Ashland County Dog Shelter kennel manager fired, volunteer booted

ASHLAND — Two more people were recently dismissed from the Ashland County Dog Shelter, the latest in a trend marked by personnel turnover dating back months. 

Patricia Hootman, 60, was placed on paid administrative leave on Oct. 7. Three days later, commissioners voted unanimously to fire her. 

Linda Bolin, also 60, was booted from the dog shelter’s volunteer list on Oct. 7. 

The moves represent the latest for a dog shelter that has experienced turbulence stemming from a controversial euthanasia policy that county commissioners adopted at the onset of 2024 and later agreed to revisit — but haven’t yet.

Commissioners unanimously voted to promote Shannon Hamilton as the interim kennel manager, with a $2-per-hour raise.

Commissioners said they will advertise for the kennel manager position by Nov. 1.

What happened with Hootman?

According to Hootman’s personnel file with the county, obtained through a public records request, commissioners hired Hootman in March 2023 as a part-time kennel worker. A month later, Hootman received a promotion to full-time. 

In September 2023, commissioners gave her a raise — earning $13 an hour. Her pay increased again in December 2023.

In January, she became the new kennel manager, complete with another raise to $16 per hour. The manager position wasn’t on her radar, she said at the time. Nevertheless, she decided to give it a shot.

But her acceptance of the new role came with a public warning: “I don’t agree with the euthanasia policy.” 

The policy, enacted by commissioners just days prior to her new position, states “dogs that have been at the shelter for more than one year will be euthanized.” 

Commissioners have since promised to remove and rework the controversial rule, and to make that decision with guidance provided by an advisory committee formed for that end. 

Hootman signed the county’s “notice of policy change.” The document went out to all employees and volunteers of the dog shelter. 

“Your signature below acknowledges that you have read the rules and regulations manual,” reads the notice, which included a deadline of 3 p.m. on Jan. 16. 

Hootman signed the notice on Jan. 23. Below her signature, her handwritten message: “I do not agree with euthanasia policy.” 

As of Oct. 15, the euthanasia rule remains intact — and is at least part of why Hootman lost her job. 

The Bowie incident

On Aug. 27, Hootman received a written warning for “insubordination and violation of policy/work rule.” 

The letter alleged that Hootman did not report a dog bite involving an employee or volunteer within 24 hours, a rule established in the new policy book enacted in January. 

“We were informed this morning of an incident that occurred at least seven days ago that involved a volunteer being bitten by a dog and then treated at an emergency room,” reads the letter. 

The letter, written and signed by Commissioner Denny Bittle, continues to say that the dog shelter’s new quasi dog warden, Ashland County Sheriff’s Office Dep. Curtis Hall, had suggested the dog be euthanized because “it would now be deemed vicious and/or dangerous.”

“In the future, if Deputy Hall suggests to you or tells you to make an appointment to have a dog euthanized because it has bitten someone or is considered vicious and/or dangerous, you will be expected to follow his recommendation,” the letter reads. 

The dog has not been euthanized, but according to Bittle, “it is scheduled.” 

“We had difficulty finding a vet to do that one because it was a puppy,” he said.

Commissioners tapped Claremont Vet Clinic to euthanize it, but the veterinarians refused, Bittle said.

Ashland Source reached out to Claremont Vet Clinic for comment. A representative did not respond by the time of publication.

The Ashland County Dog Shelter’s “cage card” shows the dog’s approximate age as eight months to one year.

Cage cards are assigned to each dog when they come to the shelter. They come with a number and other general information such as the dog’s color, breed, sex and other physical descriptors — along with a name. It also contains information on how and when the dog came into the dog shelter’s possession. 

Bowie, the Pit Bull terrier mix, was found in a cage along Township Road 1656 near Mifflin. He was brought in on July 24. The dog didn’t have a microchip or a collar and hadn’t been neutered, the cage card states. 

Bowie received his shots — vaccines and dewormer — on July 30. Under a month later, on Aug. 20, Bowie bit a volunteer “several times on left arm, abdomen and both inner thighs” during a walk, records show. 

The volunteer then drove herself to an urgent care center, where doctors cleaned the wound, administered antibiotics and a tetanus shot, according to a mammal incident report from the Ashland County Health Department.

According to Hootman’s witness statement at the time, she didn’t see the bite happen. She was fitting a collar for another dog in the moment. Afterward, however, she spoke to the volunteer and took pictures of the bites. 

“The dog that left the marks is between 8 months — 1 year old,” she wrote, adding: “Was not no vicious dog bite.” 

Hamilton, the shelter’s interim kennel manager but who worked there on a part-time basis during the incident, said he didn’t see the bite occur. He was inside when another volunteer ran inside to tell him about it. 

“When I looked out door, saw Bowie jump up on a volunteer,” he wrote. “I ran out and took control of dog … dog showed no aggression to me after taking control of him.” 

A week later, on Aug. 27, deputy Hall filed a “notice of possession of a nuisance dog, dangerous dog, or vicious dog.” 

The document, obtained through a public records request with the Ashland County Board of Commissioners, states the dog was deemed dangerous under ORC 955.11 (1)(a)(i). 

According to Holland & Muirden Attorneys at Law — a firm practicing animal law and one employed by the county commissioners for several animal law cases — there are requirements when a dog has been deemed dangerous.

Those include, in part, to lock the dog in a cage or pen at all times, have a leash, wear a muzzle, be microchipped and spayed or neutered and owners are to purchase special liability insurance. 

There are other requirements, too, but they don’t include euthanizing the creature.

The lethal route is an option under certain criteria, including if the owner fails to control the dog, or if a court orders it to be euthanized by a licensed veterinarian.

There are no records in Ashland County Common Pleas or Ashland Municipal Court that would indicate the dog has been court-ordered to be euthanized.

Ohio law also allows dog shelters to euthanize, but only after a 10-day quarantine period.

The Ashland County Dog Shelter’s euthanasia policy states “dogs that are deemed vicious or have bitten a member of the public, a shelter volunteer, or a shelter worker will be euthanized after the quarantine period prescribed by ORC 955.261.”

Ohio law grants veterinarians discretion when asked to euthanize animals. “If the veterinarian is unwilling or unable to comply with the euthanasia request of the owner or agent, the animal must be released to the owner or agent,” reads Ohio Administrative Code 4741-1-09. 

The county commissioners’ office does not have any documentation outlining communication between it and Claremont Vet Clinic about euthanizing Bowie.

When asked where and when the puppy will be euthanized, Bittle said “I don’t know.” 

“We’re dealing with veterinarians right now that are looking at different options,” he said.

He also said commissioners had the dog “looked at” and that there is “not much hope for that dog for not being aggressive.” He did not say who has examined Bowie.

Administrative leave

On Oct. 7, Hootman was placed on paid administrative leave “pending disciplinary action.” A letter to her, dated Oct. 7, stated she had violated “the county social media policy, Personnel Manual Section XXIV, Paragraphs 3 and 4.”

Paragraph three of the county employee handbook reads: “Unprofessional communication which, if left unaddressed could potentially result in a civil or criminal cause of action against the County. Unprofessional communication also includes that which the County could demonstrate has a substantial risk of negatively affecting the County’s reputation, mission or operations, such as slander, defamation or other legal cause of action.”

The fourth paragraph states: “Disclosure of confidential and/or proprietary information acquired in the course of employment. Confidential information includes not only information that would not be available pursuant to a public records request, but also includes any information which does not relate to an issue of public concern.” 

The letter informing Hootman of pending disciplinary action against her also stated she was charged with “immoral conduct, discourteous treatment of the public, failure of good behavior, misfeasance, malfeasance.” 

What happened with Bolin?

Commissioners sent Bolin a letter on Oct. 7, the same day Hootman was placed on paid administrative leave, that thanked her for her “time and dedication in caring for our dogs.” 

“However, we regret to inform you that, effective immediately, your volunteer services will no longer be required. You will only have access to the public areas of the Ashland County Dog Shelter,” the letter reads.

The letter, which Ashland Source obtained through a public records request, did not give a reason. 

Bolin declined to give an interview for this story. However, she shared comments during a public comment period at a commissioners’ meeting.

She said she felt that a banning “for making a (Facebook) post about dog food” was too harsh. 

The Facebook post has since been removed, but a screenshot of the post shared with Ashland Source shows a nearly empty shelf at the shelter and asks people to donate more food.

“You have crushed me; you have hurt me,” Bolin said, addressing the commissioners.

Bolin said that commissioners had called her Oct. 3 to discuss the matter. 

“You said no one was in trouble,” she said, adding she apologized for the Facebook post and that she took it down. 

Bittle said there was more than one incident that led to the commissioners’ decision to ban her from volunteering. He said he would discuss it with her but not publicly.

Bolin, however, said she was never made aware of another incident and asked whether a handbook with guidelines and rules for volunteers exist.

Bittle pointed to the 29-page policy handbook commissioners ratified in January, which contains a section on volunteers. The rules: 

• prospective volunteers, who must be at least 18 or be accompanied by a guardian, must complete an application.
• volunteers can assist in exercise, bathing, preparing food dishes and enrichment activities.
• volunteers must be “good representatives of the Ashland County Dog Shelter.”
• select volunteers could be chosen to perform additional duties “at the discretion of the dog warden or the kennel manager.”

The rulebook also states “the dog warden or board of commissioners may revoke an individual’s authorization to volunteer for any reason.” 

Bolin signed a “notice of policy change,” just like Hootman and the other staff and volunteers, on Jan. 16. Under her signature, she included: 

“I do not agree with the euthanization clause as written. I hope that it will be changed or clarified as dogs deemed unadoptable due to aggressive behaviors and safety issues.”

‘We are the ultimate authority’

Hootman declined to be interviewed for this story.

Only sparse details exist on the circumstances surrounding Hootman’s alleged violation of the county’s social media policy and the charge related to immoral conduct.

How those allegations amounted to her ultimate dismissal is murky.

But there are clues.

Shortly after being fired — which happened after a one-hour executive session on Thursday — Hootman approached the podium to comment. She had questions, and she asked for answers.

“Have any of you reached out to me to get my side of the story on this issue or from my previous write-up? Or do you guys go by hearsay from one side only?” she asked.

“We did an investigation and we were — we believed that what was reported to us was true,” said Commissioner Jim Justice.

Bittle chimed in too, saying they cannot talk about any of the details discussed during executive session.

“Why isn’t a job description of a kennel manager in the policy?” Hootman continued.

“That was also discussed in executive session,” Bittle said.

“What did I actually violate? … I didn’t approve the language of the (Facebook) post,” Hootman said.

“Again, that was also discussed in executive session. I’m sorry,” Bittle said.

Hootman continued. 

“Are the commissioners in charge of the shelter or is Curtis Hall, the one who oversees everything and everyone? Who do the people answer to?” 

“I think that is a question that is very slanted and wrong,” Justice said. “(Hall) has been given his assignment and he’s done it well.

“We are the ultimate authority. We run the dog shelter. When it goes wrong, we get the blame. When it goes right, sometimes we get the recognition. But that question is not appreciated because that is not even close to what is happening.”