With the current Washington County dog warden being paid for 10 to 20 overtime hours a week, county commissioners are considering hiring a part-time helper.
The commissioners appointed Deputy Kelly Schubert to the dog warden position after former dog warden Greg Sturm, who was not a deputy, retired in November of last year.
Schubert was hired on a six-month trial basis. With that amount of time having passed the commissioners recently met with Schubert and Sheriff Larry Mincks to review how the arrangement is working out.
Article Photos
ASHLEY RITTENHOUSE The Marietta Times
Washington County’s dog warden, Deputy Kelly Schubert, shows Ryan Zimmerman a dog from the Humane Society of the Ohio Valley recently at the Marietta Aquatic Center. The Washington County commissioners are considering hiring a part-time assistant dog warden due to the amount of overtime that Schubert is working.
During the meeting it was pointed out that Schubert is working a significant amount of overtime, leading the commissioners to believe it might make sense to hire someone to help her.
"(County administrator) Paul Cunningham is in the process of looking at what the overtime is costing in comparison to if we did hire a part-time person to cover some of that overtime," said Commissioner Cora Marshall.
Schubert said she averages between 20 and 40 hours of overtime in a two-week period. She said since Jan. 1 she has handled 415 calls.
Fact Box
Washington County dog warden
The Washington County Commissioners are considering hiring a part-time assistant dog warden to help Washington County Sheriff's Deputy Kelly Schubert, who has been serving as the dog warden since November.
The commissioners are considering adding the new position because Schubert works between 20 and 40 hours of overtime every two weeks.
Schubert is paid $23.14 an hour, but she receives $34.71 for overtime.
Schubert said it makes no difference to her whether the commissioners decide to hire someone to help her.
"I enjoy working and I love this job so I don't mind the overtime," Schubert said.
According to Cunningham, Schubert is currently paid $23.14 an hour, but she receives $34.71 for overtime. Cunningham said he is still in the process of determining how much overtime she has accrued so far.
Howard Hamrick most recently worked as the assistant dog warden. The commissioners terminated Hamrick a year ago, saying officials at the Humane Society of the Ohio Valley in Marietta would instead provide backup for Sturm.
Marshall said the Humane Society of the Ohio Valley currently helps when needed. She said the shelter is paid $20 an hour when its services are utilized.
"Deputy Schubert, we've only heard great things about the service she's providing to the citizens of Washington County and she has a very good relationship with the humane society," Marshall said. "They help if she needs to be off for vacation or needs to be at a conference and we have an agreement that they do cover that."
Schubert said she likes the current arrangement because she believes it's very beneficial for the county to have a law enforcement officer working as the dog warden.
"Somebody who doesn't have education as a deputy doesn't understand how to go about some situations and get the information they need to obtain a search warrant," Schubert said. "I obviously have the authority to cite people and issue summonses and I don't have to jump through hoops to do it. I do it on the spot."
Marshall noted that Schubert's dog warden salary comes from the dog and kennel fund. The money collected from dog tag sales goes into the fund.
