Boca clears Tri County Shelter
Monday, December 11th, 2006In a final report filling a four-inch binder, Boca Raton city officials Thursday cleared Tri County Animal Shelter of dozens of allegations made by a group of former volunteers and board members.
Boca Raton Animal Lovers in August launched a campaign to oust Jeanette Christos, who co-founded the shelter and has run it since its inception. In a binder full of letters, it accused her and the board of mismanagement, animal cruelty and misappropriating money.
The group courted media and went to the City Council, which about five years ago contracted with Tri County to run the city shelter.
Deputy City Manager George Brown conducted a months-long investigation, reviewing more than 500 documents, meeting a number of times with shelter staff, board members and officials from Boca Raton Animal Lovers.
He interviewed Christos several times, and conducted an extensive interview with Diane Suave, director of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, and her staff about the shelter. He also conducted unannounced visits to the shelter.
‘There is no evidence of violations of law, animal neglect, animal cruelty or illegal actions,’ Brown wrote in an 11-page executive summary.
Boca Raton Animal Lovers indicated it would provide evidence backing their complaints, but the group or its lawyer, Barry Silver, never did, Brown said. He added the city had no power to address some of the issues brought to it by the group, such as removing Christos or the board.
Tri County is an independent non-profit organization with its own board. The animal shelter didn’t go unscathed, however. Brown found a common theme in the complaints: strained volunteer relations, lack of understanding as to why decisions are made and lack of access to the board to address concerns.
To tackle those issues, Brown recommended the shelter’s board improve communications with the staff, public and volunteers and establish a process to review management and policies, including how it handles adoptions and donations. He also suggested the board consider leadership training for Christos. The city’s findings are similar to those of investigations completed by animal care and control and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. None of them found any wrongdoing.
Silver said he wasn’t surprised. The investigation’s results were ‘preordained,’ he said.
‘Obviously, they’re willing to ignore wrong doing,’ he said.
He said governments cover up, hoping the complaints go away. Even so, Silver wasn’t sure whether Boca Raton Animal Lovers would continue its fight.
‘It appears that we’re rapidly running out of options other than letting a court step in and make [the shelter] comply with Florida law,’ Silver said. Christos sounded more resolute in her reaction.
‘As far as we’re concerned, it’s over,’ she said. ‘We haven’t done anything wrong.’
SOURCE: Sun-Sentinel
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