Tensions have been running high between Egeland and city officials, including Animal Control Officer Susan Kowaleski, after Kowaleski allegedly gave her assistant permission to euthanize a "vicious dog."
"The shelter is officially closed for any intake. We are not to receive any animals from owners, surrenders or animal control," Egeland said. "No animal can be admitted per directive of Mayor Wong."
She said Wong did not contact her directly. Rather, she said, she found out about the closure when she received a call from the Animal Control Office around 4 p.m. Friday asking where to bring animals because they could no longer be brought to the shelter.
Egeland called Department of Public Works Commissioner Lenny Laakso, who is the immediate supervisor for the Animal Control Officer, who explained to her the decision, Egeland said.
The Sentinel & Enterprise received a leaked document from an anonymous source this week written by Kowaleski in which she denies responsibility for the emergency euthanization in April.
Egeland disagrees, saying Kowaleski did in fact grant Assistant Animal Control Officer Michael East permission to euthanize the dog less than 48 hours after it was turned over to the animal shelter.
According to the shelter's website, when an animal comes in, they are held for seven days and if they are not claimed by their owners, they are spayed or neutered, groomed and put up for adoption.
The report is written on city letterhead and has the title "Animal Control Report" across the top. It was not immediately clear Friday if the report and subsequent shelter closure was in response to a state Department of Agriculture Resources investigation into the death of the dog.
In her report, Kowaleski said she was home sick the morning of Tuesday, April 22, when she received a text message from East that stated, "Dog I picked up on Sunday from building 208 Columbus Street is going fast track to be put down."
Kowaleski said she called East immediately. According to the report, East told her that the dog, named Capone, had gotten out of its kennel Monday, ran at Egeland and another dog she was handling, and Egeland was bitten by the dog she had with her. Kowaleski alleges in her report that Egeland told him to euthanize the dog, even though it had not been the one to bite her.
"I told Mike that I was home sick and no decisions could be made, that he was the Animal Control Officer on call, to document everything and take pictures of what happened and to report to the Supervisors what had taken place at the kennels," Kowaleski wrote.
Egeland denies this version of events, saying that Kowaleski did grant permission to East to euthanize Capone.
She said the Department of Agriculture has been at the shelter taking photos and copies of all the shelter's records.
"We're sending all of our animals to approved rescue groups in the state. We're hoping they will step in and help us like we've helped them in the past," Egeland said. "I fear that the Department of Agriculture will mass load up these animals and euthanize them."
Most of the dogs had been committed to other rescue groups as of Friday afternoon, she said.
When asked what the decision to close the shelter meant, Egeland said, "it means I have no job and it means the city has no city shelter. It means that we're being bullied shut. That's what it means."
She said she feels the decision is retaliatory in nature because she and her volunteers "asked too many questions."
"We've been standing up for the 'bully' breeds and we just had our doors here bullied shut because of what we stand for," she said.
Wong did not return multiple messages seeking comment Friday.
When reached for comment, City Council President Stephen Hay declined to comment on the matter because he had not heard of the closure.
He said he planned to make some phone calls to figure out what had happened.
(Sentinel & Enterprise - June 14, 2014)
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