Pahrump Animal Shelter investigation concludes

After an outside investigation was conducted into the operation at the Pahrump Animal Shelter, the Nye County Commission has made the decision to continue its contract with Desert Haven Animal Society for the time being.

The outside investigation was conducted by James Crosby, of Canine Aggression Consulting LLC, based out of Jacksonville, Fla.

The county had decided to seek outside aid with the process because of the overwhelming amount of conflicting information being presented about the situation, with members of the public and other animal organizations arguing vehemently back and forth, either in defense or condemnation of the operation of the shelter.

Crosby visited the shelter from March 3 to March 9 and spent his time observing the day-to-day work conducted, as well as interviewing shelter staff, volunteers and members of Nye County Animal Control.

He recorded his conclusions, many of which dealt with the state of the building itself. Crosby provided photos of the areas in need of repair, including the roof, which has several leaks, leading to exposed insulation and a health hazard.

Crosby stated that during his time at the shelter, the area in which the dogs were housed appeared to be clean, with regular removal of feces, but the dog runs were at one point over capacity, with approximately 62 dogs in runs that should hold just 32.

Additionally, he took issue with the housing provided to some, which in certain cases consisted of large “igloo”-type dog houses and which, Crosby said, presented the issue of lack of adequate space for the canines.

He also touched on the use of collapsible crates for some smaller dogs, cautioning that these should not be used as permanent housing due to potential health hazards.

Crosby said much the same of the building containing felines, noting that the cats’ housing was clean and litter boxes were scooped on a regular basis.

However, here too, he remarked on a lack of adequate housing, stating that many of the cats were kept in stacked collapsible crates. Crosby said best practices call for multi-level cat housing, to allow for separation of litter, food and resting areas.

The 20-page report went into considerable detail on a variety of other aspects of the shelter’s operation as well, including policies and procedures, adoptions and outreach, records, accountability and more.

Throughout the document, Crosby repeatedly referenced a prior consultant, who was associated with Maddie’s Pet Project, a group that had spent two months at the shelter in 2018 and had expressed concerns about the shelter operation. Crosby noted that many of those he interviewed reported that the Maddie’s consultant had created confusion regarding much of the daily operations.

In one instance, Crosby said he was told that a room within the cat building had once been dedicated as a clinic and operating room but that had since been dismantled for unknown reasons by the previous consultant.

This eliminated the ability to conduct proper health checks and medical procedures, he stated, and no one was able to provide a reason as to why this had been done. Additionally, some of the equipment that had been used in the clinic room had seemingly been disposed of, without the approval of Nye County.

Desert Haven Animal Society board of directors members Ellen Arntz, Jane Carbone and Tina Trenner were on hand at the meeting. Trenner is the newest member and she said she comes with the right experience in this arena to help, having participated in the creation of other animal service organizations before.

“I think he (Crosby) did a wonderful job with this report. Perhaps he didn’t hit it as hard as I would, as far as the facility is concerned,” Trenner told the commission. “That facility is not only inadequate, it’s a hazard. There is no way of maintaining a perfectly clean and well-run facility with that old building… So some of the criticism that these folks have received is really not their fault.”

Trenner also addressed the issue of animals in crates, remarking, “They don’t want to keep them in crates, there is no room to put them anywhere. You start stacking dogs on top of each other, not because you want to but because there is no room for them. And this community is not getting smaller, it’s getting bigger.”

Following questions by the commissioners and a round of discussion, Nye County Commissioner Debra Strickland made a motion to continue the lease with Desert Haven, contingent upon their following all of the recommendations of corrective action provided by Crosby.

This list included 21 specific suggestions, many of which were directed at the shelter itself but some of which were geared toward necessary county action. The recommendations for the county, too, must be followed, Strickland stipulated in her motion.

The motion passed with all in favor. Nye County Commission Chairman John Koenig explained the reasoning behind his vote, stating, “There are three months left on the lease and everyone is going to come back and we’ll have other people also vying for the lease. So based on that, I will vote ‘aye’ to keep these people going for at least another three months.”

Recommendations that the shelter must now incorporate included actions such as hiring a shelter manager, increasing staffing levels, improving the animal housing situation, establishing a foster program and more.

Recommendations for the county itself included items such as improving the coordination between the district attorney’s office, sheriff’s office and the shelter to limit the time animals are kept in protective or evidentiary custody and directing county staff to inventory and compare accountability of all the veterinarian equipment that may have been disposed of without authority, along with several other suggestions.

In conclusion, Crosby made clear that moving forward, Nye County must make a financial commitment to animal services, as the current facility is simply inadequate for continued operation.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com