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Residents pressed Clermont County commissioners to fix animal shelter care and transparency
Summary
Multiple speakers at the Nov. 20 Clermont County commissioners meeting accused county shelter staff and managers of inadequate medical care and lack of transparency over funds earmarked for the dog shelter; commissioners and the kennel administrator described pay adjustments, upcoming interviews for a kennel manager and an architectural review of a washer/dryer renovation.
Multiple county residents told the Clermont County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 20 that the county-run animal shelter needs immediate operational changes, better medical protocols and clearer accounting for funds earmarked for shelter improvements.
Speakers during the public-comment period named specific animals and cases they said showed lapses in care. Sandra Shallow Berkmeyer asked the board to explain where taxpayer and private funds for the shelter had been spent and urged the hiring of a qualified shelter administrator she recommended. Megan Dashley described individual cases—Sampson, Samantha, Surfer and Drax—saying the dogs had not received timely tests, treatment or reassessment and that some euthanasia decisions were made without a team review or notification to advocates.
Emily Akers, director of the Office of Management and Budget, and other commissioners said the board would take public comments under advisement and evaluate options. Angie Leibasek, who the board identified as handling kennel operations in the meeting, said managers reviewed staff pay and made targeted raises "to be more competitive with other kennels in the area" and that the kennel had increased washer/dryer capacity but that a larger renovation required architect plans and a public-improvement procurement process. She also said interviews for a kennel manager were being scheduled.
Commissioners emphasized that hiring a kennel manager and completing renovation planning are underway. The board said donated funds earmarked for the washer/dryer project are being addressed in meetings with facilities and the architect and that the county followed formal procurement rules for public-improvement projects.
The meeting record shows no formal vote that altered shelter operations or transferred funds during the Nov. 20 session; commissioners recorded the public concerns and described staff follow-up steps, including further site visits, engagement with facilities staff and scheduling interviews for manager candidates.
Next steps: commissioners asked staff to continue follow-up with advocates and to report back at upcoming sessions; the public comment record and staff statements indicate further administrative actions (manager interviews and an architect meeting) were imminent.
