Full Circle: Why We Learned Every Ohio County in School

Back in middle school Ohio History class, we all had to memorize the names of all 88 counties.

It was a pretty big task at the time—trying to place them all on the map, line by line, hoping you didn’t mix up Hardin and Hocking or forget where Defiance sat. But now, those same counties aren’t just places on a test—they’re part of a statewide system that needs attention.

Each represents a shelter, a local animal control policy, a group of decision-makers, and dogs who depend on them all to do better.

What once felt like busywork is now a roadmap. And maybe it was always meant to be.

The goal of Project Shelterlight is to help shine a light on what’s happening in shelters across Ohio—starting local, but always thinking bigger. Because the problems we see in one county usually don’t stop there. And the solutions can ripple outward, too.

So here’s to remembering our counties—not just by name, but by the impact we can have in each one.

In loving memory of Ms. Hamilton

Project Shelterlight