Residents and advocates press Clermont County commissioners over animal shelter handling, urge greater use of volunteers

Several residents and animal-welfare advocates used public comment at the Feb. 26 meeting of the Clermont County Board of Commissioners to criticize how the county is operating its animal shelter and to urge commissioners to work with local volunteers and rescue groups.

Jo Wilson, a resident of Williamsburg, said the kennel administrator position has been advertised since June 2024 and accused county leaders of ignoring volunteer expertise. "Please stop the deflecting. Please stop the gaslighting. Please stop the charades," Wilson said, adding she had a screenshot showing a commissioner drinking from a cup after a public speaker's remarks.

Julie Tolliver of Batavia Township described specific animals she said were poorly handled at the shelter, including a dog named Al. "Al sat in a kennel with no socialization, no behavioral help until he stopped eating, and his quality of life was diminishing," Tolliver said, and said volunteers were not permitted to work with some dogs after an earlier hoarding case. Tolliver also told commissioners she had seen a county request for proposals for shelter management and directed listeners to coverage on the Hicks Watchdog YouTube channel.

Tracy Hawkins, an attorney who described herself as an animal-welfare advocate, said she visited the shelter with a local rescue director and found procedures that, in her view, limit rescues' ability to help animals. Hawkins praised kennel technicians she identified as Sarah and Max as "incredibly professional," and said county-run shelter operations should "embrace the incredibly talented and experienced resources that are in the animal welfare community right here in Clermont County." She offered to serve as a resource to help the commissioners "find a pathway forward that's actually in the best interest of the animals."

Speakers raised several recurring concerns: that volunteers and local rescues were not being allowed to help with behaviorally challenged dogs; that some dogs were housed without ongoing reassessment or socialization; and that communication to the public about shelter decisions has been limited. One speaker said a dog named Tank was euthanized and that the decision could have been avoided. Another speaker said volunteers successfully found a foster home for a dog named Gator, suggesting volunteer involvement can produce better outcomes for some animals.

County staff, shelter leadership and the commissioners did not make policy responses on the record during the public comment period. No formal board action on shelter management was recorded in the meeting minutes or in the items the board voted on that morning. Speakers called for a collaborative approach that would allow trained volunteer groups and rescue organizations to assist shelter staff and advocated for greater transparency about intake, reassessment and euthanasia decisions.

The public comment period in which these remarks were made concluded before the board moved on to the consent and nonconsent agenda items. Several speakers said an RFP for shelter management had been issued; the county did not present a report or formal response during the meeting.