Twyla, a pit bull terrier mix and former stray, sits in her kennel at the Humane Society of Huron Valley on Friday. Officials say strays are a significant problem, especially in eastern Washtenaw County.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

Animal control officer Herb Schroeder spends his days driving around Washtenaw County in his truck, dealing with stray dogs, unlicensed dogs and dog bites, among other things.

Schroeder said he responds to six or seven calls a day, not including follow-up calls. Together, he estimates he and the county's only other animal control officer will answer about 8,000 calls this year.

His job keeps him busy, as he is one of only two animal control officers for the entire county. But he says he likes being busy and he looks forward to going to work every morning.

In his 13 years as an animal control officer, Schroeder has gone on some pretty unusual calls. Once, several years ago, he said a kangaroo had gotten away from its owner and was spotted "hopping down Michigan Avenue, just west of Saline."

But calls about stray kangaroos are rare. Most of the time, he deals with dogs. He said stray dogs are a huge problem in the county, and are an especially large problem on the county's eastern side.

"Ypsilanti, Augusta, Superior Township are where most of our calls keep us," Schroeder said.

But finding those dogs after they've been reported is not easy, he said.

"The ratio (of the dogs) we actually pick up to the calls that come in is very low," he said. "By the time we get out there, either the owner has it back indoors or it's travelled five miles away from where it was originally seen."

There are an estimated 75,000 dogs in Washtenaw County, according to the Humane Society. But Schroeder said only about 10,000 of them are licensed each year. Having an unlicensed dog can mean costly fees for owners if they're caught.

Tanya Hilgendorf, executive director of the Humane Society of Huron Valley, said stray dogs and cats are an issue in all communities, but the problem of stray dogs is especially prominent in Ypsilanti Township. She said "animal problems are similar to any other social problem," in that they tend to increase with economic hardship.

"The township tends to be a more vulnerable demographic area ... whenever an area is suffering economically, more animals suffer," she said.

Hilgendorf said about 1,600 stray dogs were brought to the Humane Society last year alone. She said most of the dogs who end up there are without tags, which can make reuniting them with their owners difficult.

More pit bulls end up at the shelter than any other breed.

She said pit bulls "can be really wonderful dogs," but they get a bad rap when some of them are abused or neglected by their owners, resulting in aggressive behavior.

Ginger, a Labrador retriever mix and a former stray, goes for a walk with volunteer dog-walker Dana Goethel at the Humane Society of Huron Valley on Friday.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

"People are breeding them (illegally), fighting them, and they're not taking care of them," she said.

In an attempt to address the pit bull overpopulation, Ypsilanti Township is considering adopting an ordinance that would require all owners of the dogs to have them spayed or neutered by Jan. 1, 2011.

When asked whether dog fighting is a prevalent problem in the county, Schroeder said, "I think it's a lot more prevalent than we know. I think it goes on quite a lot actually."

Hilgendorf said a combination of responsible pet ownership and more animal control is necessary to deal with animal-related problems.

"It's bad public policy to have general law enforcement dealing with animal issues ... they don't teach animal handling in the police academy," she said. "The first thing to get cut is animal control, across the board, and that's the case here."

She says an "ideal," but "unrealistic," number of animal control officers for a county the size of Washtenaw County is 18, based on a model of one field officer per every 18,000 residents.

Schroeder agrees more officers are needed.

"I think we could get more things done, licensing issues, (if there were more animal control officers). It would be nice to have someone do the follow-ups for us. We spend a lot of time on follow-ups, making sure what we ordered was done."

The most important things pet owners can do, Hilgendorf said, are to make sure all of their pets, dogs and cats alike, wear collars with tags, that they receive regular exercise, and that they are spayed or neutered, making them less likely to stray away from home.

"Even really wonderful dogs can become dangerous when they become stray — they're scared or hurt. For any species, those two things equal aggression," she said.

Schroeder also recommends microchip implantation to help ensure lost or stray dogs will make it back to their homes.

Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township residents who wish to have their pit bulls spayed or neutered for free can find more information here, or make an appointment by calling (734) 662-4365.

Heather Lockwood is a reporter for AnnArbor.com, reach her at heatherlockwood@annarbor.com or follow her on Twitter.