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Rise in animal hoarding urges animal advocates, Youngstown officials to strengthen animal cruelty ordinances
Animal humane agents took their issues to the city's safety committee meeting, pleading that more has to be done to stop this overflow of cruelty to animals.
Thursday, June 22nd 2023, 10:29 PM EDT
Updated:

Concerns are rising over the state of animal hoarding, primarily in the City of Youngstown.
So much so, that
With over 100 animals removed from hoarding conditions in June alone in Youngstown, what are the solutions these agents are proposing?
“I'm just going to speak frankly, we're finding them everywhere,” said Mike Durkin, Blight Remediation and Code Enforcement Superintendent with the City of Youngstown at Thursday’s safety committee meeting. “We’ve found animals under stoves, behind walls. We found one on the east side in a wall.”
If you think you've seen more animal hoarding cases happening in Youngstown this year, that's because 352 animals have been removed from homes in city limits so far in 2023 alone.
“We have a great set of ordinances and I think adding to those and strengthening those will help,” said Jane MacMurchy with Animal Charity of Ohio. “But also seeing the enforcement of those, who's responsible for enforcing those.”
19 different species so far this year have been taken from the city.
Animal Charity of Ohio, Mahoning County's Dog Warden and city officials hoping to work together to strengthen the enforcement of city ordiances on animal cruelty, to eventually focus on mental health conditions often found in aminal hoarders.
There are more than one dozen ordiannces nivovling animals in the city, including required vaccinations, registering animals, and ‘nusinace conditions’ prohibited.
“I can tell you that is is happening on a regular basis now, it used to be that weird one that showed up once very year, but now we're dealing with it on a regular basis,” Durkin said.
“It's going to take all of us geting together,” said Dianne Fry, Mahoning County Dog Warden. “I'm so glad that we're talking about it now. They're understanding there is a problem now, that it's a serious problem.”
From enforcing tethering limitations to limiting how many animals can live in one home, there's a mutual agreement to work to prevent these abuse cases from happening. The dog warden says room is always an issue, currently holding close to 100 dogs, because of just how many they're rescuing from deplorable conditions.
“We really didn't think at this point in time that we would be up to this kind of capacity in this building,” Fry added.
Animal advocates want the city to limit tethering to certain hours, between 10 or 11 pm to 6 am. They also want a limit of the amount of cats you can own after seeing an influx of cat hoarding.
Dianne Fry also mentioned that they have dogs that are testing positive for pneumonia so they may have to start suspending adoptions so that it doesn't spread.
YPD reps said in Thursday’s meeting that several animal hoarding calls typically come in through 911.
The 911 center contacts the dog warden if no ones health or safety are in jeopardy.
Fry says some dogs have been sitting in the county pound for more than a year. Animal Charities have already spent $60,000 on medical care for animals just taken from the city, and an additional $50,000 on food, running low on money and patience to see change in the city.
City leaders will reevaluate the current ordinances and meet with animal advocates again in the near future.