By VICKI URBANIK

The Porter County Council kicked off its annual budget hearings Monday with a call from a critic of the county’s animal shelter for more funding to expand the facility.

Delbert “Frank” Hershberger, who has spoken out against the way that the animal shelter has been operating under the Porter County Commissioners, on Monday took his case to the county council. He said the shelter needs to be expanded, with a bigger building and more cleaning staff.

He said he’s appalled to see what’s going on at the shelter. “It’s not getting better. It’s going downhill,” he said.

This morning, that characterization was flatly rejected by both Animal Shelter Director Judy Bonaventura and County Commissioner President Robert Harper, neither of whom were at Monday’s public hearing.

Both cited previous problems at the shelter when animals that didn’t receive treatment for common illnesses such as kennel cough or eye infections, and when the shelter had a high euthanization rate.

“Things are going a lot better,” said Harper, adding that increased publicity has helped to increase pet adoptions.

Bonaventura said shelter animals now get the treatment they need such as deworming or inoculations. If there is a major medical need that the shelter cannot afford, the animal is euthanized. But overall, she said, “the public is starting to see that our animals are healthier now.”

Typically, the county’s annual public hearing on the budgets bring out department heads or representatives of agencies that get county funding. But on Monday, only one person -- Hershberger --spoke.

Hershberger, a former shelter volunteer who was recently charged with trespassing at the shelter, noted that the county commissioners now have a proposal pending for a new shelter building. But he said the plans don’t include a public restroom, as he suggested that it should have a handicapped-accessible restroom.

He also said the shelter needs more paid staff, particularly to clean the facility, saying that there’s “plenty of staff upfront in the office,” but not enough to clean.

This morning, Harper disputed that as well, saying that the commissioners added part-time cleaning staff on the weekends and that all cages, litter boxes and other areas are fully cleaned by early afternoon each day.

Hershberger also told the council that the animal shelter should have the purpose of protecting people and protecting animals from cruelty. But “in the name of a no-kill shelter,” he said the shelter has become overcrowded with animals.

Bonaventura said the shelter is a no-kill facility for adoptable animals. Those who are very ill or vicious are euthanized. “We can’t put a vicious dog back into society,” she said. She also said people who attempt to bring in their very old pet are told to take the responsibility themselves of getting their pet euthanized, rather than force the animal to go through the trauma of being moved into a shelter.

Hershberger also told the council about an incident in which a cat got out of a cage, got attacked by a dog and had to be euthanized. He said that was an example of how poorly the shelter is being managed.

This morning, Harper confirmed that that occurred, but said that since then, the shelter has retrofited the cage handles, adding that some of the cages are decades old.

County Council member Jim Burge, R-at large, said he understands those concerned about the plight of animals, but said it was probably bad timing to turn the shelter into a no-kill facility given the county’s budget situation.

Burge asked Hershberger if he knows how the shelter population has changed, and Hershberger said that when he was a volunteer, the shelter typically housed about 30 to 35 cats and about 25 dogs. Now, he said the cat population is up around 90 and the dogs, 40 to 45.

According to Bonaventura, the shelter today has 39 dogs and 76 cats.

When told the numbers cited by Hershberger, Harper said there’s only one way that the shelter could have maintained those low numbers in the past. The numbers would go down “if you want to go back to killing them every day,” Harper said.

County Council member Dan Whitten, D-at large, said he’s heard mixed comments about the state of the shelter. For example, he said he received a number of complaints about a severly injured kitten who was said to be “tortured” at the shelter. But he said he later learned that the kitten was doing well and was adopted out.

The truth of what’s actually going on at the shelter is probably somewhere in the middle, Whitten said.

“There’s a lot of conjecture going on,” he said.

For his part, Hershberger made it clear that he isn’t going to be quiet about the shelter, saying that it’s his right as an American to speak out.

“I’m not afraid to take anyone on,” he said.

Budget Reviews

With Monday’s public hearing now over, the county council will begin its department-by-department budget reviews today at 5 p.m. at the County Administration Center.

Council President Robert Poparad, D-1st, said he doesn’t expect that the council will grant many budget increases other than raises for county employees. Most county departments submitted budgets the same as this year’s, but some are expected to make requests for increased funding when their budgets come up for review.

Courts and some court-related departments will come up for review today. On Wednesday, the budgets to be reviewed include the animal shelter, parks, auditor and council.

Posted 8/12/2008