The Humane Society of Parkersburg on Tuesday changed its position and allowed Rolo the Beagle to be returned to its owners without requiring it to be adopted. Rolo’s family arrived to pick him up after work. The McFarland’s took their cause to the Wood County Commission early Monday later that afternoon, the three-member commission issued a letter through Prosecuting Attorney Jason Wharton requesting the dog be returned.
On Tuesday afternoon, humane society executive director Maryann Hollis announced the dog would be released to the McFarlands. Following Monday’s commission meeting, the prosecutor sent a two-page letter to Hollis on behalf of the county commission, requesting the humane society return Rolo to its rightful owners. The prosecutor wrote that the code being cited by the Humane Society for not returning the dog to its owner does not prohibit the humane society from allowing an owner to reclaim after five days. The code simply limits the ability to spay or neuter within the first five days or to adopt the animal out to another family.
In speaking with commissioners Monday, the McFarlands said they had no qualms paying any fees to the humane society for the dog. Wood County Commission President Blair Couch said commissioners felt the dog should be returned in the same state it was turned in and without the family having to go through the adoption process. There was no question of ownership.
Hollis at the Humane Society also stated the “compromise” to release the McFarlands’ dog was reached to avoid costly litigation with the McFarlands and not due to the request of the Wood County Commission.
The matter may not be closed as far as the commission is concerned. Couch suggested the county establish its own animal control services. Commissioners are none-too-happy with the situation and how things were handled. They are very upset by the amount of money that the city and county paid each year to the Humane Society and feel that with Hollis in charge that things are not being run the way they should and costly mistakes are being made. From sources online the commission pays well over $200,000 per year for the Humane Society to take in the stray animals in the community and the local community donate food, litter, bedding, and extra money for the animals in their care. The contract with the Humane Society is running out and this seems to have been one incident too many for the Commissioners and so they are looking into alternatives.
Local animal lovers are also calling for #norenewal of the contract with the Humane Society since they will not take in all strays and will not even help people who find animals locate their owners. If there is a stray they have to call the police who are then forced to use their time and resources to find the owners of the stray dog or cat instead of the Humane Society which is paid in tax dollars to do so.
I’m so glad, they didn’t deserve what the Humane Society was doing to them. And Rolo didn’t either.