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19 The Smithville Animal Shelter was closed Monday after two shelter volunteers alleged abuse and mismanagement at the facility. Animals at the facility were transferred to the Bastrop County Animal Control facility.
“The facility is closed indefinitely until we conduct a thorough investigation of the shelter and the allegations against the animal control officer,” said Tex Middlebrook, Smithville city manager. “There’s really no way to get all the answers we need without closing it. I want to know if the allegations are true.”
Smithville police chief Rudy Supak, whose department oversees management of the facility, said he met on Monday with shelter volunteers Jenica Brooks and Linda Salerno, who brought grievances against the shelter and animal control officer Winston Niles.
Supak said the meeting grew contentious and that he told Salerno he could not close the shelter without the authorization of the city manager, which led to a meeting with Middlebrook.
“Jenica Brooks & I spoke with Chief Supac and City mgr. Tex and came to the conclusion that the shelter should be shut down…so as of 11am this morning it is an empty building (sic),” Salerno later wrote in an e-mail.
Both Brooks and Salerno declined opportunities to comment on their allegations for this story, but Brooks made several comments Monday evening at a Friends of the Animal Shelter meeting.
“Animals are dying out there. Fleas and ticks are everywhere,” Brooks said. “We will never let animals go back there. Ever.”
According to Middlebrook and Supak, Brooks and Salerno found issue with record keeping at the facility, including information on strays that were picked up, treatments animals received while in the facility and a lack of information on spaying and neutering and adoptions. Charges were also made that the facility was constantly filthy and infested with fleas and ticks.
Supak said Brooks cited a lack of records on euthanizations and the chemicals used for them and that Niles refused to pay for veterinarian care.
Both Middlebrook and Supak said the more serious allegations included a claim that shelter animals, specifically cats, had been “shot in the woods” and that Niles knew about pit bull fighting events but did nothing to stop them.
The Texas Department of Health made an informal visit to the facility in 2009 and a report was filed by Dr. Beverlee Nix, DVM, a program manager for the department. The report said there was nothing alarming or out of compliance with the facility, and that the animals were well cared for and it was clean.
In a phone interview, Niles responded to allegations of shooting animals that had been at the shelter.
“I do not shoot animals,” Niles said. “I have no reason to.”
Niles said that he had used a tranquilizer gun recently to subdue a pit bull that had terrorized a family trying to get out of their car.
Middlebrook said he and Supak agreed that the best course was to close the shelter and investigate the allegations.
Supak said the situation might have been averted if he would have been told about any wrongdoing at the shelter as soon as it happened.
“The city is going to loose a great service that they have come to expect,” Supak said. “Now we are going to stop, revamp and totally start over. I would love a new shelter.”
He said Niles is still a city employee.
“We will still pick up stray or mistreated animals and take them to the county facility,” Supak said.
The city will pay a fee to take animals to the county facility. Supak said he would meet with shelter administrator Troy Walter later this week to discuss fees and procedures.
“We need to understand the costs and establish policies on how this will work,” Supak said. “We need to know what will happen with the animals and how to handle things like dangerous dogs.”
The Bastrop County Animal Shelter is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday and Monday by appointment and is located at 589 Cool Water Dr. north of Bastrop. The phone number is (512) 581-4080.
“The city is committed to finding a new shelter,” said Jill Strube, city grants administrator. “We want to find a way to build a new shelter through partnerships and find grant funding. Tex is committed to making this work.”
Strube’s comments came right before the Friends of the Animal Shelter meeting. The group is comprised of citizens, officials and volunteers who are working toward building a new shelter and adoption center. The group has met several times over the past few months to plan improvements at the existing facility as well as arranging a major fundraiser for a new shelter.
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I am very touched by this story, this happens everywhere across our country and not enough people or even one speaks up to make a change. We are the voice for our furry companions, and I applaud these hero’s who took their own well being and put it on the backside to come forward, I have had experiences doing this very same thing and believe me folks there are human’s out there that would rather shut you up then have things stirred up.
It is quicker, cheaper and less humane to do things THE WRONG WAY, most of these companions have been through enough, they ended up in a shelter, right? They deserve to know LOVE, if even for a day, a moment or in the end.
I am relocating back home to Texas in your area in Sept. and I would LOVE to help in anyway I can. I have a ton of experience in most aspects of animal cruelty, shelters and placment.
Please, feel free to contact me at any time, and until I see you all, please stay safe and NEVER give up.
Angela Valianos
815-260-1722
Thank you Angela for the support that is much needed to rid the greed, egos, and lawlessness of a small handful of people that make it difficult for the whole of the community. I will fight til my last dying breath to banish the ones that put people in fear of speaking out for the good, just and right. We welcome you to the Smithville area, and invite you to visit our face book site for, The Pet Protect Project. All horror stories that happened at the shelter or with city workers can be sent to thepetprotectproject@yahoo.com to be saved for evidence for this ongoing investigation. Thank you brave~hearts. : )
The “Rosa Parks” of Smithville,
Linda Salerno
Is the Smithville shelter still closed?
I am asking as I received a notice to buy booth space for the Peace, Love and Paws Festival on October 2, 2010.
If the shelter is still closed and under investigation, I will not be buying a booth space for the upcoming festival.
There’s seems to be some confusion. The current location, though commonly called Animal Shelter, was only an Animal Control Facility that held animals, managed by the police department.
The Friends of the Animal Shelter want to build a new shelter and animal adoption center with all the services that a true shelter would offer. That’s what the Peace Love & Paws fundraiser is all about — a new, modern shelter.
We hope that you will participate in our fundraiser. The sooner we can get a true shelter and adoption center here, the better it will be for the animals and the community.
A few questions
If this “New Modern Shelter” is to be built, why are the checks supposed to be made out to the Smithville Police Association?
Are the Friends of the Animal shelter a non profit organization?
Are there any plans on this shelter?
W ill this be a no kill shelter?
Dear Pat Anderson,
Your unanswered qustions just told it all.
This “new” shelter they are raising funds for, WILL be in the hands of the police department, the same ones that mismanaged the old one, of which I am trying to get off of the water waste treatment plant property for it is unfit for man or beast to be housed even for holding till transported to Bastrop shelter. I even fasted in protest for 18 long days, but the egos @ city hall will not move the holding pens to another healthy property of which we, the tax payers own!
Ask Fran Hunter how many times she has been down to the old shelter before she started raising funds for the “new” one.
There is nothing peaceful or loving going on here, the police will protect the animal abusers instead of the animals! …about the paws festival… save your money.
Pat, I just saw your questions. Because there are so many rumors and misinformation out there about Friends of the Animal Shelter, we will be soon publishing a frequently asked question and answer list. We do have valid answers to these questions but it’s a bit much to answer in this forum, but I’ll give you a condensed version. Friends of the Animal Shelter is an all volunteer shelter. We do not yet have our (501)(c)(3) status, but are working on it; it takes time. When Friends organized back in March with the goal of a modern shelter, the now closed animal control facility, the “animal shelter” as it was typically called, was run by the police department, under the animal control officer. So we were working with them to get a true Shelter with all the veterinary services and the like which the facility could not provide. We are still under the umbrella of the Smithville Police Association, a non-profit. There are currently no architect building plans because we first have to raise the money to hire an architect, engineer and the like. That’s what our fundraisers (and yes, we plan for more) are about — to fund this construction and all that entails. Right now, I don’t know if the facility will be a no-kill shelter — there are many legal and practical items that need to be researched on this matter, including whether or not the people of Smithville want to go the extra mile for a no-kill shelter. Friends is trying its best to be an advocate of the animals, by trying to plan for the future. We invite any interested persons to please join us and help us in this endeavor. I believe that our great community can make it happen by working together. The upcoming Peace Love and Paws Fundraiser on Oct. 2 is but our first baby step towards the future of the Smithville Animal Shelter and Adoption Center. Pat, I hope I’ve answered your questions.
The City of Smithville, in particular Tex Middlebrook and Chief Supak are working under severe budget contraints in this area and are undeserving of slander or malicious comments. As Chief Supak explained, the current facility is not a shelter. It is strictly an animal control facility.
Why it is expected that the City would be responsible for the creation and maintenance of a shelter?
As owners of 6 rescue animals we feel we have a vested interest in this issue, and strongly support the efforts of The Friends of the Animal Shelter.
We suggest that you go by the fundraiser on October 2,2010, talk to the people involved and form your own opinion.
Greetings,
I’m thrilled by the idea of having a true animal shelter/ adoption center in Smithville. As far as I’m informed the city has already donated land for this project- one important step has already been made to ensure that the future shelter will be build on solid ground. Yet it’s still a long way to go- the first donations will be primarily used for construction/architectural matters. I like the idea of teaming up with the police department- using their non-profit status means that donations are tax-deductible. This is important- esp. if we are talking about larger amounts of money.
In my opinion, a no-kill shelter should be the ultimate goal in this decade.
Since we are starting from scratch we should have every opportunity to set the right tracks. I’m aware that cats and dogs overpopulation is a big issue and that not everyone has the necessary funds to spay/neuter each of their animals. It might be an idea to install a local account where people could donate money into which would be solemnly used to help out people from Smithville to provide care for their animals. But one thing has to be clear: overpopulation of animals starts with people.
I’m looking forward to our first fundraiser! Good things are on their way.
My mother used to always tell me that if you see something that needs to be done, then get up and do it because sitting there complaining and criticizing the way someone else is doing it, or not doing it, accomplishes nothing except negativity. You get up and do it because it is the right thing to do not as an excuse to become self righteous.
The goal of Friends is not to bash others for falling short of perfection, approaching a problem in a different way, or having opinions that may be totally different from our own. Accusing others of abuse, greed and lawlessness accomplishes nothing except alienation and a shut down of productive discussion, especially when those people feel they are doing the best they can with what they have to work with.
We all do what we can and most people are not out for “evil” purposes. Saying ugly negative things about others when they fall short of your expectations shows a real lack of emotional maturity. And a lack of desire to make things better. Why not use all that energy for something that will make things better, not worse.
It will take a lot of money and a lot of time and effort to accomplish the goal of Friends to build a modern shelter and adoption center in Smithville, that is for sure. And there will be times when it will seem like an impossible goal. But all journeys, however long, begin with the same thing, the first step. That is what the Paws Festival is, a first step.
I hope you will all come out and support that first step. Don’t forget to dress up your pets!
Bennie-
BRAVO !!! I think you said it all very well.
Let’s JUST DO IT !!!
TOGETHER !!!
Afterall, this shelter should be built with love and stand with pride, for the animals and to bring the town together as ONE, again !
I can’t wait to meet eveyone and jump right in.
Angela
I want to thank everyone for the many replies to my questions. Unfortunately I will not be getting a booth at this festival due to the reasons below.
I will not give money to any non profit that doesn’t have it’s 501C3 status. My reason is that you might say, “It’s for the animals ” but, where is the proof that you are REALLY using it for the circumstances intended. There MUST be accountability when it comes to money and how it is saved or spent. If you would become a 501C3 first, then there would be no need to use the police officers association. I know it takes time but isn’t it better to start things off right rather than doing something the easy way.
I still don’t understand why you would use ANY non-profit associated with the Smithville Police if the animals were as abused as claimed. It doesn’t make sense to me.
Why is it so hard to make this a NO KILL shelter from the start. I will not contribute to a shelter that will be a kill shelter. There are many people in Bastrop county that WOULD support a no kill shelter. Having a no kill shelter would set an example for the rest of the county to follow.
I forgot to mention this on the last reply. I really don’t like the use of the peace symbol that is used on the flyers that you sent out. It was originally used as the symbol to stop fighting in the Viet-Nam war and our soldiers were treated horribly when they came back from war. Please use a dove or something else for the peace symbol
You have to start somewhere. Most of the people working on the new facility work full time and have families also. I have attended the meetings and know that everyone there has good intentions. This is a long process backed by a volunteer organization. If you have questions, concerns, or ideas it would be great to see you at the meetings once a month. Without support and manpower this slow process will take even longer. Please consider coming to the Monday meetings and making a difference. You will find a great group of people using their time to try and make positive changes to help the animals of this community.
Questions:
*Are the Friends of the Animals going to become a non profit organization and separate from the city?
*How is the money collected from the Friends of the Animals fundraiser going to be ensured it is used for a new shelter?
*Is it going to be City run facility?
*When will it be determined weather or not it will be a No Kill shelter?
*Shouldn’t that have been determined a long time ago?
*What types of services will the new Animal Shelter provide?
*Do you have a mission or vision statement for your intentions?
*How can this paper allow comments to be shared which have not been investigated?
Is that not slander?
Jenica- Thank you for your questions…
All of my questions and yours are why I will NOT be paying the $35 for a booth.
No one has shown, to me, what will happen to the money I pay for my booth. Once the check is written to the Smithville Police Officers Assn, where does it go from there. $35 may not be a lot to you but I need to know that my money is going for the intended usage.
Monica- After reading your reply, my first thought was the adage “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”.
I am so sick of today’s thoughts that “feeling good or having good intentions” is as important as actions. What ever happened to results.
After the first meeting you should have a mission or vision statement. If you have it, please let the rest of us know.
Dear Pat,
Thanks again for your support. The questions we have asked need to be answered. I would think that Dennis McGennis (the writer of these articles in the first place) would be able to shed some light. People need to know what they are supporting. I have never seen such a shady group. Who even put this group together in the first place and why? When people are saying that we have bad intentions towards the city officials they couldn’t be more wrong. Unfortunately someone has to be accountable when laws are broken. Sometimes when you dig a hole just gets deeper and darker.
As I’m sure you know we started our own Non-Profit here in Smithville. We have been working very hard for Thr last couple months to start things off right. We have already been approved for our 501 c 3 status. Taking the right steps to ensure your intentions is not a hard thing to do. Yet for some reason Friends of the Animals has found this to be difficult. We have started planning our future fundraising events to build a facility.
I hope that anyone reading this will ask the questions as well. Know what you support before you support it. Evil always has a tricky way of disguising itself.
I am requesting that SOMEONE either from this newspaper or from friends of the animals answer our questions with truth.
Sincerely,
Jenica Brooks
The Pet Protect Project
Dear Bennie,
Inperection and neglect are 2 completely different things. Neglect, mismanagemet and lack of concern were the matters at hand. For example, if you as a resident had your house broken into and the police failed to take an accurate report, lyed about the facts of what was stolen and had no regaurd for your safety you might have a different opinion. Would you be responsible for there wrong doing or would they. If you reported it would that be slander. Would you be seen as someone who was being self rightius or critical of the authority. As your mother said, if something needs to be done get up and do it. Right. That is why Linda and I did. We took a stand because nobody else felt they could. I hope you will consider you involvement with any entity until knowing the facts for sure. If you need information everything is public record that the city hall can provide. Laws are posted on the internet. You are right about the long journey ahead and the Paws Festival should not be the first step. There is no actual defined goal. Friends of the Animals is not a non profit, they are not tax exempt and they don’t even know what type of shelter they are going to try to build. These should have been the first steps. Do you even know where the money is going? The police department? Who is accounting for this? Is it going into the cities general fund? Please find out for yourself, I encourage it 100%. I have asked the questions and recieved no answers. Misinformation is like a disease, it spreads.
Sincerely,
Jenica Brooks
Dear Monica,
I understand that you and many others have good intentions. I do as well. But do people really know what they are fighting for? Who will actually benefit? I as much as you am an avid animal lover but the world is not black and white. There are many grey areas. Like I expressed to many others do your research and know what you are fighting for at the end if the day. Evil has a tricky way of presenting itself. Challenge it, investigate it, and open your eyes as wide as they will go. Let me know what you see then.
Jenica
Thank you Jenica for you responses.
I have seen your facebook page for The Pet protect Project. Great site, keep up the good work.
Do you know of any other Non- Profits that help dogs and cats in Bastrop county?
Pat