and has now created a WordPress blog,
Georgia Department of Agriculture Animal Protection Problems
Among other things, she’s reposted a bunch of LAKE posts about animal shelter issues. That’s kosher, as long as there’s attribution, which she has included. I applaud Susan for starting her own blog!
-jsq
Mr. Prichard has made many comments in reference to several of his employees; in recent news paper articles and on the evening news indirectly of course that “they” had bios opinions and even questioned my character in one article.
Mr. Prichard also informed everyone there were no inhumane treatment issues other than the pot belly pig. Well I believe in this document from County Manager Joe Prichard to Ms. Mary Green with Department of Agriculture animal protection says otherwise. I believe Mr. Prichard’s recent statement to the media was though our investigation we found no wrong doing… lets list them here.
Continue reading
I guess this answered my question,She quoted the whole thing, which is quite long. I found this passage particularly interesting. -jsqWhat is the legal definition of animal cruelty in Georgia?
-Susan Leavens
Local law enforcement (municipal or county police department or county sheriff’s department) enforces the criminal provisions of Cruelty to Animals, O.C.G.A. §16-12-4.
The next comment contained the clarification below. -jsq Continue reading
There is no question how the Law reads; the only question is who indicated there no wrong doing? And they were questioning my character? I question those people who indicated I had a bios opinion to read the laws of Georgia. I am aware you can mirror laws and even add to them in county ordinances but you cannot take away from the law in anyway.Continue readingFrom the United States Department of Agriculture Web Site on Euthanasia
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=AZ_INDEX
Under Guidelines for Euthanasia
When performing euthanasia in a shelter
Lots of “don’t know the results of that” for drug testing,
administrative review board, etc.
Why don’t we know the results of those things?
Judy Haverkamp talked about what she’d discovered through open records requests.
“It seems like there’s been the same violations still occuring at the shelter even up to this year, and it doesn’t seem like anyone is trying to make an effort to correct these problems!”She repeatedly cited Georgia code sections that had been violated.
This pretty much sums it up:
“Why would you not do the proper thing to make this process as painless as possible?”Indeed, why not?
-jsq
Here’s the video: Continue reading
Ms. Jane Osborn,I believe this was not meant to make the public’s attention. When I was told to write statements I was told that these people were going to be prosecuted. Several months went by and this remained silent, I waited for the county board memebers to to do the right thing. What happened was the infamous memo; which indicated we were not allowed to contact any law enforcement agency about crimes or we would be held accountable for discrediting a county employee. And it would be considered as an attack against a county employee. Whoever if we contacted our county manager it would be handled (I’m not quite sure how many times he needed to be contacted about the issues at the shelter). As I clearly remember in the first meeting he had at the shelter many years ago… Joe Prichard said “I’ll fire everyone except Linda Patelski, Kay Jones and Michelle Shultz” so I’m a little confused, the memo we got on September 22, 2010 said we wouldn’t be retaliated against if we followed the chain of command (so does it mean if we report crimes to law enforcement we will be retaliated against?) Clearly so, I assure you. The issues need to be resolved.
-Susan Leavens
And I continue to ask, since my email of a couple of months ago to the Sheriff never received an answer, where is law enforcement when there clearly are illegal acts of animal cruelty occurring here? We made a big deal (appropriately) several years ago about a dog that was intentionally set on fire by local people, but these violations are all the more difficult to understand since they appear to be happening at the hands of the very people sworn to protect our county’s animals.-Jane Osborn
Continue readingFrom: SUSAN LEAVENS
To: gary.black@agr.georgia.gov
Sent: Tue, July 26, 2011 2:31:16 PM
Subject: Your attention would be grateful in regaurds to the Lowndes County Animal ShelterTo the Honorable Agriculture Commissioner Mr. Gary Black,
July 26, 2011
I would like to introduce myself, my name is Susan Leavens I currently live in Quitman Georgia and I am an employee with Lowndes County, formally as an animal control officer with Lowndes County Animal Services. In June of last year I turned in three statements to Pat Smith who is no longer with the animal protection division she is currently running the Thomasville Animal Control. After speaking with Ms. Pat an advising her of the situations that have occurred and are currently occurring in the Lowndes County Shelter; she advised me to have statements written by individuals that were willing and not afraid of retaliation. Two current employees myself and Ronnie Ganas wrote statements, one previously employee Amanda Jordan. The issues were heard before Vinessa Sim-Green and several other animal protection employees along with Ms Cora Potter. An administration hearing took place an several “options” were offered to the Lowndes County Manager Joe Prichard. These were things that would help the shelter run more efficiently and perhaps come up to date with the Georgia Dept. of Ag. standards; but the issues of animal cruelty, inhumane treatment and practicing veterinarian medicine (surgery by castration of a 2 young adult pot belly pigs). My concern is that the director was never charged in any criminal court of law for her actions regarding the animals at the shelter.
“We were not able to substantiate … accusations other than that … castration of pig.”Yet he was notified in March of a euthanasia violation and missing drugs.
This PDF contains an inspection report dated “03-18-11” from the Ga. Dept. of Ag. Animal Protection Section. The images contain excerpts related to a euthanasia violation. -jsq
Recordkeeping – Page 186 on 01-26-11 wasContinue reading
missing on the Euthanasia paperwork. Total of 36cc
unaccounted for. Violation 40-13-13.08 [11] issued.
“I feel that some detailed financial, paperwork, and computer investigation should be conducted within the Lowndes County Animal Services office. Taxpayer’s dollars are spent to keep these animals of Lowndes County safe, and I’m sure if the citizens of Lowndes County were aware of some of these things they may be very hurt and disgusted with the Board of Commissioners for not making sure the right measures are being taken to do what is right for this office.”
Here is a transcription. -jsq
My Name is Amanda Jordan. From June 2005 to December 2007, I worked for the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners Office with the Animal Services Division. Linda Patelski was the director and my direct supervisor during that time. I enjoyed my job as a shelter attendant dearly. It was such a pleaser to see animals get adopted to new homes or returned to their owners if they were picked up by Animal Control officers.
As rewarding as it was, I also had other jobs that were not as pleasurable. Euthinizing animals were sometimes heartbreaking. While some animals were injured, sick, or feral, others were perfectly healthy and just needed a home. Due to the lack of space in the facility they had to be euthanized. I recall a full term pregnant female dog came into the office. Normally, this would be a reason to put a dog down due to the inability of space to house a mother dog and her puppies. Because this particular mother dog was some sort of small breed and her puppies expected to be small breed Linda Patelski (the director) decided we must keep these puppies for adoption. Even with the risk of diseases they were saved for the adoption room as other healthy dogs were put to sleep to accompany the space for the puppies. The shelter also hasContinue reading
