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Friends of Fido = pound pup pals
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
The Mahoning County Dog Warden’s Office can’t afford to provide extensive veterinary care for the dogs surrendered by their owners or found as strays.
That’s where Friends of Fido comes in.
The nonprofit group, incorporated in 2012, raises money and collects donations to help the pound pups.
It’s a passion for members, said Trish Collins, president.
“If we didn’t do it, no one would,” she said.
The group is hosting a celebrity bartender event from 6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday at The Lake Club in Poland. Tickets are $30 and are available through the group’s Facebook page or from any club member. The event includes a buffet, live auction, basket raffle, music by Three Steps Back, cookie and chocolate tables and an opportunity to win a $500 GetGo gas card.
Besides walking and paying for medical care for the pound dogs, Friends of Fido also works with area animal-rescue organizations. Four of those rescues – Angels for Animals, Legacy Dog Rescue, All Paws Are Perfect and Paw Platoon – will participate in next week’s event at The Lake Club and bring adoptable dogs.
“We’ve just asked that they bring dogs that came from here,” Collins said, referring to the pound.
Friends of Fido paid about $9,200 last year in pull fees for rescue organizations. That’s the $35 fee charged by the pound to get a dog released: $20 for the license and $15 for the dog. That’s discounted for the rescues that vaccinate and spay or neuter the dogs.
The pound charges residents $135 per dog. That includes the cost of the dog, license and spay or neuter surgery.
Rick Tunison, kennel manager and technician at the pound, said that without Friends of Fido, dogs with illnesses or significant injuries would have to be euthanized.
“Those are some of our friendliest, most-adoptable dogs,” he said.
The two dogs found earlier this week in Mill Creek Park are an example. One of the dogs was dragging a 20-pound chain that had become embedded in its neck. Both required surgery that cost about $2,000, but Tunison said both are friendly.
Collins said that last year, the group racked up about $50,000 in veterinary bills for the dogs. So far this year, it’s about $23,000.
She credited Tunison for helping to keep those costs down.
With his training, he can assess if a dog’s condition merits an immediate trip to the vet or if it’s safe to wait a few days to see if it improves.
Earlier this week, 51 dogs filled the pound’s kennels. Some are ready for adoption. More-recent residents must go through a 14-day quarantine to ensure they’re healthy.
During that time, Friends of Fido volunteers can see the dogs’ personalities, which is helpful for people looking to adopt a pet. One member brings in a cat to test the dogs and evaluate which will work for potential adopters who have cats.
Tunison said none of that would happen without the group.
“You see how all of the dogs have beds? That’s Friends of Fido,” he said.
Tunison and Collins see dogs in bad condition and others surrendered by their owners for reasons they don’t understand.
Tunison pointed to one new resident – a white, 8-month-old female that lies on her bed trembling.
“It’s the same old story: They’re moving and can’t take the dog, they’re having a baby and can’t care for the dog anymore,” he said.
Jax, a young brown and white pit bull mix, is the longest resident. Despite his happy, playful disposition, he’s been at the pound for a year.
Many of the pound’s occupants are pit bull or pit bull mixes. Most of the dogs picked up by deputies are found in the city, and Tunison said the pit bull is a popular breed among residents.
Despite their reputation, though, even the pit bulls hurry to the fronts of their cages, tails wagging when a visitor approaches. They lick the people’s fingers that poke into the kennels.
“Most of them just want attention,” Collins said.