BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – After months of complaints about the conditions and treatment of animals, the director of Broward County’s main animal shelter is stepping down.
But on Tuesday, she told Local 10 news reporter Ian Margol that she’s not being forced out, but is leaving on her own terms.
“We’re not going to tolerate any more animal neglect, animal abuse, we’re not going to tolerate anything anymore,” Broward County Commissioner Mark Bogen said.
Bogen said he hired an expert to come into the Broward Animal Care & Adoption shelter and do a surprise inspection about six months ago after he received complaints from animal advocates.
“We went from room to room, finding filth and dirt and feces. The animals were sitting and laying in feces, the animals weren’t being walked the way they should be walked,” Bogen said.
Video sent to Local 10 News appears to show some of those disturbing conditions. But Lauralei Combs said she stands by the work she’s done in just under two years as director.
“Was it a perfect transition? No, it was a little messy sometimes. But we did indeed save more pets’ lives,” Combs said.
Combs said in the 23 months before she got there, the shelter euthanized more than 6,300 animals, and in the same amount of time since she’s been in charge, she said they’ve only euthanized about 3,900.
But Combs said her decision to resign has nothing to do with the complaints.
In fact, Combs said she has accepted another position with a different shelter and that the volunteers who work for her in Broward County deserve a lot of credit.
“They went the extra mile to save them. Regardless of what we had in house, they took care of them, so we did the best we could which was remarkable with the resources we have,” Combs said.
Combs said she can’t say where she will be working at this time.
Animal advocates and the county say they are going to be looking for the best option to replace her.