Residents accuse Clermont County shelter of mismanagement after volunteer concerns and a euthanasia

Several Clermont County residents addressed the Board of County Commissioners during public comment on Feb. 26, 2025, alleging mismanagement at the county animal shelter and urging changes to how behaviorally challenged dogs are handled.

Jody Wilson of Williamsburg told the Board the county is ignoring facts and asked why qualified volunteers have not been interviewed for the advertised Kennel Administrator position. ‘‘Please stop the deflecting, please stop the gaslighting, please stop the charade,’’ Wilson said, and she presented a screenshot she said showed a commissioner drinking from a coffee mug during a moment of prayer.

Julie Tolliver of Batavia Township recounted a case she said involved two dogs from a hoarding situation. Tolliver said one dog, ‘‘Al,’’ sat in a kennel for more than 100 days without socialization or behavioral reassessment and was later euthanized; she said volunteers and outside trainers had advised the county that the dog was not aggressive and needed more socialization. Tolliver referenced a recent RFP for the county kennel and urged the commissioners to adopt stronger governance and use volunteer training resources.

Another resident, Tracy Hawkins, said she visited the shelter with a rescue director and praised kennel technicians Sara and Max as ‘‘very knowledgeable’’ but urged the county to update adoptable-dog listings and better integrate local rescue resources. No county staff response or corrective action was recorded on the public record during the meeting.

The public comments were made during the designated public participation portion of the Feb. 26 meeting; the Board did not announce any immediate follow-up or staff direction on the record. The commissioners present (Claire B. Corcoran and Bonnie J. Batchler) voted on subsequent agenda items but did not speak publicly in response to the animal-shelter comments during the session.