County commissioners approved grants related to the Delaware County Dog Shelter on Thursday.

First, they accepted a grant from the Columbus Foundation in the amount of $16,338. The grant will be used to support the medical treatment of dogs at the shelter.

Brian Galligher, director of safety and security at the shelter, brought a friendly, tail-wagging black Rottweiler/Labrador mix named Talley into commissioners’ chambers.

“She is an outcome of this grant,” Galligher said of the dog. “Last year, we received $24,000 from the Columbus Foundation, and with those grant funds, we’re able to do medical care that we weren’t able to in the past.”

Showing commissioners a photo of the condition Talley was found in, Galligher said she had heartworm, a potentially fatal disease transmitted by mosquito bites.

“It’s fairly expensive to treat heartworm, and with this grant, we were able to treat her. She’s going through the process, and once she’s clean, she’ll make a great pet to a good home,” he said. “In three or four weeks, she’ll be up for adoption.”

Next, commissioners approved applying for a grant from the Ohio Pet Fund, which produces specialized Ohio pet license plates.

“You know the plates that have a picture of a dog or kitten? The funds go to a grant,” Galligher said.

The fund’s website — www.petsohio.com — said the plates “raise funds for education, spay and neuter of pets for low-income families, and for dogs and cats adopted from qualifying agencies. The more plates we sell, the more dogs and cats we can help.”

If awarded, the grant will be used to support the spaying and neutering of dogs at the kennel.

“It will help out with the costs,” Galligher said. “Dogs that are adopted from us have been spayed or neutered. That way we don’t compound the problem of dogs multiplying and having unwanted dogs in Delaware County.”

Last year, the shelter received $2,000 in grants from the Ohio Pet Fund.

There were no matching funds associated with either grant, Galligher said.

“One of our goals is to find forever homes for our adoptable strays and surrenders,” said the shelter’s website. “Only adoptable dogs are adopted or rescued. We will not euthanize an adoptable dog; we will house them for an indefinite period of time to achieve this goal.”

The shelter is at 4781 County Home Road. For more information, call 740-368-1915.