A group of inmates at the Logan County Jail are honing their carpentry skills in recent weeks to complete a project that will assist area pet owners and also give back to the Logan County Sheriff’s Office’s dog and kennel program.
The inmate trustees are creating a collection of dog houses out of donated lumber skids and other scrap lumber that will be available to purchase via silent auction next week at the Logan County Fair.
“Several of the inmates had this idea of turning the scrap lumber into dog houses, and we thought this was a great project,” Logan County Sheriff Randy Dodds said. “We’re really appreciative of their efforts.
“While the cost of lumber is pretty high these days, we had access to this scrap lumber and leftover pallet skids, and we also happened to have the tools on hand. We just had to buy the screws for the project, which kept it simple and at low cost.”
There will be at least six dog houses of various sizes to be auctioned, including one of the last ones the trustees are completing geared for a larger breed dog. Each of the dog houses will be stained and sealed to withstand weather conditions and also will include carpeting, the sheriff noted.
Throughout fair week that begins July 11, the dog houses will be displayed nearby the LCSO office on the fairgounds, located close to the Main Street entrance, with boxes on each dog house for silent auction bids. Winners will be selected from the highest bidders toward the end of the week.
All proceeds benefit the agency’s dog and kennel program, which includes food and supplies for stray and lost dogs that are picked up by Logan County Dog Warden John Cira, along with other law enforcement in the county.
The dogs are housed temporarily at the LCSO, and if not claimed by their owners, the dogs go to a shelter in Auglaize County, with the opportunity to find new adoptive family, the sheriff said.
In addition to benefitting local canines, the project is providing an outlet for the inmate trustees to shine.
“They’re really taking pride in their work, and there’s some definite talent out there,” Sheriff Dodds said. “They have some excellent woodworking skills that they can put to good use when they’re released.”