Focus shifts as new shelter opens

Kris Hill

Thursday, Feb. 8, 2001 | 11:27 a.m.

Hope for pets

The Lied Animal Shelter opened today with a ribbon-cutting followed by tours and refreshments.

Animal Foundation President Mary Herro is stepping out of the day-to-day operations of the organization's new shelter, which opened today after five years of fund-raising.

Herro says her new role with the nonprofit organization was planned months ago and does not reflect a change based on recent controversy stirred up by Dewey Animal Care Inc., a for-profit shelter.

Daily oversight of the new 35,000-square-foot Lied Animal Shelter on North Mojave Road will be turned over to two Animal Foundation employees after the grand opening of the facility today, Herro said.

The new shelter was made possible by a $2 million donation from the Lied Foundation Trust as well as numerous other donations by individuals, groups and businesses.

Herro will continue as president but shift her focus to the foundation's next big project -- a pet licensing system that she says will become a model for shelters throughout the country. Revenue from the pet licenses will be used to finance Animal Foundation projects involving education and community outreach.

And while Herro is working on the licensing program, newly promoted executive administrator Garried Sights, and new director of operations Sharon Fusco, will divide the administrative responsibilities and run the foundation.

Over the past few weeks the opening of the new shelter has been overshadowed by fighting among animal groups.

Dewey Animal Care, a for-profit animal shelter that contracts with Clark County and North Las Vegas, has openly criticized the Animal Foundation, a nonprofit shelter that contracts with the city of Las Vegas.

During the latest spat, Dewey, local animal activist Ann Herrington and the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society, which has a nonprofit animal shelter on East Tropicana Avenue near Eastern Avenue, have suggested that Herro should leave the foundation.

The Animal Foundation has been accused by Dewey and Herrington of keeping faulty records, improperly conducting medical procedures and misrepresenting the foundation's accomplishments and policies.

The city recently got involved as well. Last week the city began auditing the foundation's finances and started investigating some of the recent allegations.

The audit will not be an in-depth process, city spokesman Erik Pappa said. The city auditor doesn't know how long it will take but plans to follow up on questions that were raised during the last full audit in 1997 and the concerns that have been raised recently.

The Animal Foundation's contract with the city of Las Vegas runs through 2005 and is worth $4.4 million, said Karen Coynes, head of the city's Animal Control department. The contract has two five-year renewal options.

Dewey's contract with the county runs through 2005 and is worth $6 million. Dewey is negotiating a five-year extension.

Critics of the Animal Foundation allege that the organization misrepresents its accomplishments and policies. Dewey, Herrington, and the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society claim that the foundation has not been honest about the number or types of animals it euthanizes.

"The representation that they are a no-kill shelter is not an honest representation of a municipal shelter," Jim Lusk, Dewey's controller and spokesman, said.

Herro responds that the Animal Foundation has never claimed to be a completely no-kill shelter, but one which strives to reduce the euthanasia rate of adoptable animals.

The Animal Foundation took over the city contract from Dewey in 1995. In the two following years, according to the foundation's literature, the total euthanasia rate dropped from 53 percent to 33 percent.

"Anyone who has ever read our literature would know that we state everywhere that we are trying to reduce euthanasia and the euthanasia of all adoptable pets," Herro said.

Janie Greenspun Gale, chairwoman of the foundation's board, rejected the criticisms emanating from Dewey.

"They've never been over here," Gale said. "They don't know what they're talking about." Gale said Herro has the total support of the Animal Foundation's board.

Lusk acknowledged that the tension stems from Dewey's loss of the city's contract to the Animal Foundation. "We have a strained relationship," he said.

Herro said 30 percent of the animals that end up at the foundation's shelter will probably need to be put down, because they are too sick, mortally injured or too aggressive to adopt.

The other 70 percent can be adopted, and the foundation will make every effort to find homes for those animals, she said.

"Our goal is to totally eliminate the killing of healthy animals," Herro said.

According to figures supplied by the Animal Control departments of Clark County, the city of Las Vegas, and North Las Vegas, the Animal Foundation euthanized 6,994 animals, 34 percent of its impounds, in 1999. In 2000 the foundation put 37 percent of its animals to sleep, or 7,426 animals.

In 1999, the figures show, Dewey put down 49 percent of its animals brought in from Clark County, or 8,256. It put down 47 percent brought in from North Las Vegas, or 2,185. Last year 8,227 animals, about 50 percent of Clark County impounds, were euthanized. Numbers weren't available for animals brought to the shelter from North Las Vegas last year.

Within the next two years Herro hopes to reduce the euthanasia rate to 30 percent. It will take longer to lower it further, she said.

Lusk, meanwhile, said that Dewey is striving to match the euthanasia rate of 15 percent that a San Francisco SPCA shelter has achieved. Dewey recently launched a web site that owners of missing pets can check. Lusk said 70 percent of all animals brought to shelters have been separated from owners, and that more efficient matchmaking could cut the euthanasia rate. He also said Dewey will be expanding its outreach programs with such groups as the Nevada SPCA and Media Partners for Pets, which assist in getting animals adopted.

Despite the audit and accusations, the Animal Foundation was busy this week with its primary mission of caring for animals and with preparing for today's grand opening.

The new shelter will hold hundreds more animals than the building the foundation previously used. It also has numerous new features that Herro hopes will cut down on the number of animals the foundation euthanizes.

The Lied shelter includes features such as get-acquainted rooms, where adopters can meet potential pets, separate areas for sick animals, a volunteer office, a classroom area and cat cages that will have glass fronts rather than bars.

Herro expects animals to benefit from the new Lied shelter for a long time. The city is leasing the land to the Animal Foundation for 50 years.

Throughout the controversy Herro has continually defended herself and the foundation.

And her staff has supported her as well.

"I have complete faith in her," said Fusco, who will be taking over some of Herro's responsibilities.