CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio — They're referred to simply as F 1-4 and M 1-2. Six Great Pyrenees pups at one Clermont County rescue can't be named yet because they're evidence in an active animal neglect case.
Chief Dog Warden Tim Pappas said someone called 911 late Saturday night as they drove down Crane Schoolhouse Road. The driver said they, and a few other cars, nearly hit the six puppies as they darted in and out of the rural roadway.
"It appears they were just dumped there," he said. "There was a pile of food at the end of the driveway along with a bucket of water. No note or anything, and the house appeared to be abandoned."
A sheriff's deputy responded to the scene, rounding up the puppies with the help of passersby before bringing them to the shelter. That's where Pappas first saw them. He said they were dirty, dehydrated and exhausted.
"They didn't last two minutes on their feet in the kennel before they just collapsed," Pappas said.
The puppies — four females and two males — were also covered in fleas and ticks, Margaret Coplen said. All of them had bloated bellies and had to be treated for worms.
"There's no physical damage like no broken bones, no lacerations that we've been able to find. They're timid, but I think they were just scared," she said.
Pappas dropped the puppies off Sunday morning with Coplen, who runs All Dogs Come From Heaven rescue with her husband. The couple has two of the puppies in isolation as they fight off more severe cases of dehydration. One of them could also have respiratory issues, Coplen said.
"We don't know how long they were out there," she said. "They might have been out there a day or two, they might have been out there a week. Who knows? I think that it's just been a traumatic short period of time in their short little lives."
Coplen's rescue is caring for the dogs for two reasons: the puppies were unvaccinated, making them more susceptible to disease, and the county animal shelter does not have the room to house them.
The facility is designed to hold 65 dogs. Currently, there are 80 dogs in kennels and pop-up crates. At least another 50 are in foster homes, Pappas said.
"There's a thing called 'compassion fatigue' and when you have so many dogs and there's just no relief and the staff see these same dogs day in and day out and they're not leaving the shelter and we've got more coming in — it's just extremely rough on them," he said.
The last time Pappas can recall the shelter being below capacity was back in December. He said his team took in 10 surrenders from a hoarding situation and then intakes just kept coming. The shelter has been over capacity ever since.
Pappas said he doesn't like to turn animals away, so even if he can't house them, he depends on his partnering shelters and rescues to lend a helping hand.
"But just like with us, a lot of them are also full," he said.
Pappas blames the spike in surrenders and abandonments on the pandemic and subsequent recession. Stuck at home, families sought canine companionship, but now they can't afford to take care of them, he said.
"People are losing their jobs, people are getting evicted," Pappas said. "We have resources that we can help you with that, whether it be for food or whether it be for possibly being able to surrender your dog, that doesn't mean it's going to be a yes that day, but I think a lot of it has to do with people feel the pressure of, 'I can't afford to feed my family, I certainly not going to be able to afford this dog.'"
Coplen said she's feeling the strain too.
"Dogs are getting dumped daily," she said. "We used to get five to 10 phone calls a week— people wanting to surrender or found dogs. Now we get 30 to 40 a day."
Many of them are abuse or neglect cases, and sometimes the dogs are in much worse condition than the 6 Pyrenees puppies, Coplean said.
She expects the two in isolation to be reunited with the rest of their litter mates in a few days. If all feel well enough, Copelan said Pappas will clear them for a community meet and greet at her rescue on May 25.
Once they receive all their shots along with clean bills of health, they should be ready for adoption in early June.
In the meantime, they remain evidence in Pappas' ongoing investigation.
"At the end of the day, dumping animals is illegal and you will be prosecuted for it," he said. "I am actively trying to find who it was that dumped these animals."
Anyone with information should email Pappas at dogwarden@clermontcountyohio.gov or call 513-732-8854.
