LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Allegations of negligence and mistreatment of animals are at the center of a new lawsuit against The Animal Foundation.
It's the latest development in a tumultuous saga for The Animal Foundation, Clark County's taxpayer-funded animal shelter.
No Kill Las Vegas is now suing the organization, citing a laundry list of violations of the shelter's contract with local municipalities.
Allegations levied in the lawsuit include "animal fatalities resulting from negligence, animals suffering from lack of medical treatment, failure to vaccinate and spay and neuter animals, refusal to accept animals from the public, misleading No Kill Las Vegas and the disappearance of over 3,500 animals," according to a press release announcing the claim.
"We have exhausted every avenue — from attempts to collaborate with the shelter, reaching out through our elected officials for change and exposing them through the media, yet they persist in their neglect and mistreatment of these animals," Bryce Henderson, president of No Kill Las Vegas, stated in the prepared release. "They may choose to ignore us, but they cannot escape the legal system. It's through the courts that these animals will finally receive the justice they deserve."
13 Investigates has chronicled many of the allegations against The Animal Foundation in a series of investigations that exposed poor shelter conditions, chronic under-staffing, conflicts with shelter board members and staff, and lost pets that were mistakenly euthanized.
No Kill Las Vegas is suing the shelter for breach of contract and asking a judge to intervene and force The Animal Foundation to comply with Clark County Code, non-profit organizers stated.
"This encompasses ensuring the proper care of domesticated animals under their control and the acceptance of all stray animals and owner surrenders," according to the news release.
The non-profit invited other affected groups and individuals to join its lawsuit against the shelter, noting No Kill Las Vegas is "committed to covering all associated legal fees."
"If you've suffered the repercussions of The Animal Foundation's failures, whether it entailed an animal left in their care, one you were compelled to care for due to their refusal or if you're a former employee who experienced mistreatment, we invite you to stand with us and be a part of our legal action,” Henderson stated.
The Animal Foundation declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing its official policy to not comment on litigation.
