Wednesday, April 19, 2000
Great Danes, rescuers need aid months after fire
BY Tom O'Neill
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HAMERSVILLE, Ohio — Eight months after a fire swept their Brown County home and great Dane rescue facility, recovery for owners Tom and Dale Bath has been slow.
Their Harlequin Haven for Great Danes, a nonprofit, no-kill facility, has about 20 Danes awaiting permanent homes.
Harlequin, in Brown County, was home to about 75 great Danes before the August fire.
Hamersville fire officials say the fire was accidental. No dogs or people were injured.
However, the Baths' three-bedroom home was destroyed.
“I wish I could say the house is rebuilt, but we haven't had that kind of luck,” Mrs. Bath said Sunday. “We still have dogs that need a permanent home.”
Since the fire, the Baths have been living in a recreational vehicle on their property. The dogs are in areas unaffected by the fire.
The fire began in an attached, converted garage where dozens of dogs were kept. It spread to the home where the couple had an elaborate indoor arrangement of kennel runs and cages.
The Baths had started to renovate the garage as a family room, but when their dog-rescue operation took off in the mid-1990s, they converted it into a dog shelter.
After coverage of the Baths' predicament in the Enquirer, the couple received dozens of calls from readers who wanted to take in dogs, either temporarily or permanently, and many dogs found homes. Some had been given to the Baths by shelters unable to accommodate the large dogs. Great Danes typically weigh up to 175 pounds.
Many shelters lack facilities for such a large breed.
To adopt a great Dane, call Tom or Dale Bath at (937) 379-2231.
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