WestChesterBuzz.com

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.

WestChesterBuzz.com also recently added a new video page last week. To view West Chester and Liberty Township related videos, visit westchesterbuzz.com/videos.

Nerf Wars have everyone talking – Local television reporters and radio talk show hosts were all talking about Lakota high schools this past week. It wasn’t because of anything that was taking place at school, but rather after. A spring tradition of Nerf Wars is now underway and it involves possible reckless driving and nudity.

Lakota East wants Ellen to help – Senior projects are commonplace at high schools. They often involve charity drives. Rarely do they focus on getting the attention of Ellen DeGeneres. Lakota East National Honor Society members decided to go after DeGeneres in February as the person who could bring the most awareness to their cause. Students have been emailing whoever they can, tweeting #WeWantEllen and writing letters – close to 600 – to the “Ellen DeGeneres Show.’’ The school has done this all to raise awareness and funds for the Center for Spina Bifida Care at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Lakota West bests East – Led by the pitcher-catcher combination of junior Ashley Sharp and sophomore Ciara Incorvati, Lakota West – No. 3 in The Enquirer’s preseason poll – out pitched and out hit rival No. 2 Lakota East in a 5-0 win on the road Monday. It was the first West/East matchup of the spring season in softball.

West Chester Caribou Coffee locations close – Bad news for fans of Northern Lite lattes and other specialty drinks at Caribou Coffee: The Minneapolis-based company’s five Greater Cincinnati stores closed Sunday, Shauna Steigerwald of The Enquirer reported. Beechmont, Blue Ash, Cox Road, Tylersville Road and Eastgate (Jungle Jim’s) are all closed. The Cox Road (off Tylersville by Mason border) and Tylersville Road (off 747) locations were in West Chester.

Accused swim coach faces 16-month term – An assistant swim coach from West Chester who was fired from Countryside YMCA in Lebanon after being charged with inappropriately touching a young female team member during a North Carolina championship meet Saturday has a long history of coaching area children, Sheila McLaughlin reported for The Enquirer. Patrick Jeanneret, 30, of West Chester Township coached the varsity swim team at Fairfield High School from 2007 to 2011.

Lakota East student named Ohio journalist of the year – Lakota East senior Kaitlin Lange was recently named 2013 Ohio Journalism Education Association Journalist of the Year at the annual Ohio Scholastic Media Association state conference at Kent State University. Lange is the managing editor and a three-year staff member of Spark Magazine, an award-winning publication produced by high school students. Lange is the sixth Spark journalist to receive the honor since 1998.

Katelyn Markham’s body found – During the past 20 months, any time an unidentified body surfaced in Ohio, Indiana or Kentucky, Fairfield investigators probed whether the remains were Katelyn Markham’s, said Fairfield Police Chief Mike Dickey. But the investigation shifts into new territory, Dickey said, now that Indiana State Police have verified that the remains found along a Franklin County creek belong to the Markham, who vanished in August 2011. She would have been 23 years old today.

Elements Therapeutic Massage opens – Elements Therapeutic Massage will open a new studio Saturday at 7594 Cox Lane in West Chester Township. According to the company’s website, there are more than 110 locations nationwide. The West Chester location, along locations coming soon to Mason and Florence (Ky.), are the only franchises in Greater Cincinnati.

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Tags: Tags: Amelia Murphy, Caribou Coffee, Caribou Coffee Cincinnati, Caribou Coffee close, Caribou Coffee closings, Caribou Coffee Ohio, Caribou Coffee West Chester, Ellen, Ellen DeGeneres, Ellen DeGeneres Lakota East, Ellen DeGeneres Lakota East lib dub, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show Lakota East, Ellen DeGeneres Show Lakota East lip dub, Ellen Lakota East, Ellen Lakota East lip dub, Lakota East, Lakota East lip dub, Lakota East Nerf Wars, Lakota Nerf Wars, Lakota West Nerf Wars, National Honor Society, National Honor Society Lakota East, West Chester business, West Chester business news

Elements Therapeutic Massage will open a new studio Saturday at 7594 Cox Lane in West Chester Township. According to the company’s website, there are more than 110 locations nationwide. The West Chester location, along locations coming soon to Mason and Florence (Ky.), are the only franchises in Greater Cincinnati.

“We are focused on providing customized massages to every client – our therapists use the right technique and right pressure that you just don’t find at run-of-the-mill massage retailers,” said Pam Garrett, owner of the Elements Therapeutic Massage studio in West Chester.

“The Elements franchise was founded on the healing benefits of massage, and we’re looking forward to making a positive impact on our clients’ lives.”

The new West Chester studio is open seven days a week, welcomes walk-ins and offers a membership program that allows clients to receive regular, discounted massage therapy services throughout each month.

Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, please call 513-755-1192 or visit elementsmassage.com/westchester.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: Elements Therapeutic Massage, Elements Therapeutic Massage West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news

Shauna Steigerwald reports:

Bad news for fans of Northern Lite lattes and other specialty drinks at Caribou Coffee: The Minneapolis-based company’s five Greater Cincinnati stores are closing this Sunday.

According to a statement by Mike Tattersfield, Caribou Coffee’s president and CEO, 80 under-performing stores will close Sunday.

In addition, 88 coffeehouses in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Illinois and Eastern Wisconsin will be converted to Peet’s Coffee & Tea locations during the next 12 to 18 months.

Calls to each of the five local stores — Beechmont, Blue Ash, Cox Road, Tylersville Road and Eastgate (Jungle Jim’s) — confirmed that all of those stores will close as of noon on Sunday. The Cox Road (off Tylersville by Mason border) and Tylersville Road (off 747) locations are in West Chester.

“Over the past few months, we at Caribou have revisited our business strategy, including closely evaluating our performance by market to make decisions that best position us for long-term growth,” Tattersfield’s statement reads in part.

“While the decisions we’ve made have been difficult for our team in Minneapolis, as well as our team members across the country and our guests and fans everywhere, we are working to make this transition as seamless as possible for the Caribou community.”

A total of 468 Caribou Coffee locations in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Western Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, Denver and ten international markets will remain open.

The statement directs questions to 888-CARIBOU.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: Caribou Coffee, Caribou Coffee Cincinnati, Caribou Coffee close, Caribou Coffee closings, Caribou Coffee Ohio, Caribou Coffee West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.

WestChesterBuzz.com also recently added a new video page last week. To view West Chester and Liberty Township related videos, visit westchesterbuzz.com/videos.

Alicia Lang loses battle with CF – Alicia Lang, a 2010 Lakota West High School graduate, died from cystic fibrosis Friday, March 8 at the Cleveland Clinic, where she underwent a double-lung transplant on Feb. 11. She would have turned 21 on March 20. The family shared the news early last week.

West Chester hospital to address mental health needs – Millions of Americans experience mental illness each year and there aren’t nearly enough psychiatric beds or funds to combat the region’s growing mental health problem. Beckett Springs Hospital, scheduled to open in July in West Chester, will help address that need, said David Polunas, chief executive officer.

YRC Freight to close West Chester hub – One of the nation’s largest trucking companies is planning to shut down its West Chester hub and distribution center, leaving almost 300 workers in limbo. YRC Freight has informed a local union last week that the company plans to close a significant portion of its local operations as part of a nationwide strategy to consolidate operations, Jason Williams of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Lakota West student wins Overture Award – Lakota West senior Abby Koch (pronounced “cook”) was recently named this year’s Cincinnati Overture Award winner for Visual Arts. WestChesterBuzz shared the senior’s story last week.

Lakota West hires Jan Bennett as its new girls’ soccer coach – The Lakota West Athletic Department recently announced that it has hired Jan Bennett as its new head girls’ soccer coach for its varsity program. Bennett takes over the position that was held by Tara Schafer-Kalkhoff, Lakota West’s first and only head coach for girls soccer. Schafer-Kalkoff announced her retirement in December.

Voice of America Museum Board gets official go ahead – The West Chester Township trustees, once again, agreed to enter a five-year lease with the Board of the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting. This agreement, which was made official last Tuesday night at the latest trustee meeting, will put the museum’s board in charge of maintaining the landmark and will allow them to raise funds as a non-profit corporation.

West Chester neighbors don’t want Kroger – A West Chester Township neighborhood has hired an attorney to prevent a shopping center, which would be anchored by a 133,000-square-foot Kroger Marketplace, from being built near their homes. The group is preparing for its meeting with the Zoning Commission this Monday.

New Enquirer – West Chester and Liberty townships, as well as the rest of Greater Cincinnati, saw a new-looking Cincinnati Enquirer last week. The Enquirer’s new edition unfolded last Monday.

Many crimes kept secret in small Ohio college towns – Sheila McLaughlin continued to report for The Cincinnati Enquirer on how 40 percent of college students in Oxford walk out of courtrooms with a criminal record that is sealed from public sight. Meanwhile, the rest of Butler County lives under different rules.

Posted in: Business, News, Schools, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Alicia Lang, Alicia Lang obit, Alicia Lang obituary, Alicia's Lungs, Beckett Springs Hospital, Beckett Springs Hospital West Chester, CEO David Polunas Beckett Springs Hospital, Cystic Fibrosis, David Polunas, fundraiser, Jan Bennett, Jim Lang, Lakota West, Lakota West soccer, Lakota West sports, Lindner Center of HOPE, Lindner Center of HOPE Mason, Mary Kay Lang, Nick Lang, Richard Bryant, Tara Schafer-Kalkhoff, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester jobs, YRC Freight, YRC Freight West Chester

Jason Williams reports:

One of the nation’s largest trucking companies is planning to shut down its West Chester hub and distribution center, leaving almost 300 workers in limbo.

YRC Freight has informed a local union that the company plans to close a significant portion of its local operations as part of a nationwide strategy to consolidate operations, according to a 132-page document YRC Freight sent to union leaders across the nation this week.

The plan would leave 279 local truck drivers, mechanics and dock workers with the option to relocate hundreds of miles away or be out of work by late spring, said union representative Butch Lewis.

“It’s devastating,” said Lewis, president of the Teamsters Union Local No. 100 in Cincinnati. “This has always been a profitable location. Our guys are shocked, and they’re very, very angry, too.”

Lewis said YRC Freight’s plan calls for all of the local workers to be given the option to relocate, with Indianapolis being the closest option. The document, obtained by The Enquirer, says employees would receive between $2,500 and $4,000 to cover relocation expenses.

“A lot of our guys have already been transferred into the city from Buffalo, Toledo, Detroit, Akron and Columbus” during other restructuring phases, Lewis said. “Now they’re going to have to pick up and go somewhere else in the company if they choose to.”

Lewis said he is not sure how many employees would look to relocate.

YRC Freight, a subsidiary of Overland Park, Kan.-based YRC Worldwide, confirmed in a news release that it’s working with union leadership on “realigning” its network. The company said it is working on scheduling a meeting with union representatives in April and expects the realignment to begin in May. The plan requires union approval.

Lewis said YRC has about 450 local employees, and the company plans to continue its local delivery operations. The proposal is to close the bulk terminal – used as part of the national freight network – at 10074 Princeton Glendale Road. Most of that freight would be redistributed to the Indianapolis hub, according to the document.

YRC has undergone several significant changes in recent years. In 2008, YRC Worldwide merged its two largest trucking brands, Yellow and Roadway. In 2011, YRC reportedly nearly avoided having to file for bankruptcy after struggling during the economic downturn. In recent months, the Fortune 500 company has restructured regional offices and leadership.

“The ongoing effort to optimize our network is a key part of our sustainability efforts as we reduce mileage and emissions,” Jeff Rogers, president of YRC Freight, said in a news release. “Better density means fewer empty miles and less emissions.”

YRC Worldwide is the nation’s fourth-largest trucking company in terms of revenue, according to Transport Topics, a publication of the American Trucking Association. The company generated $4.9 billion in revenue in 2011. UPS, FedEx and Con-way are the largest companies.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester jobs, YRC Freight, YRC Freight West Chester

Mark Wert reports:

Hamilton County has among the highest number of commuters coming from another county in the nation, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today.

Forty percent of the workers in Hamilton County don’t live there, new estimates from the American Community Survey show. Nationally, 27.4 percent of workers commute outside the county where they live.

The finding underscores how the county remains the biggest economic engine in the 15-county Cincinnati region, despite recent population losses.

Among workers in Hamilton County, 188,113 live outside the county, according to 2006-2010 Census estimates. For example, 45,965 workers commute in from Butler County, 40,247 from Clermont County and 25,797 from Warren County.

Meanwhile, 66,994 residents of Hamilton County leave the county for work, or only 18.6 percent of the county’s total. The biggest group, 20,856, goes to Butler County, while 11,619 go to Warren County and 8,260 go to Kenton County.

“It is well known that Hamilton County draws a lot of commuters to work,” said Brian McKenzie, a Census Bureau statistician who studies commuting, in a release. The information on commuting and how Hamilton County compares to others “shapes our understanding of the boundaries of local and regional economies, as people and goods move across the nation’s transportation networks,” McKenzie said.

The new Census estimates also show that Hamilton County commuters:

• Face a slightly shorter commute than people in other areas. The average commute to or in the county is 22.5 minutes, three minutes shorter than the national average.

• Are more likely to drive alone than commuters nationally. The estimates show 79.3 percent of commuters in the county drive alone, or 2.9 percentage points more than the 76.4 percent national average.

• Are less likely to take public transportation. Only 3.9 percent of commuters to Hamilton County take the bus compared to the 5 percent average nationally.

• Very rarely ride a bicycle. Just 0.2 percent of Hamilton County commuters ride a bike to work, compared to 0.6 percent nationally.

The only way that Hamilton County commuters are “average” is in the way they carpool. The estimates show 9.2 percent of county commuters carpool, a rate that Census officials said wasn’t statistically different from the 9.7 percent national average.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: Cincinnati Business news, Cincinnati Commuter rate, Cincinnati Commuter rate census, Commuter rate, Commuter rate census, West Chester business, West Chester business news

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.

WestChesterBuzz.com also added a new video page last week. To view West Chester and Liberty Township related videos, visit westchesterbuzz.com/videos.

Boehner makes visit on eve of State of the Union – On the day before President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, House Speaker John Boehner of West Chester told workers at the Vinylmax LLC facility in Hamilton that the government needs to help the economy by passing a budget. Employees of the company didn’t ask many questions, but the one that drew the biggest response was when someone asked Boehner if he was going to run for President in four years.

Saving Sarge at My Furry Valentine – Sarge, who couldn’t be adopted through a Pike County dog shelter (Ohio) since he was part pit bull, faced an uncertain future. After a final attempt to get adopted or rescued failed at My Furry Valentine in West Chester, Cincinnati area animal lovers stepped up and, officially, this past Saturday Sarge was finally adopted.

West Chester settles with bar patron for $265K – West Chester Township recently reached a settlement with a Blanchester man, paying him $265,000 for a May 2012 incident in which township police repeatedly hit him with batons at a West Chester bar. Surveillance video of the incident was released to the media in June. It showed three officers approaching Jeremy Lewis, 29, on the deck of Win, Place or Show Sports Bar & Grill in West Chester Township about 2:30 a.m. May 6.

Postseason brackets released for Ohio state tournament – Both the Lakota East and Lakota West boys’ basketball programs wrapped up the 2012-2013 regular season with road games this past Friday and now get ready to start postseason play. The girls’ basketball postseason officially tipped off this past weekend.

Posted in: Business, Crime, Events, Government, News |

Tags: Tags: Erik Niehaus, flexi, flexi West Chester, Jeremy Lewis, John Boehner, John Boehner Cincinnati, John Boehner photos, John Boehner West Chester, My Furry Valentine, My Furry Valentine Cincinnati, My Furry Valentine Northern Kentucky, My Furry Valentine West Chester, Pet Adoption Day, pet adoption West Chester, Vinylmax, Vinylmax Hamilton, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester photos, West Chester Police, West Chester Police Chief Erik Niehaus, West Chester Police Department

With time running out, a shelter dog is rescued

Update: Sarge was finally adopted on Feb. 16, a week after a Pike County, Ohio, shelter took him to My Furry Valentine in a last attempt to find him a home.

Approximately 4,000 people attended and a total of 227 animals were adopted at the My Furry Valentine main event at flexi USA in West Chester Saturday and Sunday.

The total number of adoptions are expected to grow this week after rescues, like Adore-a-Bull, perform home checks. The rescue, which saves local pit bulls and pit bull mixes, received 35 applications for adoptions during the two-day event.

It is also unknown how many pets were adopted at the other 50 satellite locations, which included shelters, rescues and pet stores throughout Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

Last year, 100 animals were adopted at the main event location. The total of pets adopted last year, combined between the main event and satellite locations, was 266.

One dog, who was left behind at this year’s main event, was rescued.

Sarge, who couldn’t be adopted through a Pike County dog shelter (Ohio) since he was part pit bull, faced an uncertain future.

Stray Animal Adoption Program (SAAP), which is located in Newport, Ky., stepped up at what appeared to be the dog’s final hour and rescued him.

Meet Sarge, the shelter’s favorite dog

Pike Pet Pals, a non-profit organization that assists in transporting shelter dogs to approved rescues throughout Ohio, thought My Furry Valentine was the event that was going save the Pike County Dog Pound’s (in Waverly, Ohio) favorite dog.

When the dog was first brought into the pound by deputies from the Pike County Sheriff’s Office, he didn’t have a name and was emaciated.

Volunteers at the shelter fell in love with the dog, who they named Sarge. In fact, Sarge was so adored by the staff that he spent most of his time in front of the office instead of back in the kennel.

They all wanted him to find a loving home, but since it was determined that he was mixed bred with traces of pit bull, it became very difficult.

After dealing with shelter visitors, who were adopting pit bulls for the wrong reasons, the dog pound implemented a policy that made it nearly impossible for a pit bull or a pit bull mixes to be adopted.

Once the group found out about My Furry Valentine, they saw a way out for Sarge.

The hope was – if one of the 2,500 people, who attended the first day of the main event of My Furry Valentine, fell for Sarge then they could get one of the rescues on hand to perform the standard home check, which by policy the shelter couldn’t do themselves.

“He has been there (in the dog pound) the longest and if we can’t find him a home soon he will have to be put down,” Julie Mercer of Pike Pet Pals said at the event on Saturday afternoon.

“He is a very good dog. He loves other dogs. He just wants attention and to sit in your lap…he is a very good tempered dog. We just love him.”

Sarge breaks hearts at My Furry Valentine

Carolyn Evans, who organized, My Furry Valentine’s main event in West Chester this past weekend described her experience with Sarge as an “emotional roller coaster.”

Just a half hour after the first day of My Furry Valentine ended on Saturday, only a few volunteers remained and Sarge was the only dog left in the building.

The dog, who won the hearts of the volunteers at the event, wasn’t adopted nor was he rescued. And since the group, Pike Pet Pals, who brought him to the event was located in Pike County and needed to get back to help other homeless dogs, Sarge’s chances for survival appeared to be slim.

As tears were shed, volunteers of My Furry Valentine pleaded for Sarge’s life.

“Lots of people were stopping by to meet Sarge and I think we just all thought he’d get adopted. We were in shock at the end of the day,” Evans said. “We were trying to get them to stay, working out (a deal) if Sarge could stay with us.”

After hearing about Sarge’s story, Evans thought if no one adopted him that Adore-A-Bull would rescue him.

Adore-A-Bull co-founder Danny Kaiser worried if he had rescued Sarge that he wouldn’t get adopted since people approach his organization looking for pit bulls, not Sarge, who doesn’t look anything like one.

“He is caught in limbo,” Evans said. “There are 20 types of dogs that are mislabeled pit bulls. I believe that is where he falls. It is just a tough position for this poor dog.”

Eventually, Sarge left – without a home.

Saving Sarge

When Sarge arrived back at the shelter late Saturday in Pike County, his spot was taken. A stray dog, who had been tied to a tree and left by the shelter, had taken Sarge’s kennel.

But, unbeknownst to the Pike Pet Pals, Evans had been working the phones – trying to find a rescue for Sarge.

Eventually, she was able to get ahold Caroline Rollins of the Stray Animal Adoption Program (SAAP). Rollins, who is a dog coordinator at the Newport, Ky., rescue, met Sarge at the event and said that she would like help him.

“We decided to take Sarge for a couple reasons,” Rollins said. “Sarge was in dire need to find a rescue or forever home. He appears to have a bit of pit bull in him, which makes adopting him out extremely difficult.

“Sarge has a wonderful personality … we were happy to help him.”

With Sarge saved, the only problem was that he was a long way from his rescue – about 2 and a half hours away to be exact.

Despite not being able to reach the Pike Pet Pals or the Pike County Dog Pound, My Furry Valentine volunteers Teresa Scherl and Michael Lehmann decided to make the drive to get Sarge back to the main event on Sunday.

The pair drove two hours, found Sarge, and drove two hours back.

When they arrived at My Furry Valentine that afternoon, Sarge’s arrival was announced over the loud speaker. The crowd cheered.

Sarge still needs a home

“He is currently in his foster home and doing great,” Rollins said. “He loves dogs, kids, all people, and even does well with cats and other small animals.”

If anyone is interested in adopting Sarge, visit www.adoptastray.com and fill out the dog adoption application.

Or meet Sarge in person, as he will be at an adoption event this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Petco in Fort Wright, Ky.

Sarge is neutered, microchipped, vet checked and up to date on his shots. His adoption fee is $100.

NOTE: Adore-A-Bull Rescue worked with My Furry Valentine volunteers to help find the best rescue for Sarge. It has been brought to the attention of WestChesterBuzz.com, that the organization which helps hundreds of pit bulls throughout Greater Cincinnati find homes, has been criticized on its Facebook page. Again, while the organization did not rescue Sarge, it helped with Sarge’s rescue process.

See video – filmed on Saturday – “Trouble finding a home for Sarge”

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Tags: Tags: flexi, flexi West Chester, My Furry Valentine, My Furry Valentine Cincinnati, My Furry Valentine Northern Kentucky, My Furry Valentine West Chester, Pet Adoption Day, pet adoption West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester photos

Photos captured by Tony Jones of The Cincinnati Enquirer

Flexi USA, Inc. Distribution in West Chester hosted this past weekend My Furry Valentine, a big pet adoption event that brings together dozens of shelters and rescues, hundreds of adoptable animals and thousands of potential pet adopters from throughout the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

For more West Chester and Liberty Township photos, there are many other events captured on our Flickr photostream and more West Chester and Liberty Township related photo galleries on our Photos page.

Also, remember to share your photos through the Photos page or by email akiefaber@westchesterbuzz.com.

Posted in: Events, News |

Tags: Tags: flexi, flexi West Chester, My Furry Valentine, My Furry Valentine Cincinnati, My Furry Valentine Northern Kentucky, My Furry Valentine West Chester, Pet Adoption Day, pet adoption West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester photos

Cincinnati’s largest adoption event continues Sunday

Update: At approximately, 8:15 p.m., Sarge was rescued. He, however, still needs a home. To adopt him, contact the Stray Animal Adoption Program (SAAP), which is located in Newport, at 859-391-1234 or at SAAP@fuse.net. It is unknown when he will be available for adoption, however, since he is currently on his way back to the Pike County Dog Pound.

Story written at end of event: More than 2,500 people visited and roughly 150 animals were adopted during the first day of the My Furry Valentine main event at flexi USA, 8494 Firebird Drive, in West Chester Saturday, but one dog, in particular, was left behind.

Sarge, who may not look like it, has pit bull in him. He was brought to the main event in West Chester from the Pike County Dog Pound in Waverly, Ohio, which is roughly two hours away.

Due to traces of pit bull, the shelter claims that it is not allowed to list Sarge on its website and is unable to do the proper screenings for him to be eligible for adoption.

“We have a lot of people coming in (the shelter) with the wrong intentions,” said Julie Mercer of Pike Pet Pals and Pike County Dog Pound. “We really work to get them to the rescue because we don’t want the dog to fall into the wrong hands.

“We can’t do home visits ourselves, so that is why we need to get them to the rescue.”

If not rescued, Sarge could likely become part of a staggering statistic.

Just last year, more than 3 million animals were euthanized at shelters nationwide due to homelessness. According to Adore-A-Bull Rescue co-founder Danny Kaiser, roughly a third of those animals were pit bulls or pit bull mixes.

“People tend to shy away from the breed due to the reputation and the negative stigma therefore making it a lot harder on the shelters,” Kaiser said. “A lot of shelters deem them as vicious or not adoptable. Sometimes the only way a pit bull can make it out of a shelter is through a rescue.”

Last year, Adore-A-Bull Rescue rescued 218 pit bulls and found homes for 176 of them. They claim to have never euthanized a dog.

But, they couldn’t rescue Sarge because he doesn’t look like a pit bull.

“We are just shocked. Everyone wanted to pet him,” Mercer said. “But no one adopted him. It is too bad because he is such a great dog. He is one of our favorites.”

Pike Pet Pals brought a total of four dogs, all were adopted except for Sarge.

“He is caught in limbo,” said Carolyn Evans, who organized My Furry Valentine. “There are 20 types of dogs that are mislabeled pit bulls. I believe that is where he falls. It is just a tough position for this poor dog.”

My Furry Valentine doesn’t just feature pit bulls, or dogs who may have traces of pit bull in them, but many other breeds of dogs, as well as cats, rabbits, rats and mice.

In addition to the West Chester location, there are 50 other satellite locations, which include shelters, rescues and pet stores who are participating in the adoption event this weekend.

The main event will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Evans, who is a board member for Cincinnati’s United Coalition for Animals, said there will be plenty of animals ready to be adopted on day 2 of the event.

“Sunday will still be a great opportunity to come out,” Evans said. “We will not run out of animals. There are more than enough animals in the Tri-State looking for homes.”

The event is free to attend. Parking is also free.

NOTE: Adore-A-Bull Rescue worked with My Furry Valentine volunteers to help find the best rescue for Sarge. It has been brought to the attention of WestChesterBuzz.com, that the organization which helps hundreds of pit bulls throughout Greater Cincinnati find homes, has been criticized on its Facebook page. Again, while the organization did not rescue Sarge, it helped with Sarge’s rescue process.

IF YOU GO

What: My Furry Valentine

When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.

Where: Flexi USA, 8494 Firebird Drive, West Chester, four miles west of Union Centre Boulevard exit from Interstate 75.

More: 50 satellite locations in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky are also participating. For locations, go to www.myfurryvalentine.com/event-details/other-locations/

Locations and information: www.myfurryvalentine.com

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Tags: Tags: flexi, flexi West Chester, My Furry Valentine, My Furry Valentine Cincinnati, My Furry Valentine Northern Kentucky, My Furry Valentine West Chester, Pet Adoption Day, pet adoption West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester photos