The Animal Friends Humane Society will accept any animals in Butler County, as it is the only open admissions shelter in the county. (Alex Turvy)
This November, Butler County citizens will vote on a tax levy that would raise money to improve a local animal shelter, which has recently generated concern over its cramped, unsanitary conditions.
Issue 12 would raise taxes for one year to benefit Animal Friends Humane Society. It is the only open admissions shelter; accepting all animals, even aggressive and sick ones; in Butler County. The shelter receives roughly 24 animals a day, totaling 7,000 a year.
Officials from the shelter say the current 54-year-old facility is outdated, crowded and unsanitary. The shelter is not able to contain all the animals that are brought in each day, consequently causing thousands of animals to be euthanized each year.
Leland Gordon, executive director of Animal Friends Humane Society, urged voters to keep this fact in mind Nov. 7 at the polls.
Gordon explained that Animal Friends needs this revenue because as an open admission shelter, it is increasingly crowded.
"Because we are an open admission animal shelter, we don't turn any animals away," Gordon said. "We are the only shelter in Butler County taking this volume of animals which leads to overcrowding in the shelter. Animals are even stacked three on top of each other; when an animal on the top row goes to the bathroom, it consequently falls on top of the other two animals."
While the conditions at Animal Friends are subpar, the shelter does not fall behind in any codes or restrictions that it needs to follow to operate, according to Gordon.
Issue 12 proposes a one-year tax levy - an increase in the money the county can bring in through property taxes. If it passes, it would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $15.
According to Sondra Engel from the League of Women's voters, the primary opposition to Issue 12 would be that many voters simply do not want to pay higher taxes.
"It can be difficult to pass a levy which is based on property tax," Engel said. "Many families feel that they can not afford to pay more money on their property."
Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter
Because the issue regards treatment of animals - not a typically controversial topic - Engel said that there will not likely be much vocal resistance to it.
"This is an issue however, in which you will not see signs in opposition, due to the nature of the levy," Engel said. "People will not openly oppose helping animals, it will be a quiet disagreement."
Gordon said Butler County residents should be willing to pay for the shelter because it provides a public service.
"Animals Friends is everyone's responsibility and serves all of Butler County," Gordon said. "If there is an animal in your backyard that you want removed, the police or animal control will then bring the animal to this facility. The shelter is a reflection of the community, and as it currently stands, it is a poor reflection of Butler County."
The new tax levy would generate almost $3.8 million for the facility, allowing the shelter to install advance air exchange systems in place of the current septic system, which has poor ventilation, causing animals to become ill. The new system would also provide modern housing to help alleviate the crowding of the large number of animals living in the shelter.
Gordon said that improving the shelter is also necessary for the humans who work there.
"We have many volunteers from adults to young children, boy scouts and girl scouts," he said. "The unclean facility is not a healthy place for these children to be. A new, modern facility may also draw in more volunteers for these animals."
Miami University students are among these volunteers. A group of Miami students from the National Society of Collegiate Scholars plans to visit the Animal Friends Humane Society Oct. 21.
Many Miami students also frequently adopt dogs for a day from the Animal Adoption Foundation on Route 27, a different animal shelter, which is partial admission and has a no-kill policy.
It takes as many animals as it has room for, and tries to help owners find other options when they don't have room.
Meagan Dickemann, who has adopted dogs from the Animal Adoption Foundation on several different occasions, said that students should take an initiative and raise more awareness about the needs and poor conditions neglected animals face.
"I have read several articles about the horrible sanitary conditions the animals are subjected to in the Butler County Animal Friends shelter," Dickemann said. "I hope the levy is approved and will help provide a better home for these animals."
Gordon again urged voters to approved Issue 12.
"You can tell a lot from a person about how they treat people, but you can tell more from a person about how they treat animals," Gordon said.
Read More
How one professor and her classes are preserving Oxford’s Black history
By Sean Scott | March 20, 2024Jazma Sutton, an assistant professor of history, teaches The Black Midwest (HST 350Q) and Black Women in America (HST 450D) classes. In both courses, she has students working with the Smith Library of Regional History and Miami’s archives to document and preserve Black history in Oxford.
Miami faculty members recount Freedom Summer in new documentary
By Luke Macy | February 25, 2022After seven years of work, “Training for Freedom,” a documentary highlighting Oxford’s involvement in the Freedom Summer of 1964, premiered on PBS Western Reserve on Valentine’s Day.
“Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic”: History in the making
By Alice Momany | August 29, 2021In March 2020, Miami University’s archives launched “Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic,” a collection focused on life during the COVID-19 pandemic.