The assistant dog warden didn't expect to win $500 for the county dog shelter when he answered a phone call.
The seemingly normal adoption call began when the caller asked about Joe the Boxer.
They asked typical questions about his temperament and if he got along with people and other dogs
Chris Morris, assistant dog warden, said.
But the caller was actually from PetFinder.com, a national online directory of adoptable animals, as part of Put Your Best Face Forward customer service campaign.
The campaign awarded the Athens shelter - as well 29 other shelters out of more than 12,000 that were called - $500 for good customer service over the phone. The fund awarded a total of $50,000 nationally.
Joe the Boxer has since been adopted but the money will help dogs still waiting for a home, Morris said.
The $500 will aid shelter dogs that are sick with illnesses such as parvo, a virus that attacks the intestinal lining. Dog Warden Jeffrey Koons said the extra money will help to purchase flea and tick medicine as well.
The money will also fund general shelter expenses like food and cleaning supplies.
Although Koons said he is thankful for the award, dog care - especially vet bills - can get costly quickly.
If we take in a dog that was hit by a car that $500 alone could be spent up trying to take care of it he said.
Koons added that the shelter and its three-person staff could always use improvement.
We can't ever be satisfied
he said. Everyday we have new challenges and are always looking to make sure we have enough money and supplies to care for the dogs.
With about $211,410 appropriated for shelter expenses, the shelter receives most of its funding from dog license fees.
Since December 2008, the shelter has received $127,586 from dog tags and license penalties alone.
But even with the income from dog tags and dog adoptions, Koons said the
PetFinder.com money is important to make sure the dogs are healthy and happy.
This was a really great surprise for us
Koons said. This money will really help us
but even without it we've had wonderful support from our volunteers and the community.
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Jessica Neidhard
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