ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / August 30, 2000

LAPLACE – Just as the St. John the Baptist Parish Animal Shelter wasstarting to see some improvement in its operation, kennel master Melissa Vial resigned over a personnel dispute with the parish administration.

Vial, who has been kennel master at the shelter since May, said the dispute is between her and Parish President Nickie Monica over who is in charge at the animal shelter.

She resigned Saturday.

Recently, the parish hired Kenneth Hicks as animal control officer, and Vial said Hicks refused to follow her orders. In her letter of resignation tothe administration, Vial wrote, “Mr. Hicks did not want to answer to afemale and expressed this openly to parish employee. He also statedopenly that Nickie Monica informed him in the interview that I would not be his supervisor and that they would be.”Vial claims she complained many times to the administration.

“I would call Nickie Monica, Chris Guidry and Henry DiFranco, but they never called me back,” Vial said. “It is his (Monica’s) own negligence thathas caused this.”Chief Administrative Officer Chris Guidry said he never heard any of the complaints.

“She never called me about these assertions,” said Guidry. “I’ve given herplenty of chances to say these things, and she has never said anything.”Monica said the only complaint he heard of was about Hicks using the animal shelter truck for personal business. Monica said DiFranco, directorof public works, took care of the problem.

“We hired Vial only as a kennel master,” said Monica. “No one gave herauthority over Hicks.”The animal shelter truck is at the center of Vial’s resignation. Hicks hadtaken the shelter’s truck home with him last weekend, at the objection of Vial. He also took the only set of keys to the truck. On Saturday, Vial got acall from 9-1-1 operators about two viscous pit bulls in someone’s back yard. Vial informed 9-1-1 that Hicks was on call, but 9-1-1 informedVial that Hicks had gone to New Orleans because of a medical emergency with his wife. As a result, Vial was unable to pick up the dogs.Monica called Vial shortly afterwards and wanted to know why the dogs had not been picked up. Vial explained the situation and said he had givenHicks the authority to take the truck along with the keys.

Vial said, “Monica told me I wasn’t the supervisor and that he was. So, Itold him he could handle the situation, and I quit.”Monica accepted her resignation and said the administration has already posted the job of kennel master and hopes to hire someone soon.

Guidry down played Vial’s resignation, saying, “This is not an uncommon thing to have employees retire or resign. People have to understand thatMs. Vial was still in her probationary period anyway.”The parish took over operation of the shelter in May when it canceled its contract with the St. John Parish Humane Society. Vial, who was workingfor the Humane Society, was hired on as kennel master shortly after the contract was canceled.

Since then, the shelter has been making slow progress in improving its operations. The shelter has been cleaned up and the administration haspurchased two new mobile buildings for a shelter office and for keeping stray cats.

Vial said, “I fear what is going to happen to the shelter and the animals.”She said Hicks is not familiar with the legal aspects of dog bite cases, and she is afraid Hicks will make the wrong decisions.

However, Monica said there are three employees at the shelter right now, Hicks, a parish employee who keeps the shelter clean and newly-hired Bambi Richard.

“I can assure the public,” said Monica, “that animal control will be maintained at the same level and we will keep strays and viscous animals off the streets.”

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