Setting the record straight...

In 2006, the dog shelter took in 1,329 dogs.

• 91 puppies were adopted.
• 77 adult dogs were adopted.
• 28 were found by their owners.
• 1,133 were euthanized.
  

"These statistics are the same for the whole nation," said Jamie Perry, the Athens County dog warden. "Petland has no influence on these numbers. There is just a national problem with animal overpopulation,"he said.

The main concern for shelters is community awareness and responsibly to spay and neuter their pets. The local shelter provides coupons for reduced veterinary care that includes the for mentioned service. Perry estimates that at least 80% of pets in Athens County are not spayed or neutered. "When someone adopts a pet, they need to care for the animal. Feed it. Walk it. But first and foremost, get the animal spayed and neutered. People need to start being responsible," he said.

Perry denies any conflicts with Petland. "The people looking for pets at a pet store are looking for a specific breed," he said. "These are not the same people who adopt pets from shelters. Petland is not as bad as everyone thinks."

Two Petland employees volunteered their time when one Athens County resident was caught hoarding animals. Hundreds of animals, covered in bodily fluid and not cared for, were found at the resident's home. "These animals were disgusting and needed a lot of care that our shelter could not have handled alone," Perry said. The volunteers put in 40 hour work weeks to help the shelter in the time of need.

In addition to Petland's services, Wal-mart also helps the shelter financially. When any bag of dog food is ripped, it is donated to the dog shelter. The financial burden of feeding hundreds of animals can be costly, Perry said, so any donations are appreciated. Ohio's Spay and Neuter Grant donated $4,000 to the shelter. This money will "only help fund about 75 dogs, but I am not complaining," Perry said.