The unanimous decision to fire warden Kelly Sears comes after multiple reports by 11 Investigates regarding operations at Lucas County Canine Care & Control.
LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — (Editor’s note: The above video report aired Sept. 12, 2024, during WTOL 11 News.)
In a unanimous decision Tuesday, the Lucas County Board of Commissioners voted to terminate the employment of the county’s dog warden.
Lucas County Canine Care & Control warden Kelly Sears was fired following the suspension of LC4’s volunteer program and multiple complaints of poor treatment of staff and animals.
“There’s been too many mistakes and we have had enough,” Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken said.
“The Board of Lucas County Commissioners took action today to terminate the employment of Kelly Sears, Director of Lucas County Canine Care & Control,” Sarah Elms, spokesperson for the Board of County Commissioners, said in a statement after Tuesday’s executive session vote. “The Commissioners recognize there have been many challenges at LC4 and believe a leadership change is necessary as Lucas County prepares to transition into the new Canine Care & Control facility in 2025.”
Michael Hart, the chief of staff and director of governmental affairs for the Board of Lucas County Commissioners, will serve as interim chief dog warden and acting director of LC4.
“Michael, along with members of the Lucas County Human Resources Department, has been working alongside the existing LC4 team for the past three weeks to provide direct support and to evaluate the department’s processes and procedures to identify areas that need improvement,” Elms said.
The commissioners also recommended a 10-day suspension as discipline for LC4 employee Meghan Yunker, who was suspended last month after the release of a video showing her potentially abusing dogs.
Yunker began working with LC4 in February 2023. An investigative report sent to 11 Investigates by the county commissioners Tuesday afternoon included multiple exhibits regarding Yunker’s conduct.
Per Yunker’s collective bargaining agreement as a member of AFSCME, the union has requested a pre-disciplinary meeting be scheduled.
Once that meeting takes place, the LC4 director will make a written decision to either uphold the proposed discipline or reduce it.
The union then may file a grievance, which would follow the grievance procedure outlined in the collective bargaining agreement. Should that happen, a grievance hearing will be scheduled, and the Board of Lucas County Commissioners will make a final decision after that hearing.
A video showing Yunker apparently hitting and spraying water on dogs surfaced on Aug. 15 when volunteer Sherrie Littin posted it to Facebook. The county placed her on paid administrative leave one day later.
Litten told 11 Investigates that she heard about the incriminating July 10 video from another volunteer and requested the video on July 11.
“I actually received the video on Aug. 9 and in reviewing it, I found the dog. Not only was it roughly handled to the ground, but there were multiple dogs that were sprayed in the face while they were in their kennel,” Littin said. “A dog was shoved back into the kennel and smacked in the face. His muzzle was grabbed. I was in shock, honestly.”
This incident is just the latest controversy surrounding LC4. 11 Investigates has been compiling records and interviewing multiple people involved with the facility for months.
On Aug. 27, the county suspended LC4’s volunteer program after tensions between some volunteers and employees erupted into negative interactions on social media.
Gerken said county employees were being harassed and bullied, making it hard to do their jobs.
“It’s time that we clean up some of this stuff. The volunteers are there because we invite them in. Volunteers are there because we ask for their support. When that attitude crosses over to become harassing and a distraction to the workers who are there every day doing the hard jobs, then we’re going to suspend the program,” Gerken said. We’re going to take a look at what happened and why it happened. But my first job to my employees and our employees in this county is to protect them.”
But on Sept. 1, a Facebook post from former employee Hailey Blackford went viral, with more than 819 shares as of Tuesday afternoon. Blackford posted about negative interactions with two employees and also the facility’s director, Kelly Sears.
She claimed she was pressured to watch dogs being decapitated and was asked to pose with the heads of decapitated dogs. She repeated those allegations about the employee in a sit-down interview with 11 Investigates.
“She’s like, ‘I think you should watch one.’ And I was like, ‘I really don’t want to, you know, I don’t want to do that to myself.’ And she was like, ‘Yeah, because you’re weak’,” Blackford said. “I feel like I’m being harassed right now and I went to leave and she’s like, ‘Oh yeah, I knew you were going to leave because you’re weak.’ I turned around and said that I’ll watch it. I’m not going to sit there and be bullied.”
11 Investigates learned that the county received two similar complaints in February about the same employee. The complaints were then combined into one investigation.
The employee was cleared in that investigation, but Blackford discussed her concerns with Gerken last week in a meeting in his office.
Sears became director in December 2019. She interviewed recently with 11 Investigates for an hour and defended her tenure, saying she believed she was doing a good job.
FULL STATEMENT FROM THE BOARD OF LUCAS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS:
“The Board of Lucas County Commissioners took action today to terminate the employment of Kelly Sears, Director of Lucas County Canine Care & Control.
The Commissioners recognize there have been many challenges at LC4 and believe a leadership change is necessary as Lucas County prepares to transition into the new Canine Care & Control facility in 2025.
Lucas County Chief of Staff Michael Hart has been named Interim Chief Dog Warden and Director of Canine Care & Control. He will provide day-to-day oversight of the operations.
Michael, along with members of the Lucas County Human Resources Department, has been working alongside the existing LC4 team for the past three weeks to provide direct support and to evaluate the department’s processes and procedures to identify areas that need improvement.
LC4 is responsible for providing a safe environment for the residents and visitors of Lucas County through the fair, efficient, and prompt enforcement of laws pertaining to dog control.
Our LC4 employees have one of the most difficult jobs across Lucas County’s operations. The Commissioners sincerely appreciate all the work that they do 365 days a year to care for the dogs that come into our care and to keep our community safe.
The Board is committed to working with our staff to ensure LC4 is operating at its best.
In addition to carrying out the duties required by law, LC4 offers programming aimed at improving the lives of dogs and dog owners in our community. This includes low-cost vaccination and microchip clinics, a dog food pantry, foster care programs, a partnership with the Lucas County Veterans Service Commission, and education and outreach.
The Commissioners have directed the LC4 management team to prioritize the development of a new volunteer program that adheres to best practices and properly addresses the challenges the previous program faced.
Construction on a $35 million, state-of-the-art canine care and control facility at 1301 Monroe Street is set to be complete in 2025.”
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