Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Animal Shelter Hiring topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Local humane-society leader urges review after allegations against new shelter director
Summary
At the Dec. 20 Converse City Council meeting, Robin Benbrook, president of the newly formed Converse Humane Society, accused the newly hired shelter director of having been fired in Corpus Christi amid high euthanasia rates and urged the council to review the vetting and hiring process.
Robin Benbrook, president of the newly formed 501(c)(3) Converse Humane Society, told the City of Converse council on Dec. 20 that she and other animal advocates had researched the newly hired shelter director and found social-media posts and reports indicating the person had been fired in Corpus Christi and accused of a high euthanasia rate. "It appears this man's hobby is killing dogs," Benbrook said, quoting a social-media post she cited as illustrative of public concern.
Benbrook said a former colleague told her the director left Animal Care Services (ACS) under "dubious" circumstances and that some dogs taken as strays appeared to have been euthanized the same day they were picked up rather than after the three-day hold she said state rules require. She described one case she said involved a service dog for a young man in a wheelchair and said the group was "not happy" with how the hire was vetted, noting the posting and hiring process appeared to have been internal and that three interviewees included the hired person and his wife.
Benbrook also said the shelter's interim director, Traylor Cobb, had "done a wonderful job," praised lower euthanasia rates under Cobb's leadership, and thanked Assistant City Manager Nixon Mendez for attending an advisory-board meeting and providing information. She urged the council to "do a real deep dive" into the hiring process and suggested the incoming permanent director should be hired by the new director once leadership is settled.
The council did not respond to Benbrook's allegations during her public comment. No staff presentation or formal investigation result was announced at the meeting. Benbrook's remarks were delivered during the Citizens to be Heard portion of the agenda and were not part of the council's executive-session actions later on the agenda.
Next steps: the city did not announce any immediate follow-up at the meeting. Benbrook requested the council review the vetting process and consider additional checks before the new director assumes full responsibilities.
