Dear Editor,

There’s been a lot lately re: Belmont County Animal Shelter. I am very happy as well as others a new building is in the works. The current kennels that house the dogs are certainly not safe for the dogs or staff. Plans of a new building have been spoken about for years. Plans for a new building were drawn up several years back.

Why can’t they use those plans, find the property and let’s get it done. There have been a lot of cash donations of estates that can get it started.

The five dogs that recently went to Canada is wonderful. I do not understand why no photos were shared on social media of the grand arrival. I know the public, including myself, would love to see the five adopters waiting with leashes to take them home. Updates on these dogs in their new homes with photos would be a great promotion for the shelter. Especially in the negative situations that have occurred recently.

Volunteers are valuable assets to shelters. I’ve worked in two other shelters out of state, and have never heard of terminating volunteers. Four were terminated, not two, as stated by the commission. These volunteers have marketed and written stories about animals for social media. They have sponsored adoption fees, transported to rescues, paid rescue fees for animals they are transporting on their own dime and time. They are there to help these animals. I would like to address Ms. Fleagane on her volunteer status. She has stated numerous times just that, she is a volunteer. So why is she allowed to be at the shelter during a volunteer ban?

In the five years I worked at the shelter, there have been at least a dozen staff that were harassed and bullied to the point of forcing us to quit by Dog Warden Ms. Duvall.

We wrote letters, we called HR. Nothing was handled and if it was, never in a proper time frame. We are not disgruntled employees. We were there to take care of the animals. Again, the commission only takes the side of Ms. Duvall.

The shelter is supposed to be a positive place for public and volunteers to visit. To get these animals homes is the goal.

I am not understanding the threat of volunteers helping with that goal.

How can at least a dozen former staff, and volunteers all be wrong? We are there to help these animals into forever homes.

What is the threat of this common goal?

Kathy Skatula

Former kennel manager

Belmont County Animal Shelter

St. Clairsville