FAYETTEVILLE, WV (LOOTPRESS) – In a heated public meeting Thursday evening, the Fayette County Commission announced plans to take control of the county animal shelter.
The decision comes after the Fayette County Humane Society, a nonprofit organization contracted to run the shelter, announced plans to end the contract with the county.
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The humane society blamed the commission for its decision to end the contract, citing a lack of support.
The county commission says they have provided their required support to the shelter, which includes the shelter facilities, maintenance, utilities, payroll totaling $215,000 annually, payroll administration, and two vans for transport.
Thursday’s meeting was held in the Fayette County Circuit Court 2nd Floor Courtroom, as there was a large crowd in attendance with multiple people who signed up to speak.
The majority of those who spoke spoke in defense of the current organization operating the shelter.
Among those who spoke was the shelter’s current director, Falyn Wakefield, who says she and her staff have been forgotten by the commission.
“Behind me sits that very staff, the people who choose to show up every single day, the ones who, along with me, get torn down over and over again by people who smile in our faces, but stab us in the back the second they walk away,” Wakefield said.
“So, commission, let me ask you something. Can you point out every single staff member sitting behind me? Can you tell me their names? Can you tell me the weight that they’ve carried, the nights that they’ve cried, the sacrifices they made, and the chaos you all created? You can’t, but I can.”
Michael Taylor, attorney for the Fayette County Commission, stated at the meeting that the county is mandated by state law to have an animal shelter if an active animal control officer is employed.
Taylor stated that the commission holds the authority to contract out the duties of the animal shelter, which has been the responsibility of the Fayette County Humane Society since 2022.
“Pursuant to the contract, it is [the Fayette County Humane Society’s] obligation to employ a sufficient number of personnel to operate the shelter,” Taylor said.
Taylor explained that the employees who have been employed at the shelter are not county employees; therefore, they cannot receive benefits offered by the county, such as healthcare and sick leave, one of the complaints from the Fayette County Humane Society.
“The humane society is essentially a vendor providing a service to the county that the county is required to provide to the public,” Taylor explained.
“The commission, by contract, did not operate the day-to-day operations of the animal shelter; by contract, the Fayette County Humane Society is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the center.”
The meeting got heated at times, with back and forth between meeting attendees and the commissioners.
Ultimately, the commission voted to begin the hiring process for new employees for the shelter, as all three commissioners, Allison Taylor, John Brenemen, and Greg Fernett, agreed that the option of contracting out the duties has not been working.
The commission also set new adoption fees for animals: $175 for dogs, $200 for puppies, $110 for kittens, and $95 for adult cats.
That would include heartworm tests, spaying and neutering, vaccinations, dewormer, and microchipping.
The commission and Fayette County Humane Society agreed on October 18 as the last day of operation for the humane society.
The New River Humane Society operated the shelter before the Fayette County Humane Society was contracted to perform the duties.
The county commission ended its contract with the New River Humane Society in October of 2022 after New River made similar complaints that the Fayette County Humane Society had made.
