Central Ohio rescue seeks fosters for Delaware County dogs

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – After a video went viral showing 40 dogs chained up in the backyard of a house in Delaware County, community members were outraged over their living conditions. 

NBC4 has been following this story since the dogs were rescued. Last week, NBC4 met two of the dogs for the first time, after a judge deemed them “abandoned” and the dog warden gained custody. 

The road to recovery will not be easy or quick, but tonight, there’s a glimmer of hope. Some dogs are now with trainers and foster families. 

“The end result we want is to get her (Delilah) to a point where she can be adopted out to a home that is going to continue to love her and reward her and work with her to be, you know, a success,” said Kathy Sturman. 

This is the Sturman family's first time fostering a dog. They met Delilah for the first time on Saturday and ended up bringing her home that very same day. Their goal is to give her a second chance at life. 

In the five days she’s been with them, Delilah has gotten enough pets and belly rubs to last her a lifetime. 

“At the end of the day, it's an opportunity to give her a chance at life, and that's really what she deserves, that's what all of those dogs deserve. They deserve to be dogs,” she said.

This may be their first time fostering, but they aren’t new to training dogs. Her husband, David, is a retired Delaware County K-9 police officer. When Delilah came running into David’s arms that Saturday at the shelter, they knew she was going to be a great fit.

“When we first brought her home, of course, she was very timid,” said Kathy, “She responds very well to high happies and just yesterday we started to really see the benefit of that. She started to make eye contact with my husband when there was a correction, you know, there was no cowering.”

RICO Pet Recovery, a local non-profit, has been working to find proper homes for the dogs rescued on Kilbourne Road earlier this month. 

“We're trying to move them into an environment with dogs that are, you know, household pets where they can see what it's like to live in a house, see what it's like to, you know, go up and down stairs and run in a yard and to have their belly rubbed and all that stuff that a normal dog would would see,” said Marci Dop, founder of RICO Pet Recovery. 

She said, thanks to the Sturman family, she’s started to see Delilah become a completely different dog. 

“She could lay down and relax and rest and they got to a point where they can let her loose in the yard now and she runs and has a good time,” said Dop. 

This past week, Dop has been working to place dogs with trainers and foster families, but the work isn’t over yet. 

“We need fosters who are willing to make that sacrifice those first few days to help them, you know, become acclimated in a home environment and to continue to work with them and take them for walks and help them overcome some of their fears,” said Dop. 

Sturman said that if someone is thinking about becoming a foster, they'll need to have a lot of patience and grace. 

“It's like having a puppy all over again in your house. She's never lived in a house. She's never been off of a chain. You know, when we brought her into our back yard last night for the first time off leash. It was so fun to watch her,” she said. 

Because of what these dogs have been through, Dop is being selective in who she chooses to become a foster parent. She’s asking that potential fosters have no young children at home and either passive household pets or no pets at all. 

She wants to be clear that each dog will grow at their own pace but she wants to make sure she’s doing this right. RICO Pet Recovery is prepared to help out whoever does want to foster one of these dogs because she wants to see them grow to their fullest potential, like she’s seen with Delilah so far. 

NBC4 reached out to the Humane Society of Delaware County to ask about the progress the dogs in their care have made. None of the dogs have been placed with fosters yet, as they’re still working with trainers and behavioral specialists. A spokesperson told us that some are still receiving medical care, but each dog is moving at their own pace. 

To learn more about RICO Pet Recovery and find out how to become a foster family, visit their website.