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Residents accuse county animal services affiliates of misconduct, call for resignation
Summary
Two residents used the public-comment period to allege repeated breaches of animal-services policy tied to affiliates of a dog rescue group (CARE), cited state-agency letters and asked the commissioners whether county officials had discussed resignations.
Two citizens used the public-comment portion of the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners meeting to press the county on animal-services oversight and alleged misconduct tied to affiliates of a dog rescue organization identified in the record as CARE.
Bobby Dyer, who gave his address at the meeting, told commissioners he lives near an unlicensed animal shelter and alleged repeated breaches of animal-services policy and misuse of county property, goods and services to benefit CARE and its affiliates. Dyer said a nuisance-animal complaint at a foster location had been inspected by an 18-year department veteran who found “problematic” conditions, but that supervisors reclassified the matter as a barking complaint and dismissed it despite what Dyer said were 14 violations of North Carolina animal statutes identified by the state.
Dyer asked whether county officials, including commissioners, had met to discuss the resignation of “Deb Hart,” saying he believed her resignation had been called for. He urged the board to act and not “lend a deaf ear and blind eye to this situation.”
Sherry Crowder, also speaking during public comment, said she had supported county animal-rescue work for years but that she continued to see “untruths” and discrepancies in how one rescuer represented animal conditions, and urged that rescuers “put animals first.”
No formal response or action by the board was recorded in the meeting minutes or on the audio transcript; both speakers addressed the board during the public-comment portion, which the clerk had explained is not intended to require the board to answer impromptu questions. The county clerk also outlined the public-comment rules and the three-minute time limit for speakers.
Why it matters: allegations of misused county property and repeated violations cited to state agencies are serious and, if substantiated, could prompt staff action or further investigation. At this meeting the concerns were raised in public comment but no follow-up action was described on the record.
