No charges have been brought against the woman, a suspected hoarder who contacted the shelter to come and get the poodles, said Joanne Hurley, director of the animal shelter in Lebanon.
“This is a person with a mental illness,” Hurley said Tuesday at the shelter. “She voluntarily turned them over so they could get the help they need.”
Warren County Animal Warden Nathan Harper confirmed no charges had been filed. Harper indicated any charges would be filed through the Warren County Sheriff’s Office.
On Tuesday, current and past students in the Warren County Career Center Veterinary Science program were shaving the poodles and providing other care with a team of volunteers from The Four Paws Veterinary Office in Lebanon.
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“If we don’t get them cleaned up, we don’t know what’s underneath,” Hurley said, while volunteers worked on the dogs on tables at the shelter, off the Ohio 48 Bypass in Lebanon.
Hurley asked people reaching out to adopt the poodles to be patient. She encouraged donations.
“I’m getting such an outreach of support and concern,” she said. “We need a couple weeks to a month just to get these guys through the triage process.”’
Dr. Rich Coleman will be examining the dogs to assess their overall health and to look for problems, such as deformities, Hurley said.
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“Most of these dogs are going to be in-bred,”she said. “They’re in pretty good shape.”
Hurley began reporting via Facebook Live as dogs were being brought in Monday.
“We need your support more than ever,” Hurley said in videos calling for volunteers and donations.
The shelter was closed Tuesday. Hurley indicated it would also likely be closed to the public on Wednesday.
The dogs will be available for adoption, once their medical conditions stabilize.
Maegan Peloe, instructor for the career center program, was overseeing students and graduate Leah Seidenschmidt, as they shaved and provided other care.
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Peloe said the students are able to handle surgeries from their clinic, Coleman’s former office on Columbus Avenue in Lebanon.
She explained that by declining to press charges, the poodles can be more quickly adopted.
“Things can get drawn out for months,” she said. “Ultimately, it’s better for the dogs.”
Although the dogs were crowded together at their former home, they should be ready for new homes, Hurley said.
“We got especially lucky,” she said. “The socialization is in place.”
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The dogs will need to be treated 14 days for skin infections, Hurley said.
Meanwhile, they are being kept “all over the shelter,” she said.
Getting the poodles ready for foster homes or adoption could take as much as a month.
“Stay tuned. We’ll definitely let you know more,” Hurley said.
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