Columbiana Co. pound saves dogs that need homes

By D.A. WILKINSON

VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU

LISBON — Dawn McVay, the Columbiana County Dog Warden, says she is a dog lover.

She has four.

And she uses the Internet to bring dog lovers and man’s best friend together.

Posting dogs for adoption on the Internet has helped drop the county’s rate of dog euthanasia from 55 percent in 2003 to just 2 percent so far this year.

The state average of euthanasia is about 43 percent.

And the majority of adoptions in Columbiana County — up to 90 percent — are done via the Internet by people in other counties.

McVay said she doesn’t know why the Internet is so popular, but she said it works.

On a recent day at the dog warden’s office on County Home Road, a woman in Massachusetts was arranging the pickup of a dog from the county by her parents in Cleveland. She found the dog on the Internet.

McVay suggested a “transport,” which is a volunteer who may be driving, in that case, toward Cleveland who could arrange to meet the parents somewhere and turn over the dog to them. The woman on a pending visit would pick up the dog.

The county dog pound has only 29 kennels.

“That’s one [dog] per,” McVay said, although two dogs may share a kennel if they are small. The county plans to build more.

For complete story, see Monday’s Vindicator or www.vindy.com.