Aaron Apitzsch speaks Wednesday to the Belmont County Commissioners Wednesday about why the volunteer program was suspended. Many volunteers and former staff also criticized the dog warden’s management and said she did not adequately use social media to market the animals. In the bench in front of him are former staff members Nancy Stewart and Kathy Skatula, former shelter director Angela Hatfield, and Mandy O’Neil, who works at the Marshal County Animal Shelter.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Following the decision to suspend the animal shelter volunteer program, the Belmont County Board of Commissioners’ office was packed with volunteers and former staff Wednesday.

Former volunteer Aaron Apitzsch of St. Clairsville led the questions along with his wife, Jodi Apitzsch. He said they have made inquiries to the county in the past about why the program was suspended but have not gotten a response. He also said that as of three weeks ago, they have been blocked from the animal shelter’s county Facebook page.

“It’s a county Facebook page and we’ve been blocked from it. We’ve been lifetime residents and volunteered for over 13 years every week at the animal shelter and now we’ve been suspended, and we just want an explanation,” Apitzsch said prior to the meeting.

He said they have operated a successful campaign to “market” the animals in the county’s care. He added that volunteers also spend time walking the dogs and teaching them basic commands, as well as gathering information about their personalities. He said placing pictures of animals up for adoption on social media is more effective if a “story” about the animal can be posted.

“Social media is a tremendously powerful tool for animal adoption,” he said.

They and other volunteers and former staff members also criticized Dog Warden Lisa Duvall. Aaron Apitzsch said she has been reluctant to use social media as a tool.

“I’ll shout from every rooftop in the county that we are trying to help, and we are not able to,” he said.

Apitzsch said turnover of staff at the shelter is “staggering.”

Other volunteers said they had other suggestions, such as fostering the dogs with people.

Commissioner J.P. Dutton said the board is still in the process of gathering information and hopes to come to a decision soon. The volunteer program was suspended April 5.

“It’s not as though that we’ve ended the volunteer program,” he said. “It’s just to get a sense of how it’s running and if there are changes that need to be made. … We didn’t reply ’til this point because we are still gathering information. We did plan on resuming the program at one point.”

Dutton said volunteers are valued, but the shelter must also be able to operate without them if necessary.

Former staff member Nancy Stewart of Belmont said she had worked at the shelter for a little more than a year and criticized Duvall’s management and relationship with volunteers.

“Lisa’s the issue. She doesn’t like change, she never has. I got pushed out,” Stewart said. “Since I’ve left, the shelter has went downhill. There just needs to be a change.”

Stewart blamed Duvall for the high turnover rate and said volunteers are important since the shelter is short-staffed.

Former staff member and kennel manager at the shelter Kathy Skatula said she worked five years at the site. She also said she was “pushed out” and believes the animals are deteriorating from lack of staff training.

Dave and Stacey Wilson of D&S Custom Homes in St. Clairsville, who volunteered for five years until they were eliminated after mistakenly walking a dog they were not allowed to, also spoke.

“We’ve spent a lot of time scooping dog poop. We’ve spent a lot of time shoveling gravel. We’ve spent time fixing fences, fixing kennels, building the kennels,” Dave Wilson said, adding the staff does not have time to determine if an animal is good with families.

He said he believes not all of the six dogs recently euthanized should have been put down but were mislabeled. Stacey Wilson asked if the commissioners take Duvall’s word that an animal is “aggressive” or if there is other documentation.

Mandy O’Neil, who works as a “dog enrichment specialist” at the Marshal County Animal Shelter, said she is in the process of becoming an animal trainer and has built play areas to help the dogs there. She said she has adopted from the Belmont County shelter and said a dog will deteriorate after multiple years in that environment.

“They deteriorate without proper handling, proper socialization, being able to gain trust, being able to gain confidence,” she said, adding she offered to volunteer.

Angela Hatfield, former director of the shelter, said volunteers are invaluable.

“Employees do not have enough hours in the day to do all the necessary things that an animal needs to survive in that environment,” Hatfield said.

Jordan Castello of Bethesda offered several suggestions, including a chain of command for volunteers, a better social media policy and more transparency.

Dutton said Duvall is off for the week. An effort to reach her for comment Wednesday was unsuccessful.

In other matters related to the shelter, the commissioners approved advertising for Request for Qualifications for design professional services for a new animal shelter building. Dutton said there has been a complete evaluation of the shelter by the building and grounds director and the commissioners determined the building could not handle the long-term needs of the county and they would hear from bidders and estimate costs.

Commissioner Jerry Echemann said the commissioners will look at needs such as space and where the shelter is situated, with difficult parking.