Audit clears Hernando Animal Services

He's the dog whose death touched a nerve with animal lovers all over the Bay area: a black-and-white dog named "Zeus" that was euthanized minutes after being turned in to Hernando County Animal Services.

Now, a 52-page audit concludes that Animal Services did nothing wrong when it euthanized Zeus, but it points out other problems at the operation.

There is a laundry list of issues it did find, including poor record-keeping and not enough staff.

Volunteer Laurie Boynton took Zeus' picture in hopes of finding him a home, and says she did find someone interested in adopting the dog.

But when the adopter showed up, paperwork indicated Zeus had been euthanized just 12 minutes after he was surrendered – which some volunteers said violated the shelter's seven-day-hold.

The audit found no proof of Boynton's claim that Zeus was dragged by his leash to the euthanasia room. But it noted she and Animal Services disagreed on the dog's temperament and adoptability.

besides poor record-keeping and missing records...the auditors called the shelter's marketing effort "unfocused" and  that it gets little attention.

it found the cat kennels are too small and often over-crowded. it says staffing levels are 33 percent below what they needs to be when the shelter is full with 76 animals.

and the audit found a lack of management oversight for the shelter's volunteers.

The report also makes several recommendations, some of which can't happen without more staffing and funding. One calls for some sort of public-private partnership that would provide a more humane shelter, and another recommendation calls for more emphasis on marketing adoptable animals.

You can read the audit here:  http://tinyurl.com/9l2stuq