My passion for animals led me to a life of rescue and advocacy for the voiceless. I began volunteering at the Trumbull County pound to help the dogs last year. It was heartbreaking to see how the dogs were set up for failure the minute they entered the facility. The facility has not been updated for decades or has it kept up with a growing population in the  county. The kennels are open, small, dilapidated and create an extremely stressful, unhealthy environment. The dogs can literally touch each other, smell  and spread disease and viruses. The dogs are fearful, confused and extremely anxious in this stressful environment. There are only 14 kennels creating a space concern during high volume warm weather months. Trumbull County needs a new facility that can accommodate more kennels designed for proper decompression, quarantine room, greeting room and medical suite. The current kennels are broken and have not been repaired. I have met with the commissioners. A new facility is not high on their priority list. It is a deplorable facility and we need to push for a new facility that is designed properly and sets the dogs up for success. A major concern of mine is the failure to ensure that all dogs that are adopted out are spayed/neutered to prevent future over population. The pound does not have a mandatory spay and neuter program, proper screening application or process to ensure the dog is going to a good and safe environment, and the dogs are released on an FTA program that relies on the potential owner to return and finalize the dog, show proof of spay/neuter and microchip at finalization. There is no follow up on the dog to ensure safety, proof of spay/neuter and the dogs are not microchipped before they leave for FTA. I have witnessed many return lost former pound dogs who are still unaltered and not microchipped. The rescue volunteer organizations in our communities are raising money and paying for the dogs to be spayed and neutered for the dogs they can get scheduled  before they leave the facility. I believe it is the responsibility of the leader in charge to create and innovate processes, policies, protocols to be put in placed to ensure the health, safety and welfare for the dog. The greater problem is the current leadership. Despite our efforts to engage the Chief Dog Warden and Human Resources to effectively collaborate with our reputable rescues and 501c not for profit organizations and to reform the current policy and procedure at the pound, I continue to see unethical and unprofessional conduct and behavior. I witness volunteers work tirelessly to exercise, socialize, network the dogs through rescues and social media to ensure they get successfully adopted or pulled through a rescue for rehabilitation and foster. A dog that cowered in fear in the corner would be PTS without proper decompression and the opportunity to clam their fears and gain trust. If the dog showed any temperament he/she would be put down without proper decompression or professional evaluation........even though the volunteers were committed to working with the dog or rescue lined up to pull. Perfectly adoptable dogs were killed for space. Records would falsely claim the dog was aggressive and there was not a professional evaluation performed on the dog. Where is the advocacy for the dog's welfare? We approached the warden and HR to collaborate to end this senseless killing by allowing all dogs to be evaluated by a professional trainer to assess their true temperament away from the stressful pound. If a dog is at risk we asked to allow a Rescue to pull the animal to rehabilitate and foster for a successful adoption. A humane society offered to partner and work with the pound to take on the responsibility of caring for, rehabilitating and networking the dogs for a successful adoption out of the pound. This would allow staff to be able to do the job they needed to do. This proposal was denied which ultimately would have set the dogs up for success. After several meetings at the county administrative office where we agreed to new policy and procedure, the chief dog warden continues to murder innocent dogs who were never extended the opportunity  to be evaluated or pulled by a willing rescue to save their lives.....with open kennels in the facility! This county pound under the chief dog warden has inhumanely euthanized the dogs with little dignity and respect for the helpless dog. It has been witnessed where dogs have laid in their kennel in public view with only a sheet over it for hours screaming, hollering, wailing in horrible pain suffering in a cage waiting to die a slow painful death. It is known that the staff were going to leave a dog over night to die and just check the dog in the morning. This is a result of unqualified, unethical, and uncaring people being in the wrong positions and not fit for the job in a county pound. The chief dog warden is a known dog breeder who lacks empathy and compassion for the homeless dogs at the pound. She has sold dogs for profit and cares less about the welfare of the homeless dogs at the pound and thinks nothing of ending their precious lives. I cry and am heartbroken to think of the fear they must feel being held down to die horrifically and senselessly at the hands of a person who lacks empathy or  cares about the welfare of the voiceless who are only seeking love, compassion and a loving home. I watch many volunteers work tirelessly to save them only to have their efforts destroyed. The Chief Dog Warden fails to be consistent following policy and procedure, condones inappropriate behavior under her leadership, and lacks integrity in her leadership. I am asking the Trumbull County Commissioners to seriously move forward immediately in reform at the Trumbull County pound in new leadership and a new facility that sets the dogs up for success. I have witnessed just in the past two weeks wonderful dogs murdered by the direction of leadership when rescue was lined up to pull and networking for foster. They were open kennels at the facility and a willing rescue to pull. This heinous act is completely morally corrupt and unethical. We can not continue to allow this leadership to determine the safety and welfare of our counties homeless dogs. Please share and sign my petition for a new Chief dog warden and a new facility for Trumbull county.