A Christmas portrait of a stylish canine

Rosco was briefly at our shelter because his family's circumstances had changed and he couldn't get the care he needed. But as you can see in this updated photo, Rosco is well loved and looking so dapper! What a handsome boy, all ready for Santa.
His new family tells us "He is very sweet and cuddly; still lots of puppy energy. Enjoys long walks and running around our back yard. 🙂"

Thank you for adopting Rosco from the Clinton County Humane Society! Happy holidays, Rosco!

A comfy bed, a place to run, and love and affection ...

Recently we shared some photos on social media of Jasmine, who had been waiting a long time to be adopted. The post expressed that "in this season of thanksgiving, we are hoping that soon Jasmine will have a few things to be thankful for: a home with a comfy bed, a place to run, and love and affection from humans who will love her forever."
So many of you liked and shared the post, getting the word out near and far. And guess what — it worked! Jasmine was adopted soon after the post appeared! She spent Thanksgiving sampling some turkey and pie, then hanging out on her comfy bed!
She has a huge fenced yard and a canine brother who loves her. We are so happy for Jasmine and so thankful for her new family. ❤️
And we are thankful to all of you who may not be able to adopt every animal but who are willing to help when we (and the animals) need you!

Thank you, Wilmington Christian Academy!

We are thankful to the students and staff at Wilmington Christian Academy for raising $317 for our shelter! One of our shelter alumni dogs, Ruthie, loved meeting many of the students!

We are still operating just as we have been since 2003

Since the early 2000s, there have been two no-kill humane societies in Clinton County, Ohio, operating thanks to the help of volunteer hours and private donations. There is also a dog pound, which is a county agency. 
There has been some confusion lately about what is happening with one of the shelters — and which is which. 
Our organization, the Clinton County Humane Society (CCHS), will remain open as a physical shelter of homeless pets. As we have done since 2003, we will rely on private donations (we receive ZERO tax money or funds from any governmental agency) and the countless hours of more than 35 volunteers to continue our operation, which is a 365-day-a-year undertaking. 
•CCHS is located at 1760 Fife Ave, near Davids Drive.
•The dog pound, run by the Clinton County dog warden, Rex Doak, is located down the street from us at 1330 Fife Ave. It is across the road from the new castle playground at J.W. Denver Williams Memorial Park.
•The organization that will no longer house animals, Wilmington Area Humane Society (WAHS), is located at 5361 N US Hwy 68, near Interstate 71.
On Monday, Dec. 2, WAHS announced that starting in January 2020 it will no longer take in pets or house animals. 
For years, both CCHS and WAHS have worked closely with the Clinton County dog warden, to save as many dogs as possible from the local pound. This symbiotic relationship has worked to benefit the thousands of defenseless dogs who are dumped on country roads, tossed aside like trash, abused, neglected, or released directly by owners. Because of how the dog pound is structured, the dog warden is unable to take in cats. Clinton County, Ohio, has a major cat problem — both feral cats and household/barn cats that are not spayed or neutered by their owners and are allowed to have litter upon litter of kittens. Both CCHS and WAHS have dealt with as many cats as possible, but there is never enough space or resources to deal with every homeless/unwanted cat in Clinton County. 
We volunteers at CCHS work very hard to take in as many adoptable animals as possible and find them homes both locally and across the United States. The website/app Petfinder.com has been extremely helpful in reaching potential adopters near and far. CCHS has adopted out more than 8,100 animals since we started. We spay/neuter the pets we adopt out, trying to end the cycle of homeless pets. 
How can you help? 
•Spay/neuter your pets — indoor pets, outdoor pets, dogs, and cats. As the dog warden said in the News Journal article about WAHS closing: “The bottom line is that if everybody would be responsible for their own dogs, we wouldn’t need shelters.”
•Share — share this information with everyone you can. Share postings of adoptable animals. Share your concerns about animal issues with your elected officials.
*Support CCHS’ Project Abigail. This project allows us to accept unwanted litters of puppies, spay/neuter them, and find them homes. We also spay/neuter the puppies’ parents at no charge and return them to their owners, preventing future litters.
•Donate financially. Along with adoption fees, the main reason we can exist to help animals in our area is because of private financial donations and the volunteer hours put in every day. Veterinary care is expensive — think how much we spend on vaccines, spay/neuter surgeries, heartworm pills and flea/tick treatments. We are thankful to have a low-cost contract with Hill’s Science Diet to provide us with dog/cat food, so although we no longer in need of food donations, we are always in need of cat litter, bleach, and other necessities such as paper towels and laundry soap. You can also donate via PayPal at our website clintoncohumanesociety.org; you can mail a check to CCHS, PO Box 1024, WILMINGTON OH 45177; and you can support fundraisers we occasionally post on Facebook. We are so grateful to those who give. Thank you — from the humans on behalf of the animals.

Valentine's pup all grown up ❤️

Zivah (named Amora at the shelter) was one of six boxer-bulldog puppies all adopted around Valentine's Day, and we just got these adorable photos of her. 
The family would love to see updates on any of the other pups — share 'em here if you like, or email or message us!
Her family told us, "She is doing well and growing like a weed. She's a little social bug and really enjoyed going to the Bark in the Park events at the Indy Indians games and boating this summer in Michigan! Thank you again for your help with bringing her into my family."

Dog tag update from the Clinton County auditor

Dog tags officially go on sale Saturday, December 1, 2019 for the 2020 license year. Clinton County Auditor, Terence G. Habermehl, will be sending out renewal applications to all owners who purchased a 2019 tag.

The last day to purchase 2020 Clinton County Dog license without a penalty being assessed is January 31, 2020. The cost of a single dog license is $14, and a kennel license is $70. Recent law changes allow dog owners to now purchase three year and permanent dog licenses for their dogs. The cost of a three-year license is $42 and a permanent license is $140. Effective February 1st, 2020, the Ohio Revised Code requires the Auditor to charge a penalty equal to the fee of the license for late registration. Thus, regular tags will be $28 each and $140 for kennels starting February 1, 2020.

Regular dog licenses can be purchased in the CLINTON COUNTY AUDITORS OFFICE in person any time during the year.

additional $2 charge per tag for this service. Please visit www.doglicenses.us/oh/clinton to take advantage of this service. Residents can also access the service via a link on the Clinton County Auditor’s home page.
December 1, 2019 through January 31, 2020, Mr. Habermehl has also authorized the following local retailers to sell dog tags for an additional fee:

•BUCKLEY BROS DRIVE THRU
•BROWNS DISTRIBUTING
•VILLAGE OF NEW VIENNA WATER DEPT
•BDK FEED & SUPPLY
•D & G’s PAWS & CLAWS SNACK SHACK
If you are unable to make it to any of the listed locations above, you may send your dog and owner information to the Auditor’s office and a tag will be issued and mailed back to you. Please include an additional $1 processing fee for this service to cover postage and mailing costs.

Kennel licenses can be renewed through the mail with the renewal application that is being mailed out to previously registered Kennel owners. NEW kennel licenses can ONLY be purchased at the Clinton County Auditor’s office on the first floor of the Courthouse. If you have questions concerning your eligibility for a kennel license, please contact the Auditor’s Office for more information.

Yes, we do have a lot of pit bulls.

We hear it a lot. “Wow, you have a lot of pit bulls.”
Yes, we do have a lot of pit bulls. Right now, the vast majority of the dogs available for adoption at our shelter are pits or pit mixes. 
If all our kennels were occupied by fluffy golden retrievers or Labradoodles, we actually wouldn’t have any occupied kennels — those dogs would be adopted in a heartbeat.
However, we don’t get to place orders for breeds. And, more important, these pit bulls don’t get to place orders for homes.
They didn’t choose to get discarded by their humans. They didn’t choose to end up in the dog pound. They didn’t realize that some shelters won’t even “deal with pit bulls.”
But our shelter, the Clinton County Humane Society, does deal with pit bulls. We take them in, we feed them and keep them warm, and we show them love and affection. And boy, do pit bulls appreciate love and affection.
Our shelter pulls pits and pit mixes from the local pound, even though those dogs stay far too long waiting on their forever homes, even though their extended stays can drain resources — more food, more medicine, more veterinary care. And wow, the cost of veterinary care has skyrocketed over the past five years.
Pit bulls didn’t make the decisions for cities or municipalities that created breed-specific legislation, nor were they part of insurance companies that place them on banned lists of dogs. No, those decisions were made by humans.
Pit bulls are overbred and oftentimes misunderstood, and their backgrounds are unknown to shelters, limiting appropriate placements to homeowners and folks without small children.
Even with all those roadblocks, we eventually find homes for pits, and we hear from so many folks who cannot imagine their worlds without their adoptive pitties.
All we are asking is for people to keep open minds, do research, and spread the word about all the pit bulls at our shelter and the reasons they’re with us. Consider adopting a pit or a pit mix.
Thank you.
Please share so others can see these gorgeous faces too.
***
More about breed-specific legislation: https://www.aspca.org/…/dog…/what-breed-specific-legislation

It happened! Ginger was adopted!

Our hearts are so grateful!
First, we want to thank everyone who shared sweet Ginger’s posting on Facebook — you are a big part of the reason she was adopted on Friday. We are thrilled! You all shared her post 222 times, reaching thousands of people, which always help our animals get maximum exposure.
As you may remember, we had been baffled why such a sweetheart of a dog had been at our shelter for so many months. Ginger had been losing weight and was just generally very stressed without a home. In her most recent post, we had expressed hope that we would someday see “the day when Ginger finds her forever family and they send us a photo of Ginger sprawled out on her own comfy bed, without a care in the world.”
Well, that day has come, and her new family could not be more perfect for her (although they told us they can’t believe how perfect SHE is).
Her adopters had already bought her a new bed, and they came to the shelter bearing gifts in the form of a dog toy, which is now her favorite toy.
Ginger is now named Naima, “like the elegant, beautiful piece by John Coltrane,” and she is part of a music-centric family, so she can listen to the saxophone instead of the barking of other shelter dogs.
Her family lives close to a bike path, so Naima — as we had dreamed about — has taken 4-mile walks followed by deep, undisturbed naps, without a care in the world — and she does have her own comfy bed (even though she also seems to enjoy the human furniture too).
Adoptions by folks like Naima’s people are such a healing salve for some of the rough days we have, worrying about homeless animals and fighting against the odds to decrease the population of homeless pets.
It is happy ending for a truly deserving dog.

Kingston was adopted — with help from our friends

Thank you, Wilmington (Ohio) News Journal, for getting the word out last week about King the cat! He was adopted on Sunday!

Brother Louie warmed up to gorgeous Jack

This is gorgeous Jack, who has finally charmed his older brother, Louie, into being great friends.
His family told us they're considering doing a DNA test because Jack (named Brett at the shelter) looks so much like the Dutch shepherds they've seen online. 
"Jack is taking very well to training. We just started puppy class with him. He's very smart, and very treat-driven! Lol. He'll do anything for one. Hope all is well with you and your team!! Thank you all for such a great dog. We love him!!"
Thank YOU for adopting Jack from the Clinton County Humane Society!

Remy is cute and 'such a joy' to his family

We recently had two liters of super-cute tiny chihuahua puppies, and this guy (named Jim at the shelter) was one of them. 
His new family updated us: “Remington (Remy) is such a joy. He has a lot of energy but knows when it is bedtime! Thank you for allowing my family to adopt this precious little boy!”

Thank YOU for adopting from the Clinton County Humane Society!

We can use bleach and cat litter!

We are running low on bleach and cat litter. If you could buy an extra bottle or two (or maybe a bag of litter), you can leave it on our porch at 1760 Fife Ave. in Wilmington, and one of our volunteers will get it inside. 
ANY BRAND IS WELCOME!Thank you for your continued generosity!

Are you Ginger's potential family?

Sweet and loving Ginger has been with us since June, which is one of life's great mysteries, since she is such a good girl.
Ginger just wants to hug and be hugged. She loves humans but prefers male dogs. Ginger is a tall girl, and when she stands up for a hug, she can come eye-to-eye with an 5'6" adult human. She had some interest last time we posted her (and you all so kindly shared her post), but that person didn't follow up.
Kennel life can be stressful, and we can't wait until the day when Ginger finds her forever family and they send us a photo of Ginger sprawled out on her own comfy bed without a care in the world.
Are you that family?

If interested, here is Ginger's link on Petfinder: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/ginger-44889405/oh/wilmington/clinton-county-humane-society-oh323/

Argo, like his brother Flex, is a handsome and fun-loving guy!

We are happy to share this adorable update about a littermate related to a dog featured in previous posts on Facebook and our website, a handsome guy named Flex whose adopters were interested in finding other dogs from the litter. 
"I saw on your website the post about the dog Flex, who had a black German shepherd mom and a coonhound dad. We adopted Flex’s brother in December of 2017! His name is Argos. He is a playful, energetic, ball-chasing, Frisbee-loving, goofy boy who loves people and dogs alike. We couldn’t have gotten luckier. Thanks again for giving us the opportunity to adopt our boy Argos."

Thank YOU for adopting Argos from the Clinton County Humane Society!

Mia is never lacking for dog toys!

Gorgeous Mia was adopted in April, and she is just getting even more beautiful in her new home.

Thank you for adopting Mia from the Clinton County Humane Society!

Living the pampered-pup life

This is Chubby, the smallest of a group of chihuahua pups that were adopted from our shelter, where he was known as Kevin.

Annie is well on her way to being spoiled

Now named Annabelle May ("Annie" for short) this sweet dog went from being an unwanted stray to being loved and pampered forever.
"We adore she and she is well on her way to being spoiled — haha. 😀🥰 Can't thank you all enough for bringing her into our lives!"

Isn't she beautiful?!

Thank YOU for adopting from the Clinton County Humane Society!

Bolt is a big snuggler!

It's been almost year since baby Bolt was adopted by a wonderful family and off to live the good life in Pennsylvania. His people recently sent us a donation (thank you!) and an update (thank you again!).
"He loves to play, but is also a big snuggler too. Everyone thinks he’s the cutest thing when they visit or when people see him while we’re out on walks. He goes to doggie daycare once or twice a week and they tell me that he loves to play with all the other dogs there 🥰."

Thank you so much for adopting from the Clinton County Humane Society and for remembering us with a financial donation!

'Thank you for adopting to us our best friend!'

Flex's mama was a black German shepherd — we also took care of her at our shelter — but it turns out that his daddy was a bluetick coonhound, so his owners say they get to wake up every day to a good ol' song. 😆
Flex's family updated us recently: "I wanted to send a thank you for adopting to us our best friend! In December of 2017 we showed up and fell in love with a little 6-week-old puppy that was born in the shelter."
"Here are some photos of how big he has gotten — 98 pounds of energy and he’s not even 2 years old yet."
Flex's family would love to hear from other folks who adopted the others from his litter — there were 9 pups (!) with names that all started with S. You can email us at clintoncohumanesociety@yahoo.com
"He’s a great dog and we are very grateful. We wish we would have adopted one of his brothers too!"

Thank you for adopting Flex from the Clinton County Humane Society and giving him such an amazing life!

Skippy, adopted in 2005, still loves to snuggle

Skippy was adopted from our shelter in 2005, and his owner checked in with us to let us know that he lives a great life.
She said, "He loves to be outside and loves to snuggle. He has been such a wonderful dog."

Thank you for adopting Skippy from the Clinton County Humane Society!

'Absolutely purrfect' Venus

It was a little more than a year ago that beautiful Venus was adopted, leaving our shelter and heading for her new home in West Virginia. Her family sent us these wonderful photos and an update on how happy Venus has made them. Looks as if Venus is pretty darn content herself. 👏
"We could not have found a better fit for our family. She has been absolutely purrfect! The friendliest and most loving cat we know!"

Thank you for adopting from the Clinton County Humane Society!

'So darn cute, he can do whatever he wants.'

This is baby Jack, whose new owner said has been "a lot of fun so far," although his crate-training at night was a little challenging. But, as his owner also told us, "He's so darn cute, he can do whatever he wants and I'm ok with it!" 😇 We agree with that assessment. 

Thank you for adopting Jack (named Brett at the shelter) from the Clinton County Humane Society!

Buy litter for your cats, help shelter cats

We recently received 9 vouchers good for litter from Cat's Price, which donates to shelters across America. Thank you so much to you and to the company!
Cat's Pride is available at Walmart. For every *green jug* of Cat’s Pride litter you buy, the company will donate a pound of litter to help more cats find their forever homes.

From a review by an adopter

"I went to adopt 2 puppies in 2010. The volunteer was friendly, gave me plenty of information, and allowed me plenty of time to play with the pups to decide if I would adopt. The littermates were named Curt and Cary; I adopted them in 2010 and renamed them Spartacus and Nyx. I have never regretted going to this shelter and thank them so much for the gift of my pups."

'Thank you for rescuing him and keeping him safe ...'

Levi had been abandoned at the dog pound, so underweight that his ribs were sticking out. But Levi arrived at our shelter to lots of love, hugs, and a healthy diet — and then he found wonderful humans who came to adopt him back in January. He has been living the good life ever since, and we are thrilled to hear about this handsome dude!
His owners tell us:
“He is doing AMAZING. He is so sweet and loving. He has really bonded with his ‘siblings’ — he is now just one of the gang. He has gained all of his weight ... no ribs showing now!! He is strong and healthy and loves to try new foods. He loves to pay catch and tug on his rope, too.
“We couldn’t be happier to have him as an addition to our family. Thank you for rescuing him and keeping him safe until he could come to us, his forever home!!”
Thank YOU for adopting Levi and loving him like you do!

Part golden retriever, 100% well loved

In order to post dogs on Petfinder.com, we must enter breed makeup — and sometimes it's mostly just a guess. We know this adorable face wouldn't necessarily scream "golden retriever," but lo and behold, that's the breed that makes up a quarter of her genetics. 
Here's great update about magnificent Marley:
"We adopted 'Cupcake,' now 'Marley,' back in April and have fallen so in love with this sweet pup! 
"We wanted to provide you all with an update on how she’s growing up, and thank you again for taking such great care of her before she became part of our family.
"She is about 25 pounds now and sweet as can be!
"We finally decided to get her DNA tested because we just could not figure out what she was a mishmash of. Turns out, she’s 25% Golden Retriever, 12.5% American Bulldog, 12.5% German Shorthaired Pointer and 12.5% Mini Poodle. Who knew!
"She is feisty and fearless but also such a cuddle bug and a very good listener. She was potty- and crate-trained so quickly we couldn’t believe how easy she was.
"She always has to have something in her mouth whether it’s her ball, bone or even the tag on her collar! As much as she loves us, her favorite one in the family is her grouchy older brother and he is liking her more every day. "We cannot thank you all enough for giving us this little girl to our family!"
***
Thank YOU for adopting Marley from the Clinton County Humane Society!

A bittersweet but beautiful tribute 😭

Back in 2011, our shelter took in about a dozen dogs that had been living — if you can call it that — at a puppy mill in our area. There were several poodles, including one who was named “Glad” by volunteers. She was almost 10 years old and had spent most of a decade being forced to breed litter after litter after litter. 
The shelter had to spend more than $1,200 just in dental care for the rescued dogs because their teeth were in such bad shape. 
Thanks to our volunteers and an adopter who decided one day to check out our shelter, this dog’s life changed completely. We’ll let you read, in the words of the kind woman, about how it wasn’t just a canine life that changed that day in 2011.
****
My sweet pup Snooki (shelter name Glad) crossed the Rainbow Bridge on August 16, 2019, at 8:20 in the morning. Her nearly 18 years on this earth (last 8 with me) have been some of the best years of my life. I went to the Clinton County Humane Society when I was home visiting my parents from Chicago for Thanksgiving. 
I was on the fence about getting a dog and decided to go check out the shelter because my stepmom’s sister had volunteered there and I was looking for something to do. 
When Snooki came barreling into the room with her fluffy poof head, I instantly fell in love. I was warned that she was an older dog, but her vigor and sweet disposition wouldn’t allow me to leave the shelter without her! 
I took a chance and brought her back to Chicago with me. I traveled extensively alone for my job at that time and I brought her alongside me to every state I would have to go work in. She lived a life of fluffy hotel beds, doggie treats, road trips, and much love. She even got to go on vacations alongside me to Aruba, Bahamas, Bermuda, and Mexico! She was a world traveler and the best companion. 
When I met my husband, we relocated to Charleston, South Carolina, where she lived out her life in the South. 
I was fortunate enough for both of my babies (Sadie, 2 years, and Samuel, 10 months) to meet this very special furry friend of my previous life before marriage and children. A few years ago, she got very sick but we were able to control her symptoms with medicine and vet care. I am so glad I did all that I did a few years ago, it allowed me to spend 2.5 additional years with her by my side! 
A few weeks ago, her health started to go downhill again but this time I couldn’t control the symptoms like before, and just as humans bodies do when they get older, dogs’ bodies start shutting down too.  
Thank you to CCHS for rescuing this sweet pup and allowing me to love her all these years. She taught me so much about love, kindness, happiness, and loyalty. I will cherish the times I had with her and will miss her so!
—Katie Hochhausler Turner

We have adopted more than 8,000 pets since 2003!

We are excited to announce that our shelter recently marked the milestone of adopting 8,000 pets, which happened with the dual adoption of Bonnie & Clyde, two young dogs released together when their owner was moving. 
Bonnie & Clyde's luck changed a little more than a week ago when these two found a wonderful forever home together in Kentucky!