Sheriff gets oversight of dog warden's office

PORT CLINTON — There's a new sheriff's deputy in town, the dog warden.On Dec. 1, the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office took over the dog warden's office from the board of commissioners. Dog warden JoLynn Hetrick and Jeremy Danklefsen were deputized into the sheriff's office with Hetrick receiving the rank of sergeant."The dog warden is a law enforcement entity, and the leadership coming from the law enforcement field, rather than from a board of commissioners, will benefit Sergeant Hetrick and Deputy Danklefsen considerably," Ottawa County Sheriff Steve Levorchick said.The dog warden's budget was rolled over into the sheriff's office. The dog warden is in charge of licensing dogs, dog confinement, livestock investigations, dog bite investigations and more.Levorchick has complete faith in how Hetrick has run the dog warden's office for the past 33 years and believes there's no one better suited for the job."I love animals, and I wanted to find a way that I could serve the public and help animals," Hetrick said on her decision to become dog warden.In here time as warden, she's helped decrease the number of dogs in the pound. Only 60 dogs were kenneled in the entire year of 2019. Levorchick credited this low number to Hetrick being proactive."The number continues to decline, which is what all dog wardens want to see," Hetrick said. "It means we're doing our job. We don't want to take dogs from their owners. When we do, it's because they're running at-large, and we want the dog to be safe."When they do have unclaimed dogs, they try to find it a new home through adoption. Veterinarian Dr. Michael Stone and groomers Snoochy Poochy Salon & Spa help the pound get dogs ready for their new family.A recent success story is Rosie, an abandoned mixed-breed dog, who went home with her new family Thursday.Hetrick is looking forward to being a part of the sheriff's office and believes there's been nothing but positive changes. She and Danklefsen will go through the training program for road deputies and have access to new equipment, including body armor and improved radios.But the biggest advantage for the public is the level of service the dog warden will be able to provide under the sheriff's office.Once their training is complete, Hetrick and Danklefsen will switch hours to allow the dog warden to provide service for 10 hours a day, seven days a week, instead of eight hours a day for five days."This is the first time the dog warden will be available on the weekend," Levorchick said.More Ottawa County Sheriff's Office articlesReach reporter Michael Harrington at michaelharrington@sanduskyregister.com, follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterOttawa County dog warden Jolynn Hetrick comforts Rosie, an abandoned dog, at the pound. Rosie was adopted by a new family later in the week. The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office recently claimed oversight of the dog warden's office with Hetrick becoming a sergeant. Ottawa County dog warden Jolynn Hetrick comforts Rosie, an abandoned dog, at the pound. Rosie was adopted by a new family later in the week. The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office recently claimed oversight of the dog wardens office with Hetrick becoming a sergeant. The kennels at the Ottawa County dog pound are cleaned daily. The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office recently claimed oversight of the dog wardens office.