Auburn animal shelter under investigation

AUBURN, Wash. — An investigation is underway in the City of Auburn, stemming from claims of diminished animal care at the Auburn Valley Humane Society.

Shelter CEO Phil Morgan said 9 of 14 shelter employees resigned last month.

“I don’t know,” CEO Phil Morgan said when asked what prompted the mass exodus.

He denies the resignations impacting the quality of care.

KIRO 7 spoke with several current and former employees for this story. BreeAnn resigned last week.

“I do feel like the quality of care has diminished. That’s kind of inevitable,” BreeAnn said. She tells KIRO 7 that in addition to care issues, she also worries about the safety of animals, staff and volunteers while current leadership remains.

Another concern from staff was Morgan’s alleged comments about three-and-a-half-week-old kittens that were healthy. Staff allege that Morgan suggested they be euthanized if the shelter couldn’t find volunteers to foster them.

“What happens to them? What do we do?” Morgan asked. “In previous shelters I worked at that was the policy.”

Current shelter employees say the staffing shortage means kennels aren’t being properly cleaned and that they’re unable to accept new animals.

“With our vet team leaving, I worried that there would be gaps in medical care for animals that need it,” BreeAnn said.

There is currently no veterinarian and the shelter cannot perform surgeries, and spay and neuter services.

The shelter has a contract with the city that outlines certain shelter staffing and service expectations. Some staff members say the shelter routinely violates the contract.

The city acknowledges staffing issues at the shelter but said, “It does appear that they are not meeting the terms of our contract, and this is something we are actively investigating.”

Morgan adamantly denied diminished care or a violation of the city contract.

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