GEAUGA COUNTY, Ohio — There’s a heated debate in Geauga County over the dog warden and the future of the county’s dog shelter after the warden was brought before the Geauga County Board of Commissioners Tuesday.
At the meeting, Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand proposed to have his office take over the responsibilities of Dog Warden Matthew Granito, a move that has shelter staff fearing the facility could be shut down.
“We were blindsided,” said Cherie Rosenberger, a kennel assistant at the shelter. “Matt was definitely blindsided.”
Accusations and tensions run high
Sheriff Hildenbrand and County Prosecutor James Flaiz argued that Granito has failed to respond to calls to pick up dogs on multiple occasions.
“Law enforcement in general in Geauga County is not happy with his performance and he doesn’t do anything to change it,” Hildenbrand says of Granito. “I think that we could do it cheaper, and I know that we could be a lot more efficient and more responsive to the public.”
Flaiz provided a statement on the proposal to 3News reading in part:
“Transitioning dog warden oversight to the Sheriff’s Office will create a safer and more secure working environment for sheriff's deputies. Deputies frequently encounter difficult and potentially dangerous situations involving aggressive or stray dogs. Immediate support from responsive dog control services is essential to managing these incidents safely. Under the current dog warden, delays (or a complete failure) in dog warden response has placed deputies in unnecessary harm’s way, jeopardizing their safety and that of the public. This change is designed to eliminate such risks by ensuring deputies receive timely assistance when confronting dangerous animals.”
Granito countered the claims, arguing to commissioners that certain situations made it illegal for him to seize dogs because the animals are considered personal property. He also read emails to commissioners showing he reached out to the prosecutor’s office to get legal advice to address his concerns, but was told the office would not provide legal opinions on his request.
“For five months I’m trying to fix what we’re doing with the sheriff, and you refuse to answer my text and refuse to let any of your prosecutors discuss what is going on,” Granito said to Flaiz, who is seated off camera, during the meeting. “The facts speak for themselves.”
Shelter staff raise concerns
Granito was not at the shelter Wednesday. Staff members tell 3News he was on a pre-planned vacation.
However, Rosenberger voiced strong opposition to the sheriff’s plan, saying it could have dire consequences for the shelter’s future.
“We believe that they’re going to shut us down,” Rosenberger said.
Hildenbrand denied the accusation, insisting that his proposal does not involve closing the shelter.
“We never discussed that, we never considered that, that is not the plan,” the sheriff said. “The only difference is going to be the change of the administration over there, the dog warden, and we're going to have a deputy over there assigned (to) those dog warden duties, but everything else will remain the same.”
Changes could impact shelter operations
Hildenbrand does admit that changes under his leadership would significantly alter the shelter's operations. He confirmed that the facility would no longer take in dogs from outside the county and adopt them out — a practice that generates revenue for the shelter.
“It’s not a business, this is government,” Hildenbrand adds. “Our intention is to work with Rescue Village, a humane society, much closer.”
Hildenbrand says the shelter would hold unclaimed dogs for three days, under the law. If no one comes forward, the animal will be sent to Rescue Village.
“They have a couple veterinarians on staff. They have a beautiful facility there, fairly new, and they have room and they’re more than willing to do it,” Hildenbrand says.
On Wednesday, the Geauga County Board of Commissioners released the following statement to 3News addressing the issue:
"During yesterday’s Geauga County Board of Commissioners meeting, an item placed on the agenda by Commissioner Dvorak to discuss the work of county Dog Warden Matt Granito turned into a lengthy and heated debate when County Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand came forward with criticisms of the Dog Warden and suggested the Sheriff’s office take over his duties. County Prosecutor James Flaiz added his own remarks about the Dog Warden in support of the Sheriff. Board President Ralph Spidalieri allowed the meeting to continue in order to give the Dog Warden the opportunity to respond. In addition, Comm. Spidalieri wishes the public to know that neither he, Comm. Lennon nor office administrators had any idea that the purpose of this item on the agenda was to suggest the Dog Warden’s duties be taken over by the Sheriff. At the end of the meeting, both Commissioner Spidalieri and Commissioner Lennon expressed apologies to the public for the heated exchanges and reiterated that such discussions should not have been handled in a public setting. Comm. Spidalieri also wants the public to know that the Geauga County Board of Commissioners strives to maintain transparency and that concerns raised on both sides will receive due consideration."