A Warren County animal shelter could be at risk of court charges for what county officials describe as a refusal to cease operations.

Warren County government officials told The Record this week that they are seeking criminal charges against No Time To Spare Animal Rescue south of Pendleton. The county ordered the animal shelter in July to begin removing animals because No Time To Spare does not have a conditional use permit (CUP) to operate at its location on Pendleton Lost Creek Road.

Shelter operators were informed that they could apply for a CUP after all shelter animals were removed.

At the time, No Time To Spare indicated that it would comply with the order. Presiding County Commissioner Joe Gildehaus said the county would delay any action as long as shelter operators were moving dogs out and not bringing new animals in. 

But the county is acting now, after learning that the shelter has been arranging for new dogs to be brought in, including from outside Warren County and outside the state. Multiple posts on the group’s public Facebook page ask for volunteer drivers to bring in dogs from outside the area. One post asks for two pregnant dogs to be transported from Herculaneum.

Warren County Planning and Zoning Administrator Vickie Vohsen said the shelter is considered to be in violation of the ordinance and refusing to comply. In such cases, Vohsen said information is turned over to the Warren County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for charges.

County Commissioner Hubie Kluesner said the county wants No Time To Spare to go through a proper permitting process before operating. That would include a public hearing and a chance for neighbors to express any concerns about the business. 

Complaints about noise from dogs are what originally drew the county’s attention to the shelter.

A conditional use permit would also give the county the chance to set limits or additional requirements on the business.

“If she is truly (operating) an animal sanctuary, then I would expect her to come into compliance with planning and zoning and continue to operate,” Kluesner said of shelter director Carol Mosele. “I would certainly hope she would have more interest in Warren County animals than animals that come from out of state or out of county.”

No Time To Spare Director Carol Mosele said Warren County has not made reasonable demands, and questioned the county’s permit requirement.

“Based on the zoning code … we saw nowhere in there that we needed any kind of permit,” Mosele said. “We are licensed by the Department of Agriculture. We have always been in good standing. And we are on agricultural property.”

She said the shelter hasn’t received any communication from county representatives since August. In that same time period, 18 lost animals have been reunited with their owners and 116 have been adopted from the shelter. The majority of those animals were rescued in Warren County, Mosele said.

Beside adoption services, she said the shelter also helps connect local low-income families with affordable supplies and services for their pets. A small number of rescued farm animals are also cared for at the shelter.

Mosele said No Time To Spare has made no secret of taking in dogs from outside the area when those animals were in need and local services weren’t going to save them.

“They were going to die if we didn’t,”  Mosele said. She said the county shouldn’t be able to dictate where dogs at the shelter come from.