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Reforms, including no-kill policy, remain elusive at Broward’s Animal Care and Adoption Center

No-kill
Broward County’s Animal Care and Adoption Center

By Francisco Alvarado, FloridaBulldog.org

Mary sensed her chance to pull off a daring escape from the Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Center on Aug. 16. As a staffer walked the scruffy, black pooch to a van manned by a dog rescuer, Mary slipped out of her leash and bolted over a six-foot, chain-link fence, according to an email sent three days later by the facility’s interim director Alessandra Medri.

“We immediately dispatched our animal care officers and attempted to capture her several times after [being] sighted, but she always managed to evade capture,” Medri wrote. “When she was spotted in a residential neighborhood we went back and looked for her. We were there last night and this morning too when one of the officers attempted to capture her again.”

Mary is still loose in the streets, said Debra Seritello, an animal advocate who was the recipient of Medri’s Aug. 19 email. “Ultimately, a dog is the shelter’s responsibility until it leaves the property,” Seritello told Florida Bulldog. “They always try to place the blame with someone else. There is no accountability, no transparency and there is nothing we can do.”


<b>By Francisco Alvarado</b><br>
<small>FloridaBulldog.org</small><br>
Mary sensed her chance to pull off a daring escape from the Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Center on Aug. 16. As a staffer walked the scruffy, black pooch to a van manned by a dog rescuer, Mary slipped out of her leash and bolted over a six-foot, chain-link fence, according to an email sent three days later by the facility’s interim director Alessandra Medri.
Debra Seritello

Mary’s break-out is the latest sign of mismanagement that has turned Broward’s $16.5-million facility for abandoned cats and dogs into what Seritello and two other animal advocates contend has become a house of horrors in its short three-year existence. In April, County Auditor Bob Melton recommended Broward Administrator Bertha Henry implement a series of immediate reforms while conducting a still-ongoing audit of the Animal Care and Adoption Center.

No-kill, not yet

A key goal of the county’s is for the center to be a no-kill facility. But records provided by the animal care division state that 233 dogs and cats were euthanized by order of the animal care division between May 1 and Aug. 25. Another 47 were euthanized at an owner’s direction, and 67 died while in the shelter’s care. Also, five were lost during that time.

In the same four month period, 1,180 dogs and cats were adopted, 195 were returned to their owners, 242 were transferred to rescue groups. and 509 cats were neutered and returned to the neighborhoods where they were picked up.

Broward Auditor Robert Melton

Animal advocates allege Henry and Medri have not followed through on many of the emergency fixes Melton recommended, such as creating staff schedules so that the hundreds of cats and dogs in the shelter have enough hours of human interaction, as well as hiring a certified animal behaviorist to work with aggressive dogs.

The ongoing search for Broward’s third animal services director in three years and the COVID-19 pandemic have hindered much-needed reforms, said Rita Green, another Broward animal activist. “Until we get a good director, nothing is going to happen,” Green said. “Yet the practices at the county’s shelter are so flawed, the chance of finding someone good is slim and none.”

Melton said his staff has prepared a draft final audit report that is scheduled to be discussed with management on Sept. 3. The animal division is then given time to submit responses to the audit, Melton explained. “We will incorporate their responses into the report and issue it,” he said. “The report is confidential until that time.”

‘Incorrect statements’

Henry did not respond to email and phone messages requesting comment. Medri declined to be interviewed. “It will be futile to attempt to rectify your incorrect statements since it appears that you have already pre-judged this agency and myself,” she wrote in an Aug. 25 email. “Unfortunately we live in a litigious society where personal attacks and alternative facts seem to have become the norm.”

She did acknowledge that the animal care division has been unable to recapture Mary.

In his April interim report, Melton noted that animals are left unattended for 16 to 18 hours without any interaction with humans, which may impact their medical and behavioral health. Melton also determined the facility at 2400 SW 42nd Street has design flaws that hinder Broward’s goal of having a 100 percent no-kill shelter such as not providing animals housed for long-term stays with enough room for hiding, playing, resting and feeding.

The deficiencies outlined in Melton’s interim report occurred under Lauralei Combs, the county’s most recent animal services director who resigned in March amid a chorus of activist complaints and friction with volunteers whom she banned from working at the shelter. Combs hired Medri, whose previous jobs were project coordinator for Broward’s environmental department and Palm Beach County senior environmental analyst, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Melton’s interim report also lines up with an independent assessment recently concluded by the University of Florida Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program, which conducts evaluations of the health and wellness of shelter animals. According to a July draft report obtained by Florida Bulldog, the UF team suggested Broward hire a mediator to work with volunteers and staff to establish a positive working environment, enlist volunteers to help with the adoption, rescue and foster program and ensure that there are enough staffers and volunteers to man a seven-day-a-week operation.

“Many of the recommendations will require a philosophical culture shift not just for the shelter leadership, staff, volunteers, rescue partners and community advocates but for the county administrator’s office and Board of County Commissioners as well,” the report states.

Volunteers excluded

Since volunteers have not been allowed inside the animal shelter since Broward County implemented COVID-19 restrictions in March, advocates have been relying on whistleblower employees for information. Members of the public are allowed to enter the shelter to pick up animals they have adopted or have lost, but only after filling out forms online to set up a time and date to retrieve the dog or cat.

One staffer, Marina Smith Gaines, was recently fired after six days on the job for raising concerns about the treatment of animals, according to a June 2 email she sent Broward elected officials and activists.

According to Gaines’s email, animals are still left alone for 16 to 18 hours a day; dog kennels are not disinfected properly and are washed with canines still in the cages; dogs are fed only once a day and are surrounded by urine and feces; and dogs do not get daily exercise.

“The work environment is one of apathy and secrets,” Gaines wrote. “Most (not all) don’t have a clue about animal care, kennel care, dog behavior, basic training, or the proper procedures for handling dogs or the cleaning and disinfecting of kennels.”

The same day, the animal care division outlined measures that it has implemented in response to the interim audit, according to minutes of the June 2 county commission meeting. For instance, the shelter installed more lighting and lighting timers so dogs are only kept in the dark for nine hours of the day, and switched to keyed padlocks on kennel gates to prevent canines from getting loose.

Some reforms are still months away from being acted on, such as commencing 10-hour shifts for kennel staff and bringing back volunteers once county operations returns to a normal schedule. But the division hit back at criticism at the June 2 meeting, “Contrary to the Auditor’s report, ACAD staff practices are consistent with the industry ‘minimum standard of care’ of 15 minutes per day for feeding and cleaning for each animal,” the minutes state.

Advocates ‘written off’?

Joanne Oyen, a member of Broward’s animal care advisory committee, claimed county commissioners don’t want to address the problems identified by Melton and the UF team. Oyen said she recently had a conversation with Joshua Freeman, chief of staff for Broward Vice Mayor Steve Geller who appointed her to the advisory committee, about the deteriorating situation within the animal services division. “He pretty much admitted to me that most county commissioners and the administrator have written off the animal advocates,” Oyen said. “He told me that anytime we press for something and they deliver it, we come back wanting more.”

Freeman did not respond to a Florida Bulldog email, but Geller denied county leaders are blowing off the concerns of animal advocates. “I checked with my chief of staff and what he told her is that many in the animal advocacy community don’t generally agree on a lot of issues and they tend to change their minds,” Geller said.

For instance, a majority of animal activists initially praised Broward County when Combs was hired in 2018 only to see the community turn on her during her short-lived tenure, Geller noted. To be sure, many of the deficiencies identified in Melton’s interim audit occurred under Combs’ watch, but some activists crossed a line, the vice mayor added.

“Some of them were incredibly nasty about Lauralei,” Geller said. “Some of the things that were said about her were way out of bounds. No civil servant should put up with that abuse.”

Personalities aside, Melton put the county on notice that the dogs and cats housed in the Animal Care and Adoption Center desperately need proper social and medical attention, Green said. “There is not one single element of that shelter that is working properly or that even reaches acceptable,” she said. “They make dogs so miserable, they become aggressive. Instead of working on their behaviors, they kill them. And no one knows what is going on because we can’t go inside.”

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Latest comments

  • Great article! Thank you advocates for being the voice for the animals. The audit confirmed the grave deficiencies and deplorable conditions that the community has been vocal about for over two years.

  • Thank you again for helping to expose the ongoing crisis at the Broward animal shelter.

    Bertha Henry, says “alternative facts”? The confirming reports of Best Friends, the interim audit, the surprise undercover visit of Commissioner Bogen’s expert, the latest UF report, and the complaints of all animal advocates – CONFIRM the underlying facts. The vitriolic discourse was initiated by Combs when she personally attacked and retaliated against volunteers for blowing the whistle. I think Broward County is living with alternative facts. The incompetence and mismanagement is wholly the responsibility of Bertha Henry. The deaths of all of these animals is at the hand of Bertha Henry because she has turned away from the facts and is living in some alternate reality.

  • Thank you. This was an eye opener for me and I am sure many others.
    Broward County’s record of good sensible leadership and governance affects every living creature. So far a very poor record.

  • The bottom line is the rescue community is in unity and are fed up with the killing of inocent animals. The kill numbers speak for themselves. They are making no effort to place these animals. No effective rescue coordinator. No outreach no partnership and inclusion of broward rescue groups. Despite pleas from the public and volunteers to reopen the shelter the staff and commissioners have turned a blind eye to the situation. So ultimate power corrupts and murdering of inocent animals happening everyday. After attending commissioners meeting for a year begging for change and pleading for a spay and neuter program which broward had none. They are finally goving a few more spay and neuter voucors a day. Being a feral cat feeder for 10 years this county is overun with cats and kittens because no spay program was in place. The shelter is overrun from this also. Miami has free spay and has managed to keep there doors open during covid. Why is broward with their over 7 million a year budget failing. The bottom line find a competant no kill director!!

  • The animals need better care and housing conditions, not a timed lighting system. The animals are still left unattended for 14-16 hours and in filthy conditions. Padlocking kennels is a major safety issue for getting in and out of the kennels, especially in the event of an emergency. In all my time volunteering there, I have never seen an animal escape from their kennel on their own. Shame on the shelter management and Ms. Henry to allow the animals to suffer neglectful and abusive conditions. There is NO EXCUSE!

  • Bertha Henry is non-existent when it comes to the Shelter. I called her office to ask when they expected it to reopen, their reply was; “it’s open as far as we know, it was never closed”! This is how clueless and far removed from reality these people are. If you called today, they would give you the same response. Alessandra refuses to be interviewed because she knows she is at fault, and often times will give her version of; “the truth”. Recently she said; “the facility was doing great and they didn’t need volunteers“. I beg to differ, the facility is a mess, and she is the tip of the iceberg. Kennels are now locked and bolted, in an emergency, these animals will be left to die due to lack of communication between staff members. These poor pets are in dire straits and no one is coming to their aid. Our hands are tied, because we are not privy to what goes on; “ behind closed doors”! Ms. Medri would LOVE to keep the volunteers out permanently, so the horror can continue, while she sits behind a desk and plays Warden to the innocent. Something needs to be done, NOW, before another carcass is found locked in a kennel, lethally injected and left dead on a cold concrete floor. Animal lives matter!

  • I worked there and can tell you that there is absolutely no management being done. These people live in a constant state of fear for their jobs. Any new hire is looked at as a spy. These people do the minimum amount of work with the minimum amount of effort. The health and well-being of the dogs is never a consideration. It’s easier to feed the dogs in their own piss and feces than to clean one side and feed them on the clean side while cleaning the dirty side while they are eating. It’s easier to clean the kennels while the dogs are in them because then they can keep them on one side and just keep hosing it down without having to keep cleaning both sides. There were clips on the doors when I was there, the problem was that the kennel workers were too lazy to clip them! I don’t understand how a lock is safer! They are too lazy to put a clip on but NOT too lazy to put a lock on? I was the only person to actually dry the floors and beds of the dogs while I was there. This prevents slipping, sliding and Yeast infections. This place needs proper training and someone to make sure that things are being done the proper way. Not Once did I see any management come in to check on the way things were being done. I did watch a dog being killed in his kennel while 2 men held him down with poles and a woman inject him. And I can tell you that the other dogs in the kennel knew too. They got quiet for the 1st time. I thought the dog was being given a sedative to be nutered. When the kennel got quiet I walked over to make sure he was okay and he was dead. They left him in the kennel for 15+ minutes before they came back and threw his dead body on a metal cart, like the ones they use for feeding, and took him out of the kennel. I’ve seen kennel staff kick the doors to the kennels and curse at the dogs and all kinds of stuff. I could go on, but why? No one in that facility, with the exception of a very few, even cares or seems to even like being there.

  • Broward Animal Control is probably doing the best they can under a limited budget. There is just not enough money (or people who want to adopt) in the world to save every single animal out there. Keep in mind that the reason Broward County has so many animals at the center can be traced to people problems. People living in poverty or living with emotional or addiction issues is one of the main reasons we have so many strays in Broward. Fix the people problem and the animal problem will decrease. I would rather see the limited amount of tax dollars go to social services to fix people than to try and save every animal out there. I love animals as much as anyone, and I would love to see every animal adopted. But a 100% no-kill shelter is probably not going to happen.

  • Thousands of healthy and adoptable animals have been killed at the Broward County Animal Shelter for years now. While thousands have been saved there, numerous examples, too many to go into here, exist of the ineptness and apathy there when thousands more healthy and adoptable animals should have been saved.

    Animal advocates have been united in pleading in countless emails and phone calls to our County leaders, as well as speaking out at commission meetings for an alleviation to the severe staff shortage, about the shockingly inept management, animals rarely getting attention, much less enrichment, and, not to mention, repeatedly requesting that the excellent volunteers who were fired being reinstated. None of this has changed and, quite frankly, some things have clearly gotten worse.

    The Shelter has been closed for months to volunteers during Covid while the county shelters in both Palm Beach and Miami re-opened at least a month ago, if not more, to volunteers. Numerous other shelters around the country have managed to stay open to volunteers in spite of COVID. Masked volunteers can be staggered both time wise and location wise around the kennel areas within the Shelter. Reports and Assessments about the Broward County Animal Shelter, independent of one another, all agree that “VOLUNTEERS ARE VITAL TO SHELTER OPERATIONS”. The most recent University of Florida’s Maddie’s Shelter Draft Assessment advises that volunteers should be allowed in during Covid while following recommended protocols.

    Additionally, several months ago, locks were placed on every kennel. This is extremely dangerous for the animals. Assessment after assessment, emergency Advisories, independent animal experts, etc have all also attested to the severe staff shortage at the Broward County Animal Shelter. I myself have walked around the kennel areas for 45 minutes at a time or longer in search of an employee before I could finally find one who was extremely busy. On top of all of this, the shelter is frequently overflowing with animals. The already stretched staff have no good way to communicate with one another as cell phones barely work inside the shelter, if at all. Why haven’t employees been equipped with walkie talkies? If there is a fire, a loose dog, etc. how will the extremely scarce number of employees be able to save these precious lives with out a way to communicate and without volunteers??? THIS IS ALL A HORRIBLE “RECIPE” for a DISASTER. The locks must be removed and volunteers, including “fired” ones who called out their serious concerns, must be reinstated.

    The animal community is united in wanting all of the above-noted issues rectified and is seriously concerned as to why months, and even years, later this has not happened. To keep the Shelter closed to volunteers denies the animals of the attention and enrichment all the assessments have said they are so desperately lacking. Furthermore, keeping the Shelter closed to volunteers heightens concerns regarding an intentional lack of transparency.

  • To answer an earlier comment : credence is given to the people quoted and referenced in the article because they were fired for speaking up when they saw that something was wrong. It should never be possible to silence someone by the mere act of firing them or dispensing with their services. And a person in an animal shelter who draws attention to something negatively affecting the welfare of the animals should be thanked not fired. The volunteers Criticized in the earlier comment are reporting what they have seen. Hundreds of dogs have left the shelter alive only because of the efforts of these volunteers. Dogs who would not have left alive otherwise. Should volunteers keep their mouths shut if they know dogs are being killed when they are completely adoptable? Should staff members be frightened into turning a blind eye when they see something wrong? No they shouldn’t. Credence is given to the people quoted in the article because they know what they are talking about and because they have done the right thing.

  • Let me say that Commissioner Bogen, Mr. Bob Melton (County Auditor) have confirmed and documented the chronic abusive and neglectful conditions at the shelter that the community, volunteers and advocates have repeatedly vocalized. To deny what Commissioner Bogen and Auditor Mr. Melton have stated about the dire conditions that require immediate remediation by the shelter, would be calling Commissioner Bogen and Mr. Melton liars.
    Volunteers who are no longer there, because they were dismissed for being whistle blowers on the shelter. These were very long time volunteers that spent many days/hours going above and beyond on their own time and on their own dimes for the sake of the animals.
    Every animal matters and can be saved through proper leadership, robust TNR program, solid partnerships, and strong community involvement and education. This is not a money issue . It is extremely attainable to become no kill. Euthanasia should only be reserved for animals who are irremediably suffering, NOT for any other reason.
    We need to stick together to advocate for the animals and demand better instead of slandering others and denying the deplorable conditions that have officially been documented by our county at the 16 million house of horrors. Shame on the Broward. County Shelter!

  • Not Enough exposer on this issue. COMMISSIONERS blow off all of us in public hearings. They are paid well and DO NOT DO THEIR JOB. We the People voting YES, to make Broward a NO KILL! Our tax dollars demanding no kill. Yet, these animals are SCARED, SHAKING, IN FEAR, LOST, AND FEEL HOPELESS. They allow cold hearted employee to run this place whike empathetic volunteers are being turned away to help them. Shame on our Elected commissioners. I habe been to Gallaghers support groups many times and yet I witnessed him BLOW us off helping these animals. He will never get my vote again. One man in this panel showed action to help these dogs. MARK, THATS IT! FIRE AND VOTE THE REDT OF THEM OUT.
    WHAT WE DO TO INNOCENTS, WE WILL DO THE SAME TO PEOPLE. SAVE THESE ANIMALS.

  • Commissioner Bogen and County Auditor Bob Melton have confirmed and documented the chronic abusive and neglectful conditions at our county shelter that the community, volunteers and advocates have repeatedly vocalized. For anyone to deny the findings, would be calling Commissioner Bogen and Auditor Bob Melton liars.
    Some volunteers were unjustly dismissed from their duties by the shelter for being whistle blowers. These were very long time volunteers who spent many days and hours going above beyond on their own time and many times on their own dimes for the welfare of the animals.
    Every animal matters and can be saved with proper leadership, a robust TNR, solid programs and partnerships, and community education and outreach. It is definitely attainable to become no kill. This is not a money issue. Euthanasia should only be for animals who are irremediably suffering and NOT for any other reason.
    We need to stick together to advocate for the animals and demand better for their welfare, instead of slandering other volunteers and advocates and instead of denying the chronic deplorable conditions that have been documented by our county at the 16 million dollar house of horrors. Shame on the Broward County Shelter!

  • James S, please know that the main reasons for animal overpopulation are breeders and failure to spay and neuter. Poverty, emotional and substance abuse issues are secondary to those far more dominant reasons. Breeders, whether backyard or professional, have turned female dogs into piggy banks.

    Animal advocates who are commenting on this article know full well that not “every single animal in the world” can be saved and that is not what this article or these comments here are about. What this article and the vast majority of these comments are about are all the well documented issues and failures at the Broward County Animal Shelter and at the inability at the County leadership level to correct them. Please re-read the article. Thank you.

  • First of all let me be very clear: I NEVER GAVE ANYONE PERMISSION TO USE MY NAME OR CIRCUMSTANCE TO BE USED FOR THIS ARTICLE! I do not personally know any of these animal advocates!
    My thoughts on what was and still is going on at Broward is from personal experience by working there. My personal feelings about a lot of these so-called advocates is that they are bat s#*t crazy! You cannot save every dog or cat from euthanasia. What you can do is have a person who knows dogs properly access the dogs for the right placement. You can train staff to know how to do their jobs properly. You can have a system in place to get the more aggressive dogs training and go to people who work with them. A lot of these breed specific rescues are as much to fault for making money on the dogs as breeders are. People in the shelters need to do basic training with the dogs (sit, stay, down, heal) and that would improve the adoption rate as well as the quality of life for both the animal and people. There are collars that can be bought that prevents dogs from biting and pulling while being walked. If these collars were utilized more dogs would be walked and it would be safer for employees, volunteers and the dogs. Volunteers should have a basic training class in how to handle and walk dogs to prevent anyone from being hurt, including the dogs.
    I don’t want to be lumped in with the people who are unrealistic and think that every dog can be saved. They can’t. You save the ones you can and pray for the ones you can’t. I’ve had mostly large aggressive dogs most of my life. Dobermans are my breed of choice. I’ve had my personal Pitts that I have loved and have had 1 attack me out of the blue for no reason. Yes, that can happen, but it doesn’t mean that all pitts are like that. I had 2 dogs bite my leg while I was working at Broward and i didn’t say anything because I didn’t want the dogs destroyed. Both times it was when I was putting them back in the kennel and the dogs next to them hit the grate and they got into a frenzy. When I pulled on the lead to get them into the kennel my leg was the 1st thing they saw to grab. They let go immediately when I said no. I’m proud to say that both dogs now have wonderful homes. But…. I truly feel that if that’s what had happened to another kennel worker the dogs would have been deemed aggressive and destroyed. The people in the kennels (with the exception of a few) have NO CLUE and no experience with dogs period! They don’t even know the breeds of dogs! They don’t know how to clean kennels! They are so afraid of the dogs that they don’t walk them!
    If this kennel was operated in a organized way, and the staff actually did their jobs, it would save the county money and that could be used to save and help more animals.

  • First of all, NO ONE is saying that we WILL save all animals – just that we should TRY! and, BTW, what happens at BCAC is most often NOT euthanasia which is defined as “humane and painless killing of animal with an incurable and PAINFUL disease which cannot be treated to relieve the pain – or dangerous behavior which cannot be changed through training. This animals are killed – plain and simple – with very few or no Rescue Bulletins. I cannot say this enough – if the shelter would have spent the last two years developing a working relationship with the Rescue community and advocates – dogs and cats would be alive today. The shelter should never choose who is available for Rescue – the animals that are killed are often mislabeled both behaviorally and medically and, most times, when the animals get out of the toxic shelter environment and decompress, they are just fine!
    Two audit recommendations – to increase vet staff – Dr. Shapiro is amazing and goes above and beyond when he can but he needs more vet help- not kennel workers posing as vet techs!
    Also, a certified behaviorist who can assess dogs as soon as they come into the shelter. Once they are there for even a few days, they start to deteriorate!

    Regarding the comment above about bat s#*t crazy advocates, I have been working with Rescue since 1993 – I realize that there are some overly zealous peeps out there
    on FB who say and do unacceptable things in the name of Rescue – that is not THIS group. I have never been more proud to belong to such a team of dedicated, intelligent, passionate, creative problem-solving, persistent, and when mistakes are made, we own them and learn from them! Unlike BCAC and Ms. Medri who – if she is being considered to take over the Director’s position, that would be a very grave error! and frankly, not smart – as she has had time to show her abilities and has failed utterly!
    In fact Ms. Medri is the individual who told kennel staff that if they spoke to any advocates or helped them in any way, their jobs would be in jeopardy! Talk about creating a toxic environment! I am begging any commissioner who is reading this to please look outside of Ms. Medri for a true animal advocate as Director.
    Thank you Bob Melton and the Maddie’s Fund Crew as well as our commissioner Advocate Mark Bogen . without you, the animals would have no hope all!

  • Thank you Florida Bull Dog & Frank Alvarado for living up to your moniker. You are one of the few media who have the courage to expose & share the true story about Broward Animal Care & Adoption. Our animals are grateful and, hopefully, will be the beneficiary of your meaningful reporting.

    Someone commented that the shelter has limited funds. $8 million is not limited funds. Mismanagement of those funds is the issue.

    Of great concern, now, is the search for a new shelter director. The administrator & commissioners have a history of poor hiring for the position. In fact, in the past 10-15 years there has never been a revered leader who has provided a safe haven for our animals. As with the last abysmal hire, the administrator selected the same inadequate, dated & incompetent search firm to find a new director. The administrator and commissioners have rejected and denied any community access to the search process; even when members of the community can offer expertise to the process. Why are they afraid?

    Why are volunteers still prohibited from performing needed services when almost every other shelter in the country has created a plan to engage volunteers? Why haven’t the five valuable volunteers fired by Lauralei Combs been reinstated?

    Why hasn’t the 2012 outdated “ Strategic Plan” published on Broward.org been updated to reflect all of the changes in today’s animal care world?

    Why hasn’t the shelter adopted LOS (Length of Stay) and Fear Free behavioral training into their measurements of success?

    Why hasn’t the county hired a new director? The last one left in March! Our animals are languishing and suffering.

    The entire community needs to let the county administrator and commissioners know the animals deserve better.

  • I’m glad her post was removed because it’s full of lies, but I’m not shocked that this notorious bootlicker is spewing her venom. She didn’t do anything special that the other volunteers didn’t do. Oh, I forgot. No other volunteer has the death count that she has. How many dog’s deaths was she responsible for again? Clearly, she wasn’t strong enough or knowledgeable enough to handle these dogs, yet she insisted and to their detriment.

    As to the volunteer coordinator, she was a bully that loved to insult and threaten the volunteers that gave freely of their time. Did she really think that we would stay quiet as she abused us?

    Underage volunteer? Nice job outing this person. Why was a 16 year old allowed to handle the dogs? Clearly the rules state that you had to be 18 years and older. But that’s the incompetence of the shelter. Double set of rules, for those that stay quiet and stay in line. Sorry, but I was raised to fight injustice and not just turn a blind eye to it. I know what I saw there and I can document all of it. I have my “receipts.” This is why I can sleep with a clean conscience at night. Can this woman say the same?

  • Where is the ASPCA? Why do we not here about any lawsuits from the Animal Advocates, Why is there no investigations by local news channels, especially when there is one who has a supposedly pet advocate? The Humane Society of Broward is open and only a few blocks away. Maybe it’s time to give the county budget to them and let them take over.

  • Actually, TC there are lawsuits that have been filed, but this is government that we are talking about. By the time that they are settled, the human species will be extinct. They drag their feet on purpose, because the county knows it has been derelict on the treatment of these animals and the shenanigans they let go on at the shelter. But then again they are dealing with the perfect victim, one that can’t talk, so it’s up to us to tell the story of what happens behind those closed doors and walls. Anyone that stays quiet or turns a blind eye, is an accomplish to animal abuse.

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