Veterinarian: Sutter County Shelter staff doing good job despite problems

April 30, 2011 11:54:00 PM
By Ryan McCarthy/Appeal-Democrat

The financial woes of California counties help explain problems at the animal control shelter that the Sutter County grand jury cites in a report, says a veterinarian who assists at the shelter and who spoke to the grand jury.

"Most of these counties are out of money," Susan Gillen said Friday. "The first thing that gets cuts are things like animal shelters."

Gillen, a veterinarian in Pleasant Grove, said her work is with large animals including horses and that she doesn't deal with the dogs and cats whose care is highlighted in the jury report.

But she praised county animal control staff and noted the challenges faced by working in a quarter-century-old facility built for a much smaller Sutter County.

"They're doing a good job with what they've got," Gillen said.

She began assisting in October at the shelter and testified before the grand jury in February for about 90 minutes. Gillen said jurors were surprised to learn she's not paid for her work at the shelter — and that she was surprised they didn't know of her volunteer status.

Jurors told her that "it was a very nice thing I was doing," Gillen recounted.

She said her appearance before the panel left her with the impression that jurors were focused on problems at the shelter cited in the report.

"I did feel as though they had in their minds what had happened, and that's the path they were going down," the veterinarian said.

The grand jury report refers to rats being euthanized — and that the dosage of the drug Fatal Plus was accounted for by adding an extra amount to a record of a small cat that was also being euthanized. The drug is monitored by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration through a local veterinarian, the jury noted.

Gillen said that practice preceded her beginning her volunteer assistance in October.

"That has not happened on my watch," she said.

CONTACT reporter Ryan McCarthy at 749-4780.''

http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/shelter-106115-problems-grand.html