- Alachua County launched a 90-day whistleblower investigation into its animal shelter after a 15-page complaint by former staff detailed poor conditions and management issues.
- The Board of County Commissioners directed resources to support shelter staff, plan a new shelter design, and explore temporary alternative management.
- The shelter has had three directors in five years and faces ongoing challenges with its outdated facility and leadership changes, with a new director candidate under review.
Alachua County launched an outside investigation into the operations at the county animal shelter following a 15-page complaint by former staff.
County Manager Michele Lieberman told the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) that the complaint triggered its whistleblower ordinance adopted in 2020. She said the investigation was being handled under the county attorney’s office.
County Attorney Sylvia Torres said the investigation will last no longer than 90 days, making June 1 the final day for the report to be filed. Torres said this is the third investigation to fall under the whistleblower ordinance.
The discussion at Tuesday’s meeting followed a lengthy public comment section concerning the animal shelter and top staff. The comments touched on two employees mentioned in the complaint: Gina Peebles, county chief of staff and interim director of animal resources, and Brittany D’Azzo, animal resources shelter supervisor.
The BOCC directed Lieberman to provide resources and temporary help needed by animal resources staff, schedule an Animal Welfare Advisory Committee meeting, have the committee weigh in on a design plan for the new shelter and investigate alternative temporary management at the animal shelter.
The animal shelter has been an ongoing issue for years, and commissioners said it’s been a combination of an old facility built as a no-kill shelter and changes in the director position. The county has had three directors over the last five years.
Lieberman said she’ll review three finalists for the director position on Wednesday. One of those finalists is D’Azzo.
Melissa Jenkins, operations director at Operation Catnip and vice chair on the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, emailed the BOCC to add an asterisk to her previous recommendation of D’Azzo.
“If the conditions described in the letter are an example of the shelter under the leadership of Ms. Peebles and Ms. D’Azzo, I am vehemently opposed to any course of action that allows Ms. Peebles to continue as interim director and Ms. D’Azzo to elevate to shelter director,” Jenkin’s email said.
The complaint said dogs were left in cages all day and often not cleaned up, leaving feces or urine in the cages. The building also has a rat infestation, the complaint said.
Anthony, the former outreach coordinator, wrote the complaint. He said he left because of the conditions, along with a lot of other staff. The letter said the attached evidence (photos and specific animal cases) came from eight former and current staff members.
The letter said concerns were raised with Peebles, but not addressed. One big issue was euthanizing dogs outside the proper channels, the letter said.
“We gain nothing by coming forward now, only the hope that our testimony may finally drive needed reform, and animals will no longer continue to suffer due to the actions of Gina Peebles and those who blindly support her for personal gain,” the letter said.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Chair Ken Cornell said Peebles was asked to take the position after the former director left. He said she’d probably want to give it up.
Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler pushed back against the idea from public commenters that the BOCC doesn’t care about what happens at the shelter.
“To say that I’ve got nobody from this board that has been involved out there is wrong,” Wheeler said. “It’s wrong. It means you’re not paying attention.”
Wheeler said she’s been at the shelter and knows the volunteers. Once she leaves the board, she said she’ll still be at the shelter and the new shelter planned near UF.
Cornell said the investigation isn’t a “gotcha.” Instead, he said the board will get a full report to decide how to move forward.
“We’re always going to have [these issues] until we have a good director that’s leading the organization, and we have a good facility, and until then, we’re going to muddle through this,” Cornell said. “And we need to welcome the muddling because we got to take care of the welfare of the animals that are in there until they have a better home.”
Torres said the county also received a pre-suit letter because of a public records request connected with the animal shelter. She said the requested information should be released with some redaction for personal information.