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Residents press Alachua County for independent review after repeated allegations at county animal shelter
Summary
Multiple residents and former employees told commissioners of alleged neglect and mistreatment at Alachua County Animal Resources (ACAR) during public comment Dec. 10, 2024; county staff described staffing increases and planned reviews while commissioners directed advisory-board involvement and asked for additional transparency.
A wave of public testimony Dec. 10 pressed Alachua County commissioners to open an independent investigation into allegations of animal neglect and mismanagement at Alachua County Animal Resources (ACAR).
Speakers at the county commission meeting described cases they say show systemic failures: a caller alleged a veterinary technician reported that a vet amputated the wrong leg on a kitten and later falsified records; others described overcrowded, unsanitary kennels, missed calls to emergency lines and animals euthanized without owner notification. Several callers asked that director Julie Johnson and lead veterinarian Dr. Samantha Stephenson be suspended pending a third‑party probe.
"Former employees and volunteers have shared disturbing accounts of negligence and mistreatment," said a caller who identified herself as the author of two investigative pieces…
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