Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Animal Welfare topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wythe County resident asks board to pause dog adoption after dispute with shelter staff
Summary
At the Nov. 25 Board of Supervisors meeting, resident Cheryl Shaver described what she says were inconsistent instructions and lack of transparency from the Wythe County Dog Shelter after she applied to adopt a boxer; she asked the board to pause the transfer pending disclosure of records and rescue identity.
Cheryl Shaver told the Wythe County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 25 that she had applied to adopt a boxer from the county-run dog shelter but later learned the dog was transferred to a rescue despite being told she was first on the list.
Shaver gave a detailed timeline of communications: she said the shelter posted the dog on Nov. 17 (email timestamped 1:29 a.m.), contacted the shelter that day and was told she was first in line; she and her daughter delivered an application the next day. Shaver said she later learned a rescue had been contacted and that shelter staff had not informed the rescue of her prior interest. She described a phone conversation with a shelter employee she identified as “Mr. Blanchett,” calling the employee’s tone rude and saying the employee had not reviewed her application. Shaver said she then contacted a supervisor, Matt Hankins, and later Stephen Bear to ask for help and that follow-up calls had been limited.
Shaver told the board the shelter’s refusal to provide the rescue’s name and the absence of written documentation explaining why her application was bypassed raised “serious concerns,” including a possible deviation from county adoption policy, lack of transparency in shelter decision-making, potential improper rescue-transfer arrangements, and the risk of discriminatory practices. She also referenced the Virginia code provision she cited as "VA code 2.2-3700" while urging the board to pause any transfers until the questions were answered.
After Shaver finished, the chair thanked her and asked staff (Mr. Bear) to follow up and report back to the board on the outcome.
The board did not take a formal vote on the matter at the meeting. The board’s direction was limited to requesting staff follow up with the resident and the shelter and provide an outcome to the board.
