Lorain County Dog Warden Andy Lobenthal told the Lorain County Board of Commissioners on April 25 that volunteers are essential to day-to-day care and the adoption pipeline at the county dog kennel and announced an inaugural Volunteer of the Year award.

"Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in and support," Lobenthal said, describing the volunteer group known as Friends of Lorain County Dog Kennel.

Lobenthal said volunteers help by walking and socializing dogs, reporting behavior and leash responses to staff, arranging transports to rescues, and providing donated supplies. He said kennel staff handle intake, medical care and emergency response but do not always have time to spend one-on-one with each dog. He told commissioners the kennel may take in "as many as a hundred new dogs each month" and that Nyla, a dog brought forward during the presentation, "has been with us for 2 months." Lobenthal also said the kennel had not purchased dog food in about seven years because of donations coordinated by the volunteer group.

Lobenthal outlined other volunteer-supported contributions: washers and dryers for heavy laundry needs, leashes and collars, toys, crates passed to adopters, and fundraising. He promoted a Friends steak fry scheduled for July 12 at a VFW on Abbey Road, saying last year's event generated $20,000.

Lobenthal invited current and prospective volunteers to a Volunteer Appreciation event planned for the next day at the kennel at 301 Hattaway in Elyria, with food and door prizes. He said local high school art students provided paintings used to decorate the kennel fence and that several Girl Scout troops helped install decorations.

During the presentation commissioners praised the kennel work and Lobenthal's leadership. Lobenthal then announced Tori, identified as coordinator and president of the Friends of Lorain County Dog Kennel (a 501(c)(3)), as the first Volunteer of the Year. Lobenthal said Tori has volunteered since 2013 and manages much of the group's behind-the-scenes work, including late-night postings to help reunite lost animals.

The presentation closed with an appeal for volunteers and a reference to work the county and volunteer organizations do to link long-stay dogs to rescues rather than making space-related euthanasia decisions; Lobenthal said the kennel does not euthanize dogs for space and that rescue partners sometimes cover adoption or cremation costs for animals with special circumstances.

Details from the transcript: Lobenthal displayed a dog, Nyla, described her behavior and said there are dozens of dogs at the kennel; he identified high-school art teachers and Girl Scout troops who helped with decorations and described the volunteer-run fundraising and in-kind donations that support operations.