ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / June 3, 2000

LAPLACE – Things are changing again at the St. John Animal Shelter on WaterPlant Road.

A month has passed since the parish government took control of the shelter from the St. John Humane Society. In that time an old rotting trailer hasbeen replaced with a brand-new trailer complete with air-conditioning and new space for shelter personnel. The parish has mowed the lawn and the emptylot next to the shelter, and a general clean-up has left the shelter smelling just a little bit better.

The St. Charles Parish Animal Shelter has loaned St. John an animal controlofficer to help the sole animal control officer who works for St. John Parish.Most importantly, on Wednesday, the parish promoted Melissa Vial from animal control officer to kennel master.

Despite all these changes, members of the St. John Animal Control AdvisoryBoard are not satisfied with Nickie Monica’s administration and the way he has handled the entire situation.

Lesley Sprawley was appointed shelter director at the beginning of May, but last Friday she quit her voluntary post because she was unhappy with the parish administration.

She admitted that the parish did start to change some things, but in her words, “They slacked off.”Despite the new trailer, Sprawley said that after repeated requests the new space still does not have any furniture or any phones, so for now shelter personnel is still operating out of an older trailer still on the property.

However, it’s Monica’s decision not to hire a shelter supervisor that has her really upset.

“What really gets me angry is Monica’s disregard of the parish council’s orders to hire an shelter supervisor,” said Sprawley. “He is only hiring akennel master. How can two people run the place?”Sprawley said only she and Vial ran the place for a month, and according to her they were working long hours, even weekends.

“I have a medical condition that just got worse because of all the work,” claimed Sprawley.

The original plan was for the parish to hire a supervisor who would take care of the phones, paperwork and pet adoptions, and help the kennel master.

The kennel master takes care of the cleaning of the cages and the dogs and getting the dogs to the vet for medical care and sometimes euthanasia.

The animal control officer actually goes out and catches strays and helps the kennel master.

Kay Durr, president of the St. John Animal Control Advisory Board, can’tunderstand Monica’s decision, either.

“Are you going to work these people seven days a week?” Durr wanted to know. “St John has a serious problem with strays, and without a proper crewthe people of St. John will just keep complaining about the strays runningaround.”Monica admits that not hiring a shelter supervisor has its drawbacks, but he said, “It will be a lot better that what we had before.”Newly-appointed kennel master Vial is ready to go, but she tempers her enthusiasm with the question of manpower.

“It will be a tough job,” she admitted, “and my number-one priority is to get more people. I have to hire another animal control officer. Two people are notgoing to be enough.”She added, “If I didn’t have to sleep, I could probably do it.”As an example, she said feeding alone takes up a lot of time. If the kennel isfilled to capacity with 20 dogs it takes five to six hours a day just to feed all the dogs.

Vial said that without the continued help of Durr and Barbara Falgoust, she would not have been able to accomplish anything at the shelter.

“I want to thank Kay and Barbara publicly for all the work they have done,” said Vial.

Vial, who has six years’ experience as an animal control officer, said she wants to educate the public and the parish government about what having an animal shelter is all about.

Monica said some of the manpower shortage can be helped with volunteers.

“We will have volunteers this summer to help out,” said Monica. “My owndaughter will be working at the shelter this summer.”Durr thinks the politicians themselves should volunteer.

“I don’t think they know what is entailed in cleaning a kennel,” Durr scoffed. “Ichallenge them to come out here, take off their suits and ties and do the cleaning themselves. I’ll bet they would staff it properly after that.”Durr and Sprawley said the parish doesn’t want to spend any more money on the shelter.

Durr said the money should be there. With a 25-cent user fee that waspassed in 1998 and a $40,000 budget from the Department of Public Works, there should not be this problem.

However, Durr believes the problem is the politicians just don’t seem to care.

Sprawley agreed, saying, “These animals need help, and the situation just got hopeless when Monica decided to combine the jobs of director and kennel master.”

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