07/04/2022
To answer many questions, this is my response ( though only covering some of the misinformation from the police department) to the untrue accusations that led to my dismissal. Those that know me know that I would never do the things they said.
I had a stellar reputation within the town and with most of the RI shelters and the SPCA. I have worked in animal control for 11 years in Glocester and also for Cranston for a year and a half. Never in those 11 years was I , or the towns I worked in, sued or had a suit filed for liability from any adoption.
Suddenly, when I was going to expose negligence and huge liability risk of someone working for the town, I was suspended. It then took them 9 weeks to form any kind of complaints about me - most were twisted or completely untrue. When I was suspended, there were 8 dogs in the shelter. Only 1 of those dogs needed to be put to sleep. That dog was Butch, but nothing the Chief stated was true. Butch was not brought to the shelter, he was a stray I picked up when a resident found him running loose. I was not told not to adopt him out, and even have a statement from the Captain saying they told me he needed to get out of the shelter one way or another. I was contacted by the man in MA and spent hours with him and Butch. The man did not keep Butch away from strangers as he was told, and he bit a stranger. I have copies of emails with the adopter that show he was told Butch was a one person dog, who needed a "hermit" for an owner. Also, it was not the day after he was adopted, it was a week later.
So far, only 1 dog adoption has been confirmed. There was also 2 cats outside. 1 was mine who had to be an outside cat. Visitors loved her, and I used her to test and help train dogs. The other was a feral release not far from the shelter that came back for some reason. Both spayed and vaccinated. Their whereabouts are unknown. Since they knew 1 cat was mine, why wouldn't they tell me to go get her? I am sick over the animals. I haven't put 3 dogs to sleep in the 6 years I've been supervisor in Glocester, and I knew all those dogs. They could have and should have been adopted. They do not have anyone qualified to work with the animals, and certainly not evaluate them. I wanted the people in town to know that the shelter is no longer a " no kill" shelter, so they knew exactly what they were supporting. 3 dogs (or 5, which is the number I was told) is way too many. I fought for the animals and to make the shelter a better place for those animals - including FINALLY getting a generator, reworking the space for safer intake, getting ac for the cats and working on getting heat in the cat room. The money they said I didn't report has been given to them, and it was a check I had that I kept forgetting to bring into the town hall. I was away for 8 days when supposedly someone called about the shelter cleanliness, then was suspended for 9 weeks, so I wasn't able to deposit it then either. The person they got their information from knew that I hadn't brought the money in because I talked to her multiple times and kept saying "I have to remember to get that check in." I often went weeks without going into town hall to make deposits. I used my own money for the shelter all the time, and they know that.
I had to fight constantly for the shelter, including fighting the Chief of police taking $3500 out of the shelter donation account to help with the cost of the new animal control truck, which was deemed uninspectable. He had plenty of money to use for the truck. That money should have been for the animals only. Everything I did was for the animals. I helped everyone I could when asked, and continue to do so as many of them contact me now. I stand behind my statement. 3 ( or 5) dogs out of 8, is a huge percentage of kills, and more than has been put to sleep in years. Those dogs absolutely could have been adopted, and I was working with them to make that happen.
They didn't want me to expose the person that will eventually cause a huge liability issue, so they used misinformation from a new assistant that wanted my job, and information from a person who doesn't live in town or have anything to do with the town. I have been offered ACO jobs from 2 towns because of my reputation. I just want the town to know the truth about their shelter and what they are supporting. The town always supported me and the shelter. I will always be grateful to you all! This page will now be for everyone to share, help and support each other.
