What REALLY happened with the SPCA

I have always been an avid supporter of the SPCA. All dogs I have ever adopted have
come from the SPCA. My family has donated money, blankets, food, quilts, and other items to
the Kent County SPCA in support of their efforts.
Since October, 2010, I have been made aware of many cases of abuse of power, failure to
notify dogowners of their rights, illegal sentences of death for dogs, illegal search and entry, and
others. Attempts to resolve these issues with the SPCA resulted in their leadership either lying to
me or ignoring me.
In March, 2012, the leadership of the SPCA told Levy Court that after only two years, they were ending a 3-year
contract with Kent County unless we agreed to an increase from $768,000 to $1,300,000 per year. I opposed to such a
drastic increase for a single service as the County faces many other issues that need funding including volunteer fire
services, senior centers, paramedic services, and additional State Police Officers. However, I intended to use the
contract negotiations to request concessions from the SPCA, including:
Increase training and better oversight of the ACOs
AS method to submit and resolve problems
Inspections of the SPCA
Better financial disclosure
A non-voting seat on the Board for a Levy Court appointee.
I made attempts to reach out to the SPCA leadership, including the Executive Director and Chair of the Board of
Trustees. I am the only Commissioner to visit the Shelter. I met with the Executive Director and Chair with what I
thought were positive results. In return, I was ejected from one of their Board of Trustees meetings before it even
started, resulting in an Attorney Generals Office opinion that their meetings must be open to the public. I have been
publicly attacked by their Executive Director.
Negotiations on the contract continued from March until June 20, when their leadership walked out of a Levy
Court meeting when the Commissioners had to step away for a previously scheduled call with an attorney. Subsequent
meetings were not productive.
Since then, the SPCA Leadership has taken a course of action that includes personal attacks and censorship of
Levy Court Commissioners in the media.
Kent County Levy Court has now contracted with Safe Haven, a no-kill shelter located in Georgetown. Safe
Haven is negotiating for a local shelter for Kent County dogs and have purchased multiple air conditioned vans for the
transporting of dogs. There still continues to be questions as to who is responsible for dog abuse. Delaware Code is
very clear that it is the SPCA, but they refuse to investigate any complaints. Contrary to what has been reported by the
SPCA, Safe Haven has begun investigating dangerous dogs, at-large dogs, and dog abuse, even though they are not
contracted to do the latter.
Levy Court will seek a permanent solution to Dog Control within a year, and I hope to leverage any savings into a
Kent County Spay and Neuter Program available to any shelter in the county willing to take in strays for this service.
I hope you understand that it is my interest to better manage your money and how it is spent that has driven us
through this course of action. I also am very concerned about animal control in the County, specifically Dog Control,
which is the responsibility of Kent County Government.