Disagreements dog Grant County Humane Society

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake/Grant County Humane Society is besieged by rumors and controversy caused by a dispute between employees stemming from selection of new manager Theresa "Terry" Parker.

Accusations by employees led to a criminal investigation by Moses Lake Police, e-mails to media with false information, and a letter writing campaign triggering a public outcry in an attempt to force the humane society into firing Parker.

Humane society employees Stacey Hill and Brianna Carpenter, along with former employee Connie Schei, leveled allegations of animal cruelty against Parker for euthanizing animals at the humane society animal shelter with the Grant County Sheriff's Office and Moses Lake Police, according to police investigation records.

According to Moses Lake Police Chief Dean Mitchell, the investigation revealed no evidence of animal abuse. The report was forwarded to the prosecutor's office for review. Grant County Prosecutor John Knodell said there are no charges against Parker for animal cruelty.

An e-mail letter campaign and numerous e-mail messages circulated to various news organizations continue to allege Parker is charged with animal cruelty and how Parker has quit her position.

"No. No. No. No. I did not quit my job," Parker told the Columbia Basin Herald Monday.

Many of the rumors and allegations appear tied to an e-mail letter campaign linked to Seattle-based Ginger's Pet Rescue. An e-mail from the organization asks people to copy a letter filled with allegations and forward them to newspapers, television news programs and government agencies. The letter accuses Parker of animal cruelty, euthanizing animals improperly, and unfairly terminating an employee.

"I am writing to request that you immediately fire Theresa Parker, the Moses Lake-Grant County Humane Society (MLGCHS) shelter manager, and that you ask the authorities to prosecute her to the fullest extent of the law for cruelty to animals," states the letter writing request by Ginger Luke from e-mail gingerluke@comcast.net.

Luke did not return phone calls to the Columbia Basin Herald for comment.

"I am aware of the accusations, however, I can tell you that they're not true and that these people are misinformed, misguided and the (humane society board) stands behind me 100 percent and our veterinarian," Parker said. "People are making assumptions based on ignorance. I would invite anybody to come out to the shelter to take a tour … I really feel that until a person works in a shelter that they don't understand what goes on."

The letter accuses Parker of euthanizing a mother dog and her litter of eight puppies a few days after birth.

"Again, we euthanize animals, we did euthanize animals all the time because quite honestly it's unrealistic to think that all these animals are going to find homes," Parker said.

"We don't know what these animals have been exposed to before they get here. Somebody brings in an animal, we don't have any way of knowing whether it's been exposed to distemper, or parvo or kennel cough … If the animal gets sick, many times, we don't know that until its already exposed other animals … Unfortunately, things like that do happen, again, we're not the ones who create this problem. We're simply the ones that have to deal with it," she added.

Parker recalled an incident upon her arrival to the shelter. She said she euthanized about 35 puppies because the animals had parvo. The animals were reportedly euthanized to stop the spread of the disease.

Some of the allegations against her originated from a past employee who's view on shelter policies conflicted with her own, according to the Moses Lake Police investigation report.

"I'm very frustrated," Parker said. "I was hired to do a job and now I'm being criticized about doing this job."

Schei was fired by Parker just days after Schei began her employment, according to police records. Schei claims to have witnessed Parker's alleged abuse toward animals and reported it to a Grant County Sheriff's Office animal control officer, who turned the investigation over to Moses Lake Police.

In an interview with the Columbia Basin Herald, Schei described seeing Parker handle a dog inappropriately at the shelter.

"There was a small dog in the top kennel and (Parker) couldn't get a hold of the dog, the dog was terrified, she couldn't get a hold of it so she just basically put a slip leash around its neck and yanked it out of the kennel onto the concrete floor," Schei said.

The dog reportedly yipped for a moment following the alleged incident but appeared to be in good health, Schei added.

Schei claims to have heard animals crying in pain while being euthanized several times, but did not witness the incidents.

"I was in the next room and I just got to listen to it," she said. "The dogs literally scream for what could be up to five minutes until they become unconscious."

Schei accuses Parker of using inappropriate methods to euthanize the animals. Schei claims to have never heard animals cry out due to proper euthanization.

Parker declined to comment on the allegation and referred the Columbia Basin Herald to the humane society board. Grant County Humane Society Board Co-President Marilyn Bertram declined to comment on the allegation.

Schei and Parker also allegedly disagreed over Parker's adoption policies and choices of different animal rescue organizations to utilize. Schei claimed Parker did not want to work with certain rescue organizations and declined to reveal what rescue organizations the humane society worked with.

"When I was there before … all the adoptable animals were given a fair shot. This woman basically would pick and choose the ones that she liked best and those were the only ones that had a chance," Schei said. "Some of those dogs would only be there two to three days."

To combat the allegations, Parker designated the humane society as a "no kill" shelter April 1.

Grant County Humane Society Board Co-President Fred Rhodes declined to comment and members Joan Stern and Dr. Dick Maier were unavailable for comment.

No charges filed against shelter manager

By Candice Boutilier

Herald staff writer

MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Prosecutor's Office has not filed animal abuse charges against Moses Lake/Grant County Humane Society Manager Theresa Parker.

Grant County Prosecutor John Knodell said there are no charges pending against Parker.

Knodell permitted the release of the Moses Lake Police investigation records after the Columbia Basin Herald submitted a public records request.

Animal abuse allegations filed by two employees and a former employee were investigated by the Moses Lake Police Department. The department found no evidence of animal abuse, according to their investigation report.

"Overall, my impression of the facility and operation of the humane shelter was that it is clean, well maintained and organized," Moses Lake Police Capt. Jim Jenkins wrote about an unexpected on-site visit.

The investigation began when shelter employee Stacey Hill notified police of multiple concerns regarding Parker's euthanasia techniques.

"Hill states that during the process, while Parker is injecting an animal and the vein bursts, she doesn't stop to try to find an alternative injection point, but continues the injection into the burst vein … Parker would commonly hold the animal between her calves and restrain the head and neck with a leash," Hill reported to police. "Parker, in the past, injected animals in the heart while they are conscious."

Parker denies all animal abuse allegations. She declined to comment on inappropriate euthanization procedures and referred the Columbia Basin Herald to the humane society board of directors.

Humane Society Co-President Marilyn Bertram declined to comment.

Police records indicate the allegations could be inspired by a disagreement between Parker and two employees.

"Bertram told me Hill is a disgruntled employee," Jenkins wrote. "Bertram told me it was her opinion that Hill and (former employee Connie) Schei were attempting to undermine the shelter's euthanasia policy."

Employee Brianna D. Carpenter also told police she witnessed Parker euthanize an animal in a way she felt was inappropriate. Jenkins wrote of how Carpenter described a chiuahua being euthanized by tying it to a doorknob with a leash and grabbing its rear leg.

Parker denied using the method of restraining the animal, according to the report. She accused Hill, Carpenter and Schei of making complaints for ulterior motives.

"(Parker) felt Hill was upset because she did not get the manager's position when (Parker) was hired on Feb. 12," Jenkins wrote. "(Parker) told me Carpenter, as well, was upset when the board selected herself over Hill."

Jenkins' report did not recommend any charges be filed by prosecutors against Parker and did not note any evidence being found by investigators to support claims of Parker committing animal cruelty.

Humane society defaults on paperwork

DEA certification to euthanize expired Jan. 31

By Candice Boutilier

Herald staff writer

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake/Grant County Humane Society operated with expired Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled substance registration certification, according to state records.

Humane society animal shelter Manager Theresa "Terry" Parker said the shelter's certification through the DEA to administer, purchase and possess drugs for euthanasia expired before she arrived Feb. 12.

Grant County Humane Society Co-President Marilyn Bertram verified the certification expired but declined to verify how long it was out of date. She said the humane society follows the laws strictly and are now in compliance.

Bertram declined to comment whether or not Parker euthanized animals while the certification was expired, but Parker said from Feb. 1 to mid-March, 285 dogs and cats were euthanized at the shelter.

"No puppy runs were devoid of puppies … at times, they were full of puppies," Bertram wrote in a letter to the Columbia Basin Herald.

Parker said otherwise and stated when she arrived at the facility in February she euthanized an entire puppy run containing approximately 35 animals due to the uncontrollable disease parvo, a contagious fatal disease.

To euthanize dogs and cats, certification is required through the DEA to possess, administer and purchase the drugs used to euthanize animals. Certification for the animal shelter expired Jan. 31 2007, according to Acting Executive Director of the Washington State Board of Pharmacy Lisa Salmi.

After examining state records, Salmi could not tell if the humane society is currently certified.

"We will be going out and inspecting. Our goal is to ensure patient safety," Salmi said. "We will be looking."

She said it is standard procedure for the board of pharmacy to inspect an animal shelter once there is a change in management to ensure appropriate procedures are followed.

The state did not receive notification of the change in management until March 28, Salmi said, nearly a month and a half after Parker took over the position.

"Whenever a shelter undergoes a managerial change, it must be re-licensed before drugs can be purchased, this is in progress," Bertram noted. "Until we are sure we are in compliance with all regulations, all euthanasia is being performed by a licensed veterinarian."

Moses Lake Police Capt. Jim Jenkins conducted an unexpected on-site visit to the facility March 27.

"Parker provided the euthanasia log and upon examination I found no entries had been made for the past three weeks," he noted in a police investigation report. "Parker explained that Dr. (Dick) Maier had assumed responsibility for euthanasia due to questions regarding her certification and further explained she was in the process of updating the log."

Maier was unavailable for comment, according to Bertram, who said the veterinarian was out of state on vacation.

Humane society starts 'no kill' policy

By Candice Boutilier

Herald staff writer

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake/Grant County Humane Society designated their facility as a "no kill" animal shelter.

The program was established April 1 by shelter manager Theresa Parker.

"This is unprecedented for this shelter, it truly is," Parker said. "This has never been attempted before and I think it's time that we make some decisions because people expect (it)."

The shelter is not prepared for the change in policy and needs additional funding to continue the program, she said.

Despite a lack of space, the new policy allows the shelter to keep animals rather than euthanize them. Animals declared too dangerous or sick to be adopted will still be euthanized, Parker said.

"Traditionally we have only kept those that are most adoptable," she said. "Most people want the cute little fluffy colored puppies, they don't want the little black lab puppies because they have no dimension so those puppies are less likely to be adopted."

Approximately 6,000 animals are processed each year, she said.

Adoption fees increased from $75 to $100 to offset care costs April 1, according to Parker.

"We're also going to spay and neuter everything that we get that's adoptable. Before we only spayed and neutered those animals we felt were adoptable … We're also going to vaccinate everything that comes through the door," she said.

"This is a matter of public interest, we have been scrutinized for euthanizing and people don't understand. They don't get it that you have to spay and neuter your pets," she said. "And I think that anybody that doesn't believe in spaying or neutering needs to come work at an animal shelter."

People have the option to sponsor a kennel annually for an undetermined fee to help keep the "no kill" program, Parker said.

"It is going to be a real challenge now because that means we are going to be overcrowded, we are going to need extra help from the public, we are going to need money because this is going to take a huge amount of money," she said. "We need to be able to pay for the vet bills that we are now going to incur as an expense."

Donations to fund the new program are being accepted at the Calico Cat Thrift Store, located on 414 W. Third Ave., Moses Lake, the humane society animal shelter, located at 6825 Randolph Road, or mailed to the humane society at P.O. Box 75, Moses Lake WA 98837.