porter County Expo Center to make way for groundbreaking on a new shelter in June. “It’s a long time coming.” A large excavator began tearing away sections of the two-story house and several nearby outbuildings are also slated for demolition.
The demolition occurred a day before the commissioners are scheduled to open up three competitive bids to construct the new building, according to Commissioner Jeff Good, R-Center.
Those proposals will contain costs for the project, he said, but the final decision also will be based on a review of the companies ability to meet the county’s expectations, he said. That final selection is expected to be made by commissioners May 17.
Good predicted the project will cost the county between $2.5 million and $3million. The hope is to get the unanimous support needed from the commissioners and council to fund the project from money generated by the 2007 sale of the county hospital.
Blaney said it likely will be next spring before the facility is operational.
The new shelter will be accessed from the same light along Ind. 49 that is used by the sheriff’s department, Good said. The access road along the east side of the highway is going to be extended south to reach the site.
Shelter Director Toni Bianchi was happy to see the demolition under way Monday.
“It’s a step in the right direction for the animals in Porter County,” she said.
A new shelter not only will improve living conditions for the animals, but will attract more potential adopters, she said.
Home demolition makes way for animal shelter
Amy Lavalley
Post-Tribune
May 09, 2016
With a loud crunch, a piece of heavy machinery took a bite out of a house Monday that will soon be the site of the new Porter County Animal Shelter.
Windows shattered and fell piece by piece into a growing pile of rubble, which also came to include insulation, drywall, a gold and orange rug and myriad other bits of the building on Indiana 49.
The Porter County Board of Commissioners and other county officials watched as the old house, on county-owned land between the sheriff's department and the Expo Center, came down, a sign that after several years, plans for a new shelter are moving forward.
'This is definitely happening and it's a huge step in the right direction for the animals of Porter County. I'm very excited," said shelter director Toni Bianchi. "We've been waiting for this for a while."
County officials have long said that the current shelter, at 2056 Heavilin Road off of Indiana 2, was outdated and too small to handle the number of animals that come through its doors. The shelter currently has 45 cats and 31 dogs but that number will increase as spring progresses, Bianchi said.
At their meeting Tuesday, commissioners are expected to open and reveal bids from the three teams involved in the design/build process for the shelter, with the hope of awarding a bid to one of them at their May 17 meeting, said Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, adding the house tear-down makes a new shelter "finally very tangible."
"It's just going to be a much better experience for the animals and the people when you walk in the door," she said, adding a new shelter will have more natural light, better ventilation, and sound and noise control. "I'm hoping it will attract more volunteers because this will be a better work environment."
Commissioner Jeff Good, R-North, expects the bids to come in around $2.5 million to $3 million for the new shelter.
He expects a June groundbreaking.
Design proposals shown for new animal shelter
Amy Lavalley
Post-Tribune
April 18, 2016 - 2:14PM
Porter County officials got a peek at what could be the new animal shelter Monday with a look at the plans offered by three teams involved in the design-build process for the new facility.
Members of the Board of Commissioners and representatives from the animal shelter, animal control and the project's technical review committee heard presentations from Core, Epoc, Millies and Abonmarche; Gairup/M2Ke design; and Larson-Danielson Construction Company Inc. One of the three teams will be selected to take on the project.
The presentations weren't about cost but about the design of the new shelter. Commissioners have set a construction budget of $1.6 million to $2 million for the new facility. Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, has said a considerable anonymous donation toward the cost of the shelter would offset the cost.
The new shelter will be located on a 5-acre parcel at 2554 Ind. 49, on county-owned land between the sheriff's department and the Porter County Expo Center which now houses a vacant home and a few outbuildings.
County officials have long discussed a replacement for the current shelter, at 2056 Heavilin Road, because they have said the facility is outdated and too small for the number of animals it serves.
The three priorities for Gairup/M2Ke design would be to create a warm and inviting place, full of natural light and functionally efficient and effective, said David Hill, principal with M2Ke design.
"We want to make it a place people want to go to adopt an animal," he said.
His firm's design would be a cross-shaped structure with natural light for the animal and public spaces. The entrance will have taller elements with space for signs.
"It will be very prominently seen from (Indiana) 49," he said, adding it will have "curb appeal" and be inviting for the public.
The longest portion of the building will run east-west for energy efficiency, and the entire building will have large overhangs to maximize the sun's heat in the winter and minimize it in the summer, and provide coverage for outdoor kennels.
The facility also would have extra-wide corridors in the dog kennel zones and hanging partitions to block the dogs' views of one another and cut down on barking, he said.
In late February, commissioners released a request for proposals to the three teams competing to bid on the project. The RFP specified a facility that was 10,000 to 12,000 square feet, with the ability to expand another 3,000 square feet.
The facility proposed by Gairup/M2Ke design would be around 15,300 square feet.
"I don't think I can get smaller than that and get all the programs" in the facility that officials want, Hill said.
Commissioners will get an update on the animal shelter at their meeting Tuesday and, according to a timeline in the RFP, are expected to award a contract for the new facility at their May 24 meeting. The shelter is expected to be complete by early next year.
Hobart gives notice to Portage, county over animals
Post-Tribune
March 28, 2016
Officials with the Humane Society of Hobart have given formal notice to the city of Portage and the Porter County Animal Shelter that once the county has a new shelter, the Humane Society will no longer take in Portage's animals.
The letter notes that it's been "many years" since the Humane Society signed a temporary agreement to assist with animal control in Portage, and the city was asked in December to begin making plans for another place to take their animals.
"Now that Porter County is building a new shelter, this is the perfect time to say that the Humane Society will no longer provide animal control services for the City of Portage once the new facility is built," the letter states. "If the city of Portage will not be using the Porter County Shelter, please make plans for a facility of your own or another entity."
The letter says that the Humane Society will continue serving Portage for the time being "but this contract with Portage cannot go on indefinitely as this was supposed to be temporary."
Officials with the humane society could not be reached for comment.
As plans for a new county animal shelter move forward with a tentative spring groundbreaking and completion early next year, Porter County Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, said county officials are in ongoing talks with the city of Portage about being included in the new shelter, and City Councilwoman Sue Lynch sits on an advisory for the new facility.
"We don't have a contract hammered out yet but I think all sides are in agreement that we have to be working together," Blaney said, adding the shelter is being built to handle the additional animals from Portage.
The letter, which was signed by Hobart Humane Society Director Brenda Slavik, Board of Directors President Laura Labadie and Treasurer Carol Konopacki, was sent to Porter County officials dated Feb. 18.
Unlike other Porter County communities, Portage has its own staff of animal control officers and has long been taking its animals to the Hobart shelter instead of the county facility.
Portage will retain its animal control officers under the agreement being worked out with the county, Blaney said. "I think we're all expecting Portage to be there from Day 1."
County officials have long considered the existing county shelter, at 2056 Heavilin Road, outdated and too small to handle the number of animals the no-kill shelter receives, and it is not large enough to handle an influx of animals from Portage at its current size.
The new shelter, on Indiana 49 between the Porter County Sheriff's Department and the Expo Center, is expected to be 10,000 to 12,000 square feet with room to expand, according to a request for proposals released in late February by the Board of Commissioners.
Animal shelter retains no-kill status
Amy Lavalley
Post-Tribune
February 09, 2016 - 3:02PM
The Porter County Animal Shelter released animal intake and outcome data for 2015 on Tuesday that confirms their continued status as a no-kill shelter.
The shelter also announced the launch of a new website.
Of the total 1,135 animal outcomes in 2015, just over 7 percent resulted in euthanization. That total was 80 animals, and 26 were euthanized for aggressive behavior and 54 for medical reasons.
A shelter must maintain a euthanization rate below 10 percent to achieve no-kill status. The shelter had 1,139 intakes for the year, with 1,135 outcomes. In all, 92 percent of the animals that came into the shelter were adopted, reclaimed by their owners, or placed with rescue organizations. About 1 percent of the animals were brought to the shelter after they were dead or died after they got there.
"It was a good year for the shelter and our animals," shelter director Toni Bianchi said in a news release. "We were able to make these achievements because of the support of the public, our partner rescue organizations, and a committed shelter staff. But we have more work to do."
Last year, 82 percent of the animal intakes were strays, yet only 24 percent of the outcomes were returned to the owner. Another 5.7 percent of the intakes were owner surrenders and 6 percent were adoption returns.
"We took a hard look at these numbers and found a need to better educate the public about resources to find and reclaim their lost animals, alternatives to owner surrenders, and helping potential adopters truly understand that adopting an animal is a serious, lifelong commitment," Bianchi said in the news release. "That was a big part of our decision to develop a new and more comprehensive website, so that we could try and reduce the number of animals coming into the shelter."
The new website includes categories for help in finding and reclaiming lost animals, as well as alternatives to the most common reasons for owner surrenders. It also has information for those thinking of adopting, including the cost of owning an animal, the supplies needed, choosing the right animal for their lifestyle, and planning the animal's homecoming.
Groundbreaking for a new shelter on Indiana 49, just north of the Porter County Expo Center, is slated for May. The new shelter will replace the current one at 2056 Heavilin Road, which county officials have long said is outdated and too small for the number of animals it handles.
"During Toni's short tenure as director, we've seen amazing progress at the shelter and it is fantastic that she is now proactively trying to reduce animal intakes through public education and awareness," said Porter County Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, in the news release.
During the website development process, shelter staff compiled lists of the most commonly asked questions by the public, and identified areas where the public can be engaged in supporting the shelter's mission. There are also more than 80 subpages that include adoption success stories; volunteering; upcoming events; becoming a foster; the shelter's wish list; updates on the new shelter; low cost spay/neuter programs; and more.
"We've tried to develop a website that is user friendly and offers information that is truly educational and useful," Bianchi said.
The new website can be viewed at www.porterco.org/pcas.
Portage considers county option for animal control
Post-Tribune
January 22, 2016
As plans for a new Porter County Animal Shelter move forward with a groundbreaking tentatively scheduled for May, Portage officials are in talks with the county about bringing their animals there instead of taking them to the Hobart Humane Society.
The discussion comes as the humane society was going to force Portage to make other arrangements for its animals come March 1 but, with the shelter in the works and Portage possibly included, director Brenda Slavik said the Hobart facility will continue to take Portage's animals through the end of the year or until the new shelter is ready.
"We're just trying to get something under them to get them going. We've been doing this for 11 years. We didn't want to do this that long," she said. The shelter accepts intakes from animal control in Portage, Hobart and Lake Station.
Portage is the only municipality in Porter County that does not rely on the county for animal control and shelter services. County officials have long considered the existing shelter, at 2056 Heavilin Road, outdated and too small to handle the number of animals the no-kill shelter receives, and it is not large enough to handle an influx of animals from Portage if that city's agreement with the Hobart Humane Society were to break down before a new shelter was ready.
Many details remain to be worked out, but Portage City Councilwoman Sue Lynch, D-at-large, said the city would like to maintain its own animal control officers and provide a temporary holding area for the animals brought in by animal control.
That would make it more convenient for residents to reclaim their lost pets without having to go to the shelter, which will be located on Indiana 49 between the Porter County Sheriff's Department and the Expo Center, and any animals that aren't claimed by the end of each week could be transported to the county shelter.
"It would reduce the numbers we take to Valparaiso," Lynch said, and the city would no longer be using the humane society, which is not a no-kill shelter.
Taxpayers are already contributing to the county shelter, she said, and while the city would have to pay for the shelter's services once its animals go there, if Portage uses its own animal control officers, it won't have to pay the county for that service.
"The cost can't be the same to Portage as it is for the other communities because we have been maintaining our animal control," she said, adding Portage and county officials have several months to work out the details while design and construction of the shelter move forward.
In September, county officials were surprised to learn the high percentage of animals that were brought to the Hobart shelter from Portage and euthanized, which was almost 60 percent, according to numbers provided by Portage Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham. Portage Mayor James Snyder said at the time the number was being driven up by the number of feral cats brought in from mobile homes and euthanized.
Lynch is serving on a committee spearheaded by Porter County Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, which is working out what services the new shelter will provide.
The county's hope is that Portage will want to be included in the new shelter, Blaney said.
"Obviously, it does make a difference in the size," she said, adding the facility will be designed for future expansion, or for an addition if the county and Portage can't come to an agreement before the shelter is constructed. "It would make more sense to work it out now, and I think both parties are at the table."
Portage would have to pay for shelter services even if the city maintains its own animal control, which is only fair, she said.
"Our goal is to bring them in. We want to bring them in, and it's a better deal for their animals," she said.
County Commissioner Jeff Good, R-Center, said at a recent commissioners meeting that the county would like to keep the cost of the building under $2 million; cost estimates are expected to be available in April when three companies and groups of companies offer up proposals for a new facility.
An anonymous donor has offered a significant donation toward the cost of the shelter and Blaney said that offer still stands.
"Generally speaking, we want to build a animal shelter that is something that Porter County can be proud of, so we don't want to shortchange it," said Council President Dan Whitten, D-at-large, adding the facility should be state-of-the art and a benefit to animals in the county.
He agreed with Blaney that Portage can maintain its own animal control "but they still have to have some buy-in."
The county doesn't want to build a facility too small to accommodate all the municipalities that want to take their animals there, nor do officials want a municipality to use the services and not pay for them.
"That cuts down on our ability to build something nicer," he said. "Everybody should come to the table because it's better. If you're at all an animal lover, you have to be excited about the prospect."
Companies pitch plans for animal shelter
Amy Lavalley
Post-Tribune
January 19, 2016
Three companies or groups of companies have thrown their hats in the ring to build a new animal shelter for Porter County.
Porter County Commissioner Jeff Good, R-Center, said during a Tuesday meeting the technical service committee for the project received three responses to submit requests for proposals for the shelter, which will be constructed on county-owned Indiana 49, north of the Porter County Expo Center.
The committee reviewed the responses and ranked Larson Danielson Construction Company first, Gariup Construction and M2Ke Design second and Core, Epoch, Millies and Abonmarche third.
"We feel we have really good players who want to put an animal shelter together," Good said, adding the committee consists of himself and an engineer and construction company representative from within the county.
County officials long have said the current shelter, 2056 Heavilin Road, is outdated and too small for the number of animals it serves.
The technical service committee will put together what it wants to see in a new shelter for a request for proposals and that will go out Feb. 17, he said. The companies' proposals will be due April 7, with estimated costs. He expects a tentative groundbreaking in May.
At the same time, Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, is working with an advisory committee composed of representatives from the county council, a rescue group, the Expo Center, the animal shelter, the fair board and a veterinarian.
Their goal is to come up with what services the shelter will provide and what the facility will need.
"They're there to give input so we don't step on toes or duplicate (services)," she said.
Good said he didn't have any idea on what the facility would cost, but officials are trying to keep the building portion of the project under $2 million. A feasibility study a few ago by Shelter Planners of America suggested a new shelter would cost approximately $2.6 million.
The competitive nature of the design/build process, Good said, helps keep the price in check.
"For a specialty-type building, this is the way to go. You can control the design and any time you control the design, you control the costs," he said.
In related business, commissioners approved a contract for animal control and animal shelter services between the county and Beverly Shores, part of an update started in June for contracts between the county and its communities for those services.
The city of Portage has its own animal control officer and takes its animals to the Hobart Humane Society, but Board of Commissioners President John Evans, R-North, asked county attorney Scott McClure to work up the costs for Portage as plans for the shelter move forward.
"We can say we offered (the contracts) to everyone now," Evans said.
Land preparation to begin for new animal shelter
Amy Lavalley
Post-Tribune
December 15, 2015 - 3:33PM
Construction on a new county animal shelter could begin in the spring, and the Board of Commissioners have asked the county's highway department to tear down the old house on the property.
"Let's tear down the buildings and get started," Commissioners President John Evans, R-North, said Tuesday of the county-owned land, on Indiana 49 between the Porter County Sheriff's Department and the Expo Center.
Commissioner Jeff Good, R-Center, said soil borings would be needed at the site in the coming weeks, which will require the house and a few outbuildings to be torn down, though some buildings may remain for construction equipment storage.
The work will include salvaging an air conditioning unit and other equipment from the old house.
Good is heading up a technical review committee for the new building, and said the committee is ready to start the request for qualifications process. The committee will review the firms interested in the design/build process for the shelter and rate them, getting the list down to three potential bidders.
That list will be ready early next year.
"It is moving forward. We are following state guidelines," Good said, adding this is the first time the county is using the design/build process, which will be useful for future projects.
Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, suggested putting up a sign announcing the spot as the new site for the shelter.
The current shelter, at 2056 Heavilin Road, is a facility that county officials have long said was too old and too small to handle the volume of animals that pass through it.
Previous discussion about where to put a new shelter have included on county-owned property at U.S. 130 and Ind. 149, and at Sunset Hill Farm County Park, among other locations.
In other business, commissioners renewed a contract with Porter Health Care System for another year for its Care Express urgent care clinics, located in Chesterton, Portage and Valparaiso.
This will be the third year for the contract, which is unchanged from past years, said Porter's chief executive officer, Steve Lunn. Under the contract, the county pays $125 when employees or those covered on their insurance use one of the clinics and employees have a $10 co-pay.
The clinics saw 656 people in 2014 and expect to see 667 people this year under the contract, Lunn said.
Before the county signed the contract with Porter, it had a contract with Healthy Access for a flat rate of $18,000 per month, regardless of how many employees used it, said Mike Anton, the county's servicing agent for its health insurance.
Under the old plan, 20 to 30 employees were using Healthy Access clinics each month; that's now 50 to 55 people with Care Express, Anton said.
Additionally, commissioners announced they hired Matthew Stechly of Valparaiso as the county's new facilities director after conducting four interviews earlier Tuesday. Stechly, who has a background in facilities management, starts Jan. 4 at an annual salary of $57,000.
Shelter releases animal data; achieves no-kill status
Amy Lavalley
Post-Tribune
November 06, 2015 - 5:47PM
The Porter County Animal Shelter on Friday released animal intake and outcome data for the first three quarters of this year, numbers that show a little more than 7 percent of the animals were euthanized, a low enough figure for the shelter to be considered a no-kill facility.
The standard for achieving no-kill status is that the shelter maintains a euthanasia rate below 10 percent, said Toni Bianchi, the shelter's interim director.
The shelter provided the following statistics on what happened to the rest of the animals brought to the shelter through Sept. 30:
• 41.05 percent were adopted.
•24.36 percent were reclaimed by their owners.
•26.14 percent were placed with approved rescue organizations.
• 0.33 percent were deceased animals brought to the shelter by Porter County Animal Control for disposal of remains.
•1 percent were animals that died while in the care of the shelter.
The numbers are crucial as the county moves forward with plans for a new shelter. The Board of Commissioners took action last month to start the design-build process for a new shelter, to be located on Indiana 49 just south of the Porter County sheriff's department, and construction could begin in the spring.
"It gives us an idea of how many animals we've taken in and how many we're housing," Bianchi said. "It gives us an idea of what we're going to need and what's going to be needed in the future."
Bianchi said she looks at the numbers each quarter to gauge what's going on at the shelter and decided to release them for greater transparency of the shelter's operations.
"We didn't want people to not know what's going on here," she said. "We've got nothing to hide."
Given the challenges faced by the shelter, at 2056 Heavilin Road, Bianchi said she is pleased it has been able to maintain its no-kill status, adding that euthanasia is an absolute last resort when no other avenue is open to prevent a danger to the public and other animals, or pain and suffering of the animal. The decision to euthanize an animal is made by a consensus of shelter officials.
The shelter changed its intake procedure a few months ago to reduce the number of animals who get sick while at the shelter, Bianchi said, and that includes a quarantine and isolation if necessary.
So far this year, the shelter has taken in 928 animals, including 462 dogs, 455 cats and 11 other animals, including rabbits, goats, guinea pigs, chickens and roosters.
Humane Society of Hobart reviewing contracts
NWI Times
September 29, 2015
September 29, 2015
HOBART | The Humane Society of Hobart’s board is in the midst of reviewing contracts it has in place to provide services to three local municipalities.
Through agreements with Hobart, Lake Station and Portage, the organization provides animal control field services and animal housing to the municipalities, Chris Skrenka, Humane Society of Hobart board member, said Monday during the group's meeting.
He said the board is reviewing all of its animal control and housing contracts to determine the role the Humane Society of Hobart will have in the community in the future.
“At this point we feel it is important to continue as an open-admission facility,” Skrenka said. “We will take into consideration the input of our outstanding supporters, trained and licensed animal welfare individuals and national organizations who understand our responsibilities to the community when discussing future direction and operating policy."
Skrenka has explained the Hobart society established its agreement with Portage more than a decade ago, and it was initially intended to be on a temporary basis.
Monday’s board meeting also served as an opportunity to gather feedback from the community about the organization.
Some have asked the Humane Society of Hobart to be more transparent.
In particular, Hobart resident Cate Amador asked for the organization’s performance numbers and protocol.
Amador said “there’s big grants out there” that can assist in animal control efforts, but figures, including euthanasia numbers from the organization, are needed in those applications.
Board member Laura Labadie said euthanasia is a “sensitive” topic, and many animal organizations don’t provide those figures.
She explained the Humane Society of Hobart doesn’t take euthanasia lightly, and at least two employees are involved in decisions regarding euthanasia. She also said the organization on many occasions contacts area veterinarians before making such decisions.
Skrenka also explained the Humane Society of Hobart is an open-admission animal shelter, but it isn’t an animal rescue. He said the organization “doesn’t have the luxury to pick and choose” animals it accepts at the facility, and there are situations in which animals brought to the facility are sick and injured.
“We’re usually the last stop for a lot of people,” Skrenka said.
Euthanasia figures for the Humane Society of Hobart also could be different from other local animal shelters because the organization also performs owner-requested euthanasia.
There also were several at Monday’s meeting supporting the Hobart society.
Hobart resident Bob Krebes was among those who said he attended the session to speak in favor of the organization.
Humane society defends practices, considering role in communities
Chicago Tribune
September 28, 2015
The board of directors for the embattled Humane Society of Hobart told both supporters and critics attending an open meeting Monday that the board will be deciding soon what role it will be playing in the community in the future.
The center currently acts as animal control for the cities of Hobart, Lake Station and Portage, but various members stated in the past and at the meeting that they believe Porter County, not the shelter, should be taking in animals from Portage.
"This has been going on since the 1990s," longtime board member Carol Konopacki told the approximately 20 people attending the board meeting of Porter County's refusal to take Portage's stray animals.
Board member Chris Skrenka said the shelter will continue to have open admission of animals.
The humane society has come under fire from local animal activists and Portage city officials, prompting Monday night's meeting.
Activists have called for more transparency from the shelter, including being able to see the number of animals it brings in and the number of euthanasias it performs. They also said board meetings haven't been advertised so the public could attend.
Some Portage officials were upset recently when they learned a report that showed 60 percent of the animals picked up by Portage Animal Control and taken to the Hobart facility were euthanized from June 2014 through June of this year. In Hobart, around 40 percent of the animals brought in during all of 2014 were put down, according to statistics provided by the shelter to the city.
Skrenka questioned the accuracy of those numbers and reiterated that the humane society is the only nonprofit in the area that takes in animals from three communities.
"We're not a rescue group. We don't have the luxury of choosing what animals we'll take in," Skrenka said.
"We don't have a sign up front that says bring your animals to us. We're the last stop for most people," he added.
Still, he said, the goal of the shelter is to get as many animals adopted as possible as quickly as possible. He said the average stay before adoption is six days.
Mary Watson, shelter supporter, said
the shelter's detractors aren't helping anyone, especially the animals.
"I've adopted animals from here. They need community support," she said.
Cate Amador, one of the activists seeking more transpareny and less euthanasias at the shelter, said she received some numbers from the City of Hobart concerning animals brought in and euthanized at the shelter that came from Hobart, but asked for more detailed numbers.
"The numbers I received were confusing. How many went to rescues? Several organizations are looking for these numbers. There are grants out there for spaying and neutering, but they need the numbers," she said.
Some attending the meeting asked how they could help and offered their support.
"We need to start working together instead of fighting. We need to move forward," said Jamie Peyton, a Union Township resident who said she wanted to be a board member.
Board president Laura Labadie said the board is working on a new website for the shelter that will have more information, including the date and time of board meetings.
She said she thought Monday's meeting was productive.
"We got a great feel of the peoples' thoughts," she said.
Humane Society defends practices, aims for greater transparency in Hobart
Chicago Tribune
September 18, 2015
A group of local animal activists has taken its fight for transparency at the Humane Society of Hobart to the Hobart City Council, asking that the number of animals euthanized at the shelter and the shelter's protocols be made public.
"There is no excuse for the people not to know these numbers. The truth will come out eventually," said Cate Amador, a Hobart resident who was speaking for the activists Wednesday.
The group approached the council after a Post-Tribune story found that almost 60 percent of the animals picked up by the Portage Animal Control and taken to the Hobart Humane Society were euthanized, according to statistics from June 2014 through June 2015 provided by Portage Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham.
More than 5,000 people have signed an online petition seeking leadership and personnel changes at the shelter.
Attempts to obtain the number of animals brought in and the number euthanized from Hobart and Lake Station have been unsuccessful. Hobart Mayor Brian Snedecor said he hasn't received a report for the past three months and Lake Station said a public records request had to be made first. The shelter said the numbers were made available to the cities it serves and could be obtained from them.
Portage, Lake Station and Hobart all use the humane society for their animal control, a fact that board members of the shelter say cause their percentages to be higher than other shelters.
Chris Skrenka, a board member and volunteer at the shelter, also attended the council meeting. He said he didn't know the exact numbers of euthanasias, but added they are higher than they would like. He said a joint decision, usually involving two people, is made as to when an animal would be euthanized.
"We're taking in thousands more animals than the other animal shelters every year," he said.
He said the board has never been asked for their protocols.
"We've never advertised our board meetings, but we haven't stopped anyone from coming," Skrenka said.
Snedecor said he met with the shelter's board members and told them the city felt there needed to be an audit done. He said the shelter's board members indicated to him that they want to be more transparent to the public and will hold a public meeting at city hall at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 28.
"I agree tax dollars need to be accounted for," Snedecor said. "We can discontinue our contract with the shelter, but what other options are there?"
The shelter's critics have vowed to continue their fight.
"We won't quit until we get them," Michelle Duca, one of the activists and founder and CEO of the Kibble Kitchen Pet Pantry in Hobart, said of the numbers.
The activists said they don't want to shut down the humane society; they just want change.
Amador, a volunteer with Kibble Kitchen, which provides free pet food and supplies to pet owners who can't afford them, said the movement among most shelters has been to "no kill," but that's not the case with Hobart.
Board members and the shelter's executive director, Brenda Slavik, said the shelter has never claimed to be no kill. They said the shelter is unique in this area because it is the only one that serves as animal control for three cities.
They also point out that they accept all animals, unlike many of the no-kill shelters, which they say turn some away. The shelter also euthanizes dying pets for people who can't afford to pay a veterinarian for the service. In Portage's case, some of the animals euthanized were feral cats brought in by residents of a mobile home park, officials said.
Board members denied accusations that they only keep an animal there a couple days before euthanizing them. They said the animals are euthanized if they're aggressive, very sick, contagious to other animals or severely injured.
"How can we in good conscience adopt out an animal that could be a public nuisance or a danger to the public?" Skrenka said.
The shelter's critics also pointed out that the shelter received a poor rating from the Better Business Bureau of Northwest Indiana because it didn't complete its financial information on its report.
Board president Laura Labadie said the board is attempting to provide the information requested by the Better Business Bureau. The bureau stated on its website that the shelter's report "is in progress."
"We want to move forward putting our policies and procedures on our website," Labadie sad. "We want to be more transparent."
Pet euthanization figures startle Portage, Porter County
Chicago Tribune
September 11, 2015
As talks continue to build a new animal shelter for Porter County, officials there were aghast to learn that almost 60 percent of the animals picked up by Portage Animal Control and taken to the Humane Society of Hobart are euthanized.
According to statistics provided by Portage Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham, from June 2014 through June 2015, almost 59 percent of the total animals were put down, and about 9.3 percent of the total were euthanized after they were deemed dangerous.
But Portage Mayor James Snyder said he checked with the humane society and the figure is not only from animal control. Residents from mobile home parks are bringing in feral cats to be euthanized, driving up the statistics, and the majority of animals brought in by animal control are redeemed by their owners, he said.
"We get billed if Portage takes an animal there," he said.
The high rate still outrages county officials.
"These numbers are going to paint a very ugly picture," said County Councilman Jeremy Rivas, D-2nd, whose district includes Portage. "Every day it's not built, animals are not being the chance to live by the city of Portage."
Portage has its own animal control officers and has taken its strays to the Hobart shelter for as long as anyone remembers. But as the Porter County Board of Commissioners plans for a new shelter – an announcement of those plans could be made in the coming weeks – whether the county's largest city will participate remains to be seen.
Over the past few years, county officials have come up with, and then nixed, an assortment of plans for a new shelter to replace the one at 2056 Heavilin Road, off of Ind. 2. Officials have long considered the facility outdated and too small to handle the number of animals the no-kill shelter receives. Commissioners announced late last year a new shelter would be built on Indana 49, just north of the Porter County Expo Center, but no details have been forthcoming since then.
Complicating matters between Portage and county officials is what appears to be an almost complete lack of communication to bring the two sides together to determine if or how Portage would participate in a county facility.
Information on the number of animals taken in and euthanized from the Hobart Humane Society was not available.
Brenda Slavik, the shelter's director, said the numbers from Portage were wrong and she didn't know where they came from.
"I don't know what numbers they're talking about," she said, adding numbers are only sent to the cities the shelter serves if they ask for them.
One of the society's board directors said it's not required to release information on euthanazations and the information could be retrieved from the cities it serves -- Portage, Hobart and Lake Station. Several city departments in Hobart said they didn't have that information and an employee at Lake Station City Hall said a public information request was needed to obtain the information.
According to the humane society's website, it takes in an average of 5,700 animals a year. The site claims the animals have a 75 percent chance of adoption.
Board member Chris Skrenka said the number of euthanazations at the Hobart shelter would be higher than at other shelters because it is the only one in the area that serves as animal control for three cities and it also euthanizes animals for residents who can't afford to pay to for the service for their own dying animals.
"Portage animals should be going to Porter County," Skrenka said. "If people criticize, they can go out and build a better mousetrap."
Board president Laura Labadie said the length of time an animals is kept at the shelter varies. She said there was a black Labrador at the shelter for about two months.
Board members said the animals are euthanized if they are very sick or contagious to other animals at the shelter with a deadly virus, severely injured or very aggressive.
In Portage, Rick Henderlong, the city's animal control warden, said the city doesn't deem an animal as dangerous. Cases where dogs attack people go through city court. The city also does not euthanize animals.
"Once we drop an animal at the Hobart Humane Society, we lose complete control over that animal," he said.
To reclaim lost dogs, Portage residents pay a fee to the city and retrieve their animals in Hobart, Henderlong said. The shelter sends a monthly report of the numbers to the city so the city knows how much it owes the humane society for its services.
He called the euthanization rate "really high."
Also calling the number "a lot" was Toni Bianchi, interim director of the county animal shelter. The shelter has euthanized 7 percent of the animals it's taken in so far this year, and Bianchi said national no-kill advocates set a threshold of less than 10 percent for shelters to be considered no-kill.
Because the shelter is often at or beyond its capacity of 81 cats and 50 dogs, Bianchi works with rescue groups to take the animals and get them adopted. Sometimes they call her asking about specific breeds or older dogs, for example, or she contacts them, or they come through and see which animals they want. The county does not charge rescues for the service.
"I look at it this way," she said. "If you do take a dog from us, that's great because it creates an open kennel and it's one more dog we can take off the street."
Council President Dan Whitten, D-At-large, called the euthanization rate "pretty staggering."
"It just seems as if your animal is a stray in that jurisdiction, it starts walking the 'Green Mile,'" he said, referring to the Stephen King book and movie about Death Row. "They need to find a way of not doing that, and one of the ways is to join discussions about the animal shelter."
Whitten said Snyder "has made zero effort" to reach out to the county to be part of the discussion about a new shelter. He suggests Snyder and the city council, as well as the county council and commissioners, get actively involved in the county's plans.
"The kill philosophy does not mesh with the county," he said. "Those numbers shock the conscious."
Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, who's spearheading efforts for a new county shelter, called the lack of communication with Portage frustrating.
"There needs to be a commitment," she said, adding commissioners, who oversee the shelter, are considering two options for square footage for a new building so there will be room if Portage wants to be thrown into the mix, but it would be easier to know now than have to build an addition later.
"We are maxed out in our current facility. If we can help reduce that euthanization rate and get the Portage animals in our shelter, heck, we're interested," she said. "But we need that dialogue and it's going to cost more, but it could be a win-win."
"I'm on the record 50 times saying they need to get the shelter built," Snyder said.
He and City Councilman Ted Uzelac said the city council has sent two letters to the county council about the shelter and received no response, in addition to informal discussion about the need.
Neither Whitten nor Rivas said they have received those letters. Rivas said he's also talked to city officials in general but had no specific meetings on the topic.
Regardless, Snyder said the animals from his city would overrun the county shelter as it is now, creating unsafe and dangerous conditions, even though Portage residents help pay for it through county taxes. He added that he is waiting on the county to get the shelter built.
"The county continues to operate like we're not here, and my residents are the biggest block of taxpayers and they get no service," he said. "Until Porter County gets something done, there's nothing Portage can do."
Portage residents are paying twice for animal services, Uzelac said, adding their tax dollars support both the county shelter and the Humane Society of Hobart. The city pays $25,000 a year to the Hobart shelter.
Still, he said he's not being critical of county officials, and added if they were able to get together, they could resolve the problem.
"Portage is proud to be part of Porter County, but we would like to be more a part of this mix," he said. "My goal is to have some dialogue."
His proposal is for Portage to keep its animal control officers and their trucks, and continue to pick up animals in that city. Animal control could house them for five days, so people have a chance to find them, and if the animals weren't claimed by then, they would be transported to the county shelter.
The plan would include an investment by the city to house the animals temporarily.
"Sure, they're going to have to build a bigger facility but we should have been involved from Day 1," he said.
Hobart Humane Society responds to social media attacks
NWI Times
Sep 24, 2013
HOBART | The Hobart Humane Society has been under attack — particularly in comments made recently on social media — Director Brenda Slavik said, adding that the attacks are unwarranted.
The thrust of many of the negative comments is that the shelter, located at 2054 E. Indiana 130, is against pit bulls, she said.
That's not the case, officials said.
"We don't single out any breed," Slavik said.
The shelter accepts and currently has up for adoption several pit bulls.
The shelter is careful and won't accept all pit bulls dropped off by owners who just decide they don't want the animals anymore, office manager Connie Hollar said.
But the shelter doesn't euthanize dogs based on their breed.
"We euthanize only if the animal is sick or aggressive," Slavik said.
A stray pit bull puppy brought to the shelter by a Portage resident was euthanized because it had gotten sick and its owner, when reached, never came to pick it up, Slavik said.
The shelter was founded and received its charter in 1954. It has provided animal control for Hobart since 1957 and also contracts for animal pickup with Portage and Lake Station, Slavik said.
Given their small staff of seven employees and limited funding, the shelter does its best to handle the hundreds of dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, rabbits and even guinea pigs it takes in.
The number of cats and kittens, in particular, have increased this summer with 145 kittens and 77 cats brought in during the month of June alone, the shelter reported.
"Animals are disposable to people," Slavik said.
In addition to the misconceptions perpetuated on social media, there have also been email threats sent to employees over the summer, shelter officials said.
"We worry about every animal. We don't need to worry about the crazies," Hollar said.
For information about the shelter, call (219) 942-0103.
Portage may be looking for new animal shelter
NWI Times
August 30, 2013
August 30, 2013
PORTAGE - For more than a decade, Portage has contracted with the Humane Society of Hobart to take the city's stray animals.
That relationship could be coming to an end, and that has officials urging their Porter County counterparts to move forward with the construction of a new county animal shelter.
Carol Konopacki, former director and present board member of the Hobart agency, sent a letter to the city earlier this month. The letter revolved around "bite case" dogs that had been brought to the shelter.
She also noted the relationship was never meant to be permanent.
"Many of you were not officials in the City of Portage when we agreed to house your strays. You may not be aware of this, but this arrangement was to have been temporary until you found and made other arrangements. This cannot go on indefinitely," Konopacki wrote.
She said Friday that her animal shelter can no longer afford to house the city's strays.
"The ideal situation is for them to house their own animals," she said, adding the shelter also provides the service for Lake Station and Hobart, but are also hoping to separate from Lake Station.
City Council President Sue Lynch said she has spoken to a couple Porter County Commissioners.
"I've told them whatever the city needs to do, we'll do," said Lynch, adding that if the humane society does cut off services, the city will have no place to take strays. She's been told the county shelter is too full.
"Our relationship with them is deteriorating," said Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham. "They would like us to move on. It has given us the motivation to contact the county and become a part of the county."
Stidham said the city sends 50 to 60 animals to the shelter each month.
The city pays the Hobart Humane Society somewhere between $20,000 and $25,000 a year for shelter services. The city also employs one full-time and one part-time animal control worker.
Neither Lynch nor Stidham knew for sure why Portage contracted with Hobart 10 to 15 years ago. They believe it had to do with the proximity of the Hobart shelter.
County officials have been talking about building a new animal shelter for several years. They have mentioned locations at either Sunset Hills Farm County Park or on county-owned land at Ind. 149 and Ind. 130.
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