Local police department no longer allowed to take possession of stray dogs, shelters overwhelmed

Local law enforcement said calls for stray dogs are trying up its resources, prompting a policy change.

As reported on News Center 7 at 6, A message sent to Dayton police officers on July 4 states that officers are no longer allowed to take possession of a dog while on duty unless it is to protect human life or is part of a criminal investigation.

Officers are instructed to call the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center, but body camera footage shows that patrol officers have become frustrated with what ARC defines as “priority cases.”

Body camera footage from a March 22 call shows Dayton officers checking on a loose dog chasing children.

The officer in the video asks that ARC respond.

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“It’s sad to me that a dog that chases kids out in front of a school is not a priority for ARC,” the officer says.

ARC Director Amy Bodarhdt said the agency has picked up almost 7,800 lost or stray dogs in the last four years.

She also pointed out there are an estimated 14,000 dogs in Montgomery County and the shelter’s capacity is 80 dogs.

“Things like people who are in imminent danger because of a dog, that is a high priority for us,” Bohardt said.

She said other high priorities are dogs who are sick, abused, or injured.

But there’s no room to grab dogs on every call, that policy changed more than four years ago.

“Essentially what we had before that is a shelter that would take anything that was loose on the street, but over half of those dogs ended up being euthanized,” Bohardt said.

News Center 7 asked Bohardt about police agencies saying that ARC is not doing its legal duty to pick up stray dogs around the county.

“I am very confident that we are following the law,” she said.

Bohardt added that every dog ARC takes in over their capacity endangers both workers and other dogs.

News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.