Fostoria PD will no longer take in stray dogs

Fostoria, Ohio — The Fostoria Police Department has announced that it will no longer be taking in lost or stray dogs, effective immediately.

The decision was made in response to the increasing number of loose dog calls in the city, which have been interrupting officers during their traffic stops or while on calls for service. This poses a risk to the officers’ safety and interferes with their ability to assist the public, according to a Facebook post from Fostoria PD.

According to Chief Gabe Wedge, the police department has also had weekends where they have had three to four dogs in their care/custody for two to three days at a time, incurring the liability of each dog should something bad happen.

Therefore, the police department will only take in dogs deemed vicious by the responding officer. Any reports of loose dogs will be forwarded to the appropriate County Dog Warden.

Citizens are encouraged to call the County Dog Warden themselves at the following numbers for their respective counties: 419-448-5097 for Seneca County, 419-423-1664 for Hancock County, or 419-354-9242 for Wood County.

Chief Wedge expressed his regret for having to make this decision, stating that most of the officers at the Fostoria Police Department are dog owners themselves. However, he emphasized that they cannot continue to operate in this manner and apologized for any inconvenience this may cause.