Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Man robbed at Tallmadge Avenue eatery
Four teens restrain man, take items from his Akron home
Another winter punch heading toward Ohio
Complaints against officer keep coming
Police: Ohio girl dies after fall into snow bank
Cuyahoga Falls residents come home to find burning couch on balcony
Blogs:
First Bell - On Education:
No City of Akron basketball tonight
Pets:
Pet telethon re-airs
The Heldenfiles:
Chipmunks "Squeakquel" on DVD/BD March 30
Akron Zips:
Late surge gives Zips ugly road win
Tribe Matters:
Blogmail response on Hafner
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth's contract terminated
Balanced Ledger:
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – February 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
NBA Power Rankings from Around the Internet
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes grab 18 players on signing day
Varsity Letters:
Garfield at Buchtel basketball
All Da King's Men:
Palin At The Tea Party Convention
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Republican Pre-Conditions
Akron Law Café:
Citizens United v. F.E.C. (Part 4): Kennedy's and O'Connor's Basic Approaches to Constitutional Decisionmaking – Top Down and Bottom Up
Car Chase:
Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
Sound Check:
Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
HRLite House:
Track HR Research
Akron Gamer:
Makers of 'Castle Crashers' unveil 'BattleBlock Theater'
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
By Kathy Antoniotti
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 06:56 p.m. EST, Nov 04, 2009
In many ways, the staff and volunteers for the Humane Society of Greater Akron are like parents.
They use the same tactics mothers and fathers employ when they tuck their children into bed each night.
There's a bedtime snack. A drink of water. And a favorite cuddle toy.
There are now more than 400 animals at the society's Boston Township facility, which was originally configured to hold just 125.
The society has announced it is moving to a larger facility in Twinsburg this winter.
The Humane Society's mission, to rescue abused and neglected animals in Summit County, relies almost entirely on donations.
And on Sunday it will broadcast its first live telethon from 2 to 5 p.m. on Time Warner's Channel 23 from Canal Park stadium in downtown Akron.
The group hopes to make the Save the Animals Imagine the PAWSibilities Telethon an annual event.
''This will give us three hours to really try to educate the public about our work. People love animals. We need to let them see how they can help them,'' said Humane Society Executive Director Karen Conklin.
The group hopes to raise $80,000 to help make a $1.4 million annual budget.
WONE radio's Your Morning Show personalities Christi Nichols and Tim Daugherty will co-host the event, along with Billy Soule, assistant to Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic for community relations.
''When you read these news stories about homes that have too many animals, the Humane Society is always there to help the animals, whether they have room or not,'' Daugherty said.
Conklin said the agency owes a debt of gratitude to Dale Gaydos, owner of Visualizations Ltd. Inc. of Stow, who donated ''thousands of dollars worth of time'' to produce the show.
''The creative part of this, on how every piece and parcel of this should come together, has been Dale's,'' Conklin said.
U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Copley Township, and retired Summit County Common Pleas Judge Mary Spicer plan to do live interviews. Families that have adopted pets from the shelter will share ''happy endings.''
Joel Silverman, formerly host of Animal Planet's Good Dog U, has taped a message for the show, and Kristin Branagan, director of animal placement and education at the local Humane Society, will demonstrate how the agency evaluates the temperament of each animal before it can be adopted.
Viewers will get a glimpse of the shelter's bedtime routine, something that only staff and volunteers usually witness. The video, created by Todd Glosser of DLP Recording Studios in Copley, is accompanied by the song Goodnight Little Cowpup, written and recorded by county-western singer Stephanie Davis.
Davis, who has recorded with superstars Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood and Martina McBride, readily gave her permission to use the song, said Ron ''Bus'' Hill of Stow, director of development for the Humane Society of Greater Akron.
Hill first heard the ballad when Davis performed it on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion.
''I got her e-mail address through her Web site. She e-mailed me back and said she was a huge animal advocate and supports humane societies across the country,'' Hill said.
The next day, Davis' manager, Rick Philip, sent Hill a copy of the song and permission to use it, he said.
Conklin said her goal is to make sure residents understand that rescued animals belong to ''everyone in Summit County.''
''As a community, we have a responsibility to take care of our children, our elderly and our animals. This is a way that people can do that,'' Conklin said.
Kathy Antoniotti can be reached at 330-996-3565 or kantoniotti@thebeaconjournal.com.
- 30 -
In many ways, the staff and volunteers for the Humane Society of Greater Akron are like parents.
They use the same tactics mothers and fathers employ when they tuck their children into bed each night.
There's a bedtime snack. A drink of water. And a favorite cuddle toy.
There are now more than 400 animals at the society's Boston Township facility, which was originally configured to hold just 125.
The society has announced it is moving to a larger facility in Twinsburg this winter.
The Humane Society's mission, to rescue abused and neglected animals in Summit County, relies almost entirely on donations.
And on Sunday it will broadcast its first live telethon from 2 to 5 p.m. on Time Warner's Channel 23 from Canal Park stadium in downtown Akron.
The group hopes to make the Save the Animals Imagine the PAWSibilities Telethon an annual event.
''This will give us three hours to really try to educate the public about our work. People love animals. We need to let them see how they can help them,'' said Humane Society Executive Director Karen Conklin.
The group hopes to raise $80,000 to help make a $1.4 million annual budget.
WONE radio's Your Morning Show personalities Christi Nichols and Tim Daugherty will co-host the event, along with Billy Soule, assistant to Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic for community relations.
''When you read these news stories about homes that have too many animals, the Humane Society is always there to help the animals, whether they have room or not,'' Daugherty said.
Conklin said the agency owes a debt of gratitude to Dale Gaydos, owner of Visualizations Ltd. Inc. of Stow, who donated ''thousands of dollars worth of time'' to produce the show.
''The creative part of this, on how every piece and parcel of this should come together, has been Dale's,'' Conklin said.
U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Copley Township, and retired Summit County Common Pleas Judge Mary Spicer plan to do live interviews. Families that have adopted pets from the shelter will share ''happy endings.''
Joel Silverman, formerly host of Animal Planet's Good Dog U, has taped a message for the show, and Kristin Branagan, director of animal placement and education at the local Humane Society, will demonstrate how the agency evaluates the temperament of each animal before it can be adopted.
Viewers will get a glimpse of the shelter's bedtime routine, something that only staff and volunteers usually witness. The video, created by Todd Glosser of DLP Recording Studios in Copley, is accompanied by the song Goodnight Little Cowpup, written and recorded by county-western singer Stephanie Davis.
Davis, who has recorded with superstars Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood and Martina McBride, readily gave her permission to use the song, said Ron ''Bus'' Hill of Stow, director of development for the Humane Society of Greater Akron.
Hill first heard the ballad when Davis performed it on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion.
''I got her e-mail address through her Web site. She e-mailed me back and said she was a huge animal advocate and supports humane societies across the country,'' Hill said.
The next day, Davis' manager, Rick Philip, sent Hill a copy of the song and permission to use it, he said.
Conklin said her goal is to make sure residents understand that rescued animals belong to ''everyone in Summit County.''
''As a community, we have a responsibility to take care of our children, our elderly and our animals. This is a way that people can do that,'' Conklin said.
Kathy Antoniotti can be reached at 330-996-3565 or kantoniotti@thebeaconjournal.com.
- 30 -
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Realityville, OH
Posted 07:59 AM, 11/05/2009
WHAT??? No Tom Erikson???
Akron, OH
Posted 08:37 AM, 11/05/2009
Will Kristin Branagan demonstrate what happens to the dogs who do not pass their temperament tests? The public needs to know those dogs are killed.
The HS claims they can continue to call themselves a no-kill shelter as long as they don't kill more than 10% of their animals per month.
They won't have any long time volunteers on their show - because they've all left over the last year in protest of all the dog killings.
The HS is not the same place it once was where dogs could live there for as long as it took to find them a home. Now they are more interested in the high turnover, easy to adopt dogs, which bring in money. Sure, they still have some pitbulls which most rescues don't have, but more of those are put to death than get to live there you can be sure.
Posted 09:54 AM, 11/05/2009
I think it's absolutely wonderful what they do. I've been to their facility and it is heartbreaking to see so many animals without a forever home. At the end of the day though - when it came time for me to adopt... I adopted from the kill shelter under the y bridge. Those animals are in serious need!
ProChoice, OH
Posted 09:55 AM, 11/05/2009
Nice story on the Humane Society & I hope they do well. Anyone in pet rescue knows you don't go into it for the money, you do it for the animals. Until people spay/neuter their pets, stop chaining them outside 24/7 & all landlords allow pets, there will be animals in need & yes, sadly, some will be euthanized. I'd like to see Ohio get SEVERE animal cruelty legislation so offenders get YEARS in jail not days for abuse.
Canton, OH
Posted 09:55 AM, 11/05/2009
simpleman - that was just wrong. LOL - maybe his daughter could co host
N. Canton, Oh
Posted 10:48 AM, 11/05/2009
I think if there was a way for Summit County to afford to do spay/neuter pets, say as a clinic for once a year, that would help cut down on the population of these animals. All these poor animals want is for someone to love them, and sometimes the people who work there are the only faces they see. Very, very sad.
N. Canton, Oh
Posted 10:49 AM, 11/05/2009
I'm sorry, as a free clinic to get these dogs and cats spayed and neutered, as some people just cannot afford it.
akron, oh
Posted 11:05 AM, 11/05/2009
I wonder how the St Bernard who lives in the Humane Society's rat infested condemed barn feels every night out in the cold with a leaky roof over his head. Too bad the people who adopted him arent allowed to take him home.. Maybe they wouldnt be so over crowded if the would actually let people adopt the anaimals they have.....
Akron, Oh
Posted 11:41 AM, 11/05/2009
When is this telethon?? I've read and re-read the article but I can't find out when it is??
Posted 11:50 AM, 11/05/2009
And on Sunday it will broadcast its first live telethon from 2 to 5 p.m. on Time Warner's Channel 23 from Canal Park stadium in downtown Akron
Posted 11:54 AM, 11/05/2009
Buchtel,
"And on Sunday it will broadcast its first live telethon from 2 to 5 p.m. on Time Warner's Channel 23 from Canal Park stadium in downtown Akron."
Posted 12:01 PM, 11/05/2009
Beardy, if a person can't afford to spay/neuter their pet, that also means they can't afford the veterinary care that the animal needs and will continue to need. If you can't provide veterinary care, you shouldn't have a pet. It isn't fair to the animal.
Posted 12:03 PM, 11/05/2009
I agree with you completely ProChoiceLiberal. I don't know why Betty Sutton is involved in this. She doesn't care about toughing the animal abuse laws in Ohio at all.
Posted 12:19 PM, 11/05/2009
I would like to clear up some misinformation around The Humane Society of Greater Akron (HSGA).
First and foremost, there are typically two types of animal rescue organizations. The first type is an open intake shelter, meaning you have a mission to do some type of rescue task in the community and you will take all animals that fall into this mission. The second type is a selective admission shelter, meaning you pick and choose what types of animals to take into your care. HSGA is one of the few open admission shelters in the area. We take ALL abused, abandoned and neglected animals.
Second, there are truly no kill shelters, where no animal is euthanized for any reason. Most of these true no kill shelters are selective admission. HSGA has never claimed to be a no kill shelter because our mission makes us open intake. However, we are a no time limit shelter for adoptable animals. An adoptable animal is one that is not suffering or a safety threat to the public.
Third, HSGA does conduct behavioral evaluations and makes decisions based on these evaluations. Most best practice open intake shelters in the US do these tests and make decisions. We even take it a step beyond other shelters. We use a test that takes 40-50 minutes to administer, which is very detailed in dog behavior, and levels of aggression. Many other shelters use a test that takes around 15 minutes.
Finally, HSGA is one of the few shelters in the area that does not use breed specific language. Many shelters in the area euthanize certain breeds on intake or will not take certain breeds because they are harder to adopt. We do not do this because it is not in accordance with our mission. We believe that if an animal is abused, abandoned or neglected, they should have a chance for a forever home, again assuming they are not suffering or a threat to public safety.
Akron, Oh
Posted 01:22 PM, 11/05/2009
I know many people who do not care for the HSGA because of the so-called officers sent to check out dogs who are allegedly neglected or abused. Last summer some neighbors of my family called about a puppy who was thin enough that every rib could be counted. He walked hunched over all the time, and was tied up outside without proper shelter from the weather or any water and food. The two "agents" who came out to check the situation saw nothing wrong. It took the people living there to move and leave the dog for about 4-5 days without food or water for anything to be done, and it was the neighbors that took care of the puppy and found it a good home. To repeat, many people I know have no use for the HSGA and will go somewhere else to adopt a dog.
New York, NY
Posted 05:07 PM, 11/05/2009
The place is mismanaged and should be closed.
everywhere, oh
Posted 05:27 PM, 11/05/2009
I'll bid on the package of Omaha Steaks.
Posted 02:34 PM, 11/06/2009
Well said, Carianne.
animal rights, oh
Posted 07:05 PM, 11/06/2009
wow, this just goes to show that some people just cannot accept a good thing when they see one. The HSGA is a very respected place, sure they dont have the best facility and thats why they are MOVING! They obviously want the best for the animals and can see that they need a better place becaus ethey have taken in so many animals. Unlike other "rescues" who get shut down for not taking care of these animals the HSGA does everything they can to help any animal of any kind!! Everyone is always going to have something ignorant to say, so to you who have no idea what it takes to run a rescue (probably the same ppl who support puppymills) this only keeps the fight stronger to end animal abuse! I cannot believe anyone would have something negative to say about a facility that rescues animals. get real.
p.s. to the ppl who wanted whatever dog is kept in the barn, then wherever it came from maybe that place should have paid the money back to the adopters and they could've gone and asopted him from the HSGA...
Cleveland, OH
Posted 10:22 PM, 11/06/2009
StopTheIgnorance: "Unlike other "rescues" who get shut down for not taking care of these animals the HSGA does everything they can to help any animal of any kind!!"
You are the one that is Ignorant. The HSGA had no probable cause to take the animals from the "other rescue" and was court ordered to return them. Don't you read the ABJ? Did you know that your precious HSGA attempted to extort $30,000 from the "other rescue" to get the animals back? That precious move, I hear, will be handled in the legal system. I suggest that you quit being ignorant and find out the facts.
animal rights, oh
Posted 10:03 AM, 11/09/2009
TINA:
No duhhhh the HSGA does everything they can to help the animals!!!
clearly you have been misinformed many times about this amazing facility! maybe take time to do your fascts and research before calling someone else out. Im so so sorry that great people all over the rescue community are always being put down by people like yourself. Without this facility ALL these animals would be DEAD! But thankis to the saints at t he HSGA an dother rescues all over the world,,,they are happily ALIVE!!
