Missouri City concludes review of shelter
Volunteers won’t be allowed to dispense medicine to animals
Missouri City officials have announced new rules for its animal shelter after learning of unprofessional conduct by a volunteer toward staffers and of prescription medications for animals being stored at the shelter.
City officials said at a news conference last Wednesday that they will not allow volunteers to administer medicine to the animals. The “unprofessional conduct” stems from volunteer Valerie Tolman, who used derogatory language during a confrontation in December with a new animal control officer, according to shelter volunteer Lynn Morgan. Tolman later apologized for her behavior.
“You never know the conditions of an animal coming in,” City Manager Anthony Snipes said. “From a safe-haven standpoint, we’re looking at having a person who’s certified in veterinary medicine or has the appropriate certification to administer it at this time.”
City officials are also looking to hire a shelter manager and to ask for an additional $230,400 to be added to the shelter budget. The current budget is roughly$220,000. Volunteers will also have to re-certify every year under the new guidelines.
Lynn Morgan, a shelter volunteer for the past three years, had mixed views on the changes. She said she’s relieved that the city plans to hire a shelter manager, noting that volunteers have been asking the city for nearly two years to hire a part-time staff member who could answer the phone and door.
But she is not sure she will reapply to be a volunteer, even though she knows every dog by name after helping out there for three years. Morgan cited months of tension between volunteers and city officials since the review was launched.
“I feel like I was demonized and now all of a sudden they want us to look past this, when honestly I thought I was going to get arrested for helping out sick animals and doing what was legal,” Morgan said by phone on Thursday.
During the press conference, Missouri City Police Chief Mike Berezin stressed that authorities did not conduct a criminal investigation as part of the internal review. He said medications that required a prescription were still being stored at the police department, while over-the-counter medications that turned up were returned to volunteers or to the shelter.
“There was no investigation involving the medication. It was turned over to the police department for safekeeping,” said Berezin.
Also attending the news conference were Mayor Allen Owen and Shashi Kumar, the city’s public works director. Owen, himself a pet owner, said he wants the city to do its best to care for animals at the shelter.
“We’re not perfect,” Sniper said. “It’s easy for folks to find fault in things that we may do, but as I stated we have a heart for the betterment and the care of these animals. What we’re saying to the community (is) work with us, not against us.”
The internal review led city officials to visit other area shelters and figure out best practices for the animals. They also met with shelter volunteers and got their feedback.
Morgan said the nonprofit Friends of Missouri City Animal Shelter Pets was formed to pay veterinarian bills and other costs so the animals could receive medication or get spayed. The nonprofit has raised about $40,000 every year since it was formed.
“The reason we were there and did the things we did was because the shelter wasn’t. They weren’t spaying and neutering animals. They weren’t medicating sick animals,” Morgan said. “They weren’t heartworm-testing animals. We did that. I literally paid for thousands of dollars worth of stuff.”
Morgan is still trying to decide if she’ll re-up as a volunteer.
“If I do sign up, are they going to accept me?” she said. “Everything I do is for the animals. It’s not for the city. It’s not for me, it’s for the animals. It’s hard after over three years to walk away from helping animals.”