Following a year-long investigation into the operations of the Fayette County Animal Control Center at Beckwith, the Fayette County Sheriff's Office has filed criminal charges against the former director of the Animal Control Center.
Carrie Lynn Carr, age 55, of Oak Hill was arrested earlier this afternoon and charged with a single felony count of Obtaining Money Under False Pretenses, 3 felony counts of Falsifying Accounts and 3 misdemeanor counts of Cruelty to Animals. She was arraigned in the Fayette County Magistrate Court and released on a $20,000.00 bond.
Carr had served as the Director of the Fayette County Animal Control Center for several years, but resigned from this position earlier this month.
According to the criminal complaint Carr, who is employed full-time at a local veterinarian's office, routinely submitted payroll records indicating that she was working approximately 35 hours per week at the Animal Control Center and was paid an hourly rate of $12.75 per hour for her work there. The investigation determined that Carr never arrived at the Animal Control Center before 2:30-3:00 pm each day and left when the Animal Control Center closed at 5:30.
The criminal complaint further alleges that Carr awarded herself a pay increase of seventy-five cents ($.75) per hour in January of 2015. This pay raise was approved only for minimum wage employees of the Animal Control Center to bring their pay to the State-mandated minimum, but Carr allegedly awarded herself this pay increase without the approval of the Board of Directors for the New River Humane Society, the non-profit organization that oversees the operations of the animal control center.
In addition to the allegations of fraud filed against Carr, she was also charged with 3 counts of Animal Cruelty.
According to information supplied to investigators by a newly-elected member of the Board of Directors for the New River Humane Society, in September of 2015 2 cats, both of which were in urgent need of veterinary care, were placed in cages in a back room of the Animal Control Center so that they would be out of the view of the general public until they died. A member of the Board of Directors, upon learning of this, personally transported these animals to a local veterinarian so that they could be humanely euthanized.
More recently, in March of 2016, Carr allegedly denied veterinary care for a dog with its uterus protruding. A member of the Board of Directors had to step in and take this dog for the veterinary care that she needed. In yet another incident a female coonhound that had been housed at the shelter for approximately eight months, and which was in excellent physical condition when she was first brought to the shelter, was found to be severely under-weight and in need of veterinary care for open sores on her hips at the time that this animal was placed in a foster home.
"As the Director of the Fayette County Animal Control Center, it was Carrie Carr's duty and responsibility to insure that the animals entrusted to her care were treated and cared for in a humane manner," said Sheriff Kessler.
"According to the investigation into the general operation of this Animal Control Center, there was very little that was 'humane' about the operation of this shelter. Animals have been routinely kept in pet taxis or small cages for extended periods of time. Kennels originally designed to house a single dog were divided and used to house multiple dogs. Large animals were kept in spaces so small they did not have room to walk, turn around or even lie down to rest.
"Food was scattered on the floors of cages among dog feces and animals were forced to drink from a common bucket of water that kennel attendants brought each day- there were no individual water bowls in many of these cages.
"Sick or injured animals were reportedly placed in cages in a back room of the shelter, out of the view of the general public, and left there to die."
The former Board of Directors for the New River Humane Society, which apparently included members of Carr's family, apparently exercised very little oversight and control over the operations of the Fayette County Animal Control Center.
"Members of the New River Humane Society who question how this animal shelter was permitted to house animals in such deplorable conditions need look no further than the former members of their own Board of Directors," said Sheriff Kessler.
According to the criminal complaint filed in this matter, a "heating crisis" at the animal shelter in the winter of 2014-2015, wherein the New River Humane Society urgently solicited the public to donate blankets and portable heaters due to the heat at the shelter going out and their inability to repair this heat source before an impending period of extremely bitter cold weather was precipitated by nothing more than Carrie Carr and other employees of the shelter failing to check the level of propane in their tank and ordering additional propane to be delivered. There was nothing wrong with the heating system- Carr and the other employees simply allowed the propane to run out.
"This is just sheer negligence," said Sheriff Kessler.
Newly-elected members of the Board of Directors for the New River Humane Society have pledged to take a more 'hands-on' approach in overseeing the operations of the Fayette County Animal Control Center.
"The myriad problems at the Fayette County Animal Control Center did not develop overnight and they certainly won't be fixed overnight," said Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Harrah.
"My office is still reviewing the extensive file of the investigation into the operations of the Fayette County Animal Control Center to determine if any other individuals should be subject to criminal liability in connection with the neglect of the animals housed at this shelter. We are also reviewing this investigation to determine appropriate recommendations for the Fayette County Commission as to needed changes in, and independent oversight of, the daily operations of this shelter."
"I want to state that this investigation should not be seen as a blanket condemnation of ALL of the members and supporters of the New River Humane Society," said Sheriff Kessler. "There are a lot of good folks who genuinely care about animals who donate time, money and resources to aid and assist in the operation of this shelter. Unfortunately these good citizens are, or have not in the past, been involved in overseeing the daily operations of this shelter.
"It is my intention to work with the Office of the Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney, the Fayette County Commission and the newly-elected members of the Board of Directors for the New River Humane Society to operate this shelter in a lawful and humane manner to insure the health and safety of all neglected, abused and unwanted animals in Fayette County."
This case remains under investigation by the Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau.
(Fayette County Sheriff's Office - March 21, 2016)
This is what you get if you let pit freaks run shelters. All the dogs there that are not pit bull types or mixes end up treated like trash. After all, that's what the pit freaks consider our normal 'curs' to be.
ReplyDeleteIf you doubt that this is at the core of the problems in Fayette County, take a look at their pet adoption page. All the dogs they have on show for adoption, 100% of them, are pit bull types.
http://www.adoptapet.com/adoption_rescue/73907.html