Update: Vegas Shelter Faces Fresh Accusations

As time draws nearer to the city's investigation of the Las Vegas Animal Foundation, local animal groups are speaking out against the pound.  Included is the LV Humane Society, breaking its tradition of "no comment" regarding separate animal organizations.

"Sometimes not to speak out against something is to be in agreement with it," said Judith Ruiz, president of the Humane Society.  "We're not in agreement with the Animal Foundation.  We don't want this to become an animal organization versus animal organization kind of thing, but we believe there are problems at the foundation."

This week a former employee of the Animal Foundation came forth to indicate that hundreds of meaningless certificates are sold to generate revenue through the pound's licensing program.

In addition, there have been new reports that the Animal Foundation has not been scanning (for microchip identification) incoming animals according to specified procedure.  This has been emphasized by one pet owner who insists that her microchipped cat Pandora had been wrongly euthanized at the shelter.

Animal Foundation President Mary Herro has been dismissing all allegations of document falsifications and wrongful killings.  She claims that the reports are entirely made up by malicious ex-employees.  She also believes the broader charges are untrue as well, propagated by rival animal groups in the area.

"They're competing for the same donations and volunteers we are," Herro said. "They're picking on us."

The Animal Foundation has recently become a hot, public issue, following last month's questionable killing of Sadie the Labrador retriever (see The Scoop January 2001 Article).

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