LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — On the heels of a mass resignation, and amid an ongoing storm of criticism, The Animal Foundation is pushing back.
CEO Hilarie Grey says concerns about animal welfare at the beleaguered shelter are "misplaced."
The Animal Foundation is funded in part by millions of tax dollars from the City of Las Vegas, Clark County, and North Las Vegas.
So, with TAF's Sept. 28 letter, you might say CEO Hilarie Grey is biting the hand that feeds her.
The letter denies contract violations that Las Vegas Councilwoman Victoria Seaman and city staff found in a surprise inspection on Sept. 12.
"I was appalled by what I saw," said Seaman, who took photos of feces smeared on floors and walls, soiled blankets on the floor in pens with pets, and food bowls tipped over.
In all, Seaman said more than 30 dogs in two rooms were being tended to by one employee.
"There's no way he could have gotten to all of them and cleaned those cages," Seaman said.
A week later, on Sept. 19, City Manager Jorge Cervantes sent Grey a letter noting contract violations due to animal care standards.
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In the response 13 Investigates obtained from the City, Grey wrote, "Your assertion that the conditions at the shelter violate the terms of the agreement are misplaced in their entirety."
Grey proceeds to criticize Seaman's actions, but fails to address the cited animal care violations:
- numerous dirty cages (with an inordinate amount of feces, urine, and other bodily fluids),
- spilled food bowls,
- lack of clean water, and
- debris strewn outside cages.
Grey does attach an inspection from two days after Seaman's visit which noted no significant concerns.
"When the inspections are scheduled, everything seems to run OK," Seaman said. "But when you go in there unexpectedly, it's a nightmare. It's so awful that it just breaks your heart."
Grey says Seaman "inappropriately" entered the shelter without prior notice or "legal authority."
She contends only Animal Control has unfettered access to the shelter, and even then, only to deliver animals, adding that "impromptu inspections" are only allowed "during regular business hours."
"I get images like (the photos Seaman took) every week. This is not something that is new," said Gina Greisen of Nevada Voters for Animals. "So, to say, 'Oh, gosh, we just didn't get to that cage' — that is not true, and I hope the community doesn't buy this."
Some TAF employees aren't buying it.
Eight members of the shelter's admissions staff quite en masse last Sunday, forcing Grey held a press conference the following day where she said, "There are folks out there who would like to take this environment that we're in, and not just The Animal Foundation, but every shelter in America, as a reason or an excuse to attack The Foundation."
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Grey's letter to the City accuses Seaman of damaging The Animal Foundation and undermining public confidence, calling Seaman's claims "baseless."
"And we'd really ask sincerely that you instead come from a place of compassion and support for our staff, for the work that we're doing, for our building, our capacity in a very difficult environment right now," Grey said during Monday's press conference.
In the letter to the City, Grey wrote that Seaman's "intrusion onto TAF's private property and her resulting misrepresentations to the public have resulted in several scheduled fundraising events to be canceled, leading to a loss of necessary resources for TAF that it desperately needs... Without question, the animals and community we serve will suffer as a result."
Grey then blames the City for contributing to unnecessary animal intakes and asks City leadership to cooperate with the shelter to achieve more reasonable practices.
The Animal Foundation pleaded for help from the community after the staff walkout, and the community responded.
So far, TAF has fostered out 239 animals and transferred more than 100 to rescues. As of Friday morning, the shelter's population was 622. That's down from numbers that were hovering in the low 900s.
And while TAF says they're not currently in a situation where they have to euthanize for space, they are still in need of adopters, fosters and volunteers.
The Animal Foundation is scheduled to be further discussed at the Oct. 19 City Council meeting.
