T-L Photo/KAILEY CARPINO Alicia Bertolina, left, kennel manager, shows off the fire hydrants that are part of the “Love Bites” fundraiser. Harrison County Dog Warden Cindi Yanez, right, holds Sleepy, a 7-month-old mixed breed that is available for adoption at the Harrison County Dog Pound.

CADIZ — The Harrison County Dog Pound Volunteers launched a new fundraiser called “Love Bites” that will end on Feb. 14.

People can donate any amount of money to the pound, and the Harrison County Dog Pound Volunteers will write the first name of an ex or other person on a small plastic fire hydrant.

“Then we let the dogs do what they want, and hopefully, they pee,” Cindi Yanez, dog warden and president of the Harrison County Dog Pound Volunteers, said.

“It doesn’t have to be an ex, but it’s Valentine’s Day so we thought that would be OK, but if you have someone you just don’t like and you would love to see them peed on, it could be that person,” Yanez said.

The fundraiser started about two weeks ago, and Yanez said the organization has raised nearly $300 so far.

“The average net bill per healthy dog when all they need is their vaccines and to be spayed or neutered is $500. Sometimes it’s a little less. Sometimes it’s a lot more,” Yanez said.

Yanez explained that the dog pound is a county facility, but the Harrison County Dog Pound Volunteers is a nonprofit that raises money for the dogs’ vet bills. She said the county does not cover vet bills, vaccines, flea and tick treatment or spaying or neutering the dogs.

“The adoption fee is only $40 because the county doesn’t pay for any of that. So you pay 40 bucks, you get a dog, and that’s all you get. You do get a tag if you live in the county, but that’s it. About 10 years ago, a couple of us thought that was really irresponsible, so we created the Harrison County Dog Pound Volunteers,” Yanez said.

Yanez said that neighboring counties have much higher adoption fees, which include vaccines and spaying or neutering the adopted dog.

“Belmont charges like $125, but you get a vetted dog. Jefferson charges $190, but you get a vetted dog,” she said.

Yanez said when she started working at the dog pound in 2014, the adoption fee in Harrison County was $45 and has since decreased to $40.

“Vet care has at least doubled in that time period,” she said.

She said the adoption fees go to the county, so all of the funding for the Harrison County Dog Pound Volunteers comes through donations and fundraisers. Yanez said that the dog pound is constantly fundraising and coming up with new ideas for fundraisers to help cover vet bills.

According to Yanez, the organization pays for all “preventive and emergency medical care.” She said this includes testing for heartworm and Lyme disease and treatment if the tests come back positive. It also includes spaying or neutering the dog, rabies vaccines and the first and second DHLPPC vaccines, which stands for distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, parvovirus and coronavirus. She also said the pound gives flea and tick treatment to all of the dogs, which can be expensive.

Donations for the fundraiser can be made by cash or check made payable to the Harrison County Dog Pound Volunteers and mailed to 82900 Toot Road, Cadiz, OH 43907. The pound is also accepting donations via Paypal to harcodogpoundvolunteers@gmail.com or via Venmo to @harcodogpoundvolunteers.

For more information, call the pound at 740-942-4080 or visit the Harrison County Dog Pound Volunteers Facebook page. The pound is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.