Chapel Hill Herald October 6, 2003 Animal Protection Society ruling was good news October 2, 2003 was a good day for the First Amendment and the integrity of North Carolina non profit law: That day, the court ordered the Animal Protection Society to turn over documents to which its members are lawfully entitled. Judge Stephens's ruling essentially validated the basis of the Cramer/Reitman lawsuit against APS that was initiated in February. It also should quell APS's retaliatory vigor against its critics, but will it? Our lawsuit was based on APS's refusal to turn over its membership list and financial documents, and its removing members' voting rights. Dr Cramer, animal rights attorney Margie Huggins and others sought election to the APS Board of Director and they wanted that list to contact members about their positions. APS refused to turn over that list and it suddenly took away members' voting rights.. It then sued Dr Cramer and me for libel and slander, a classic SLAPP suit designed to chill mounting public criticism. APS's move backfired--and snowballed. The people of Orange County do not look kindly on such punitive tactics, especially by a largely taxpayer funded organization. Orange County Board of Commissioners' hearings on APS followed. An audit by the Humane Society of the US slammed APS for management, animal health and policy problems. The HSUS assessment further validated our contention that there was something indeed very wrong at APS. Still, APS persisted in blaming others for its own bad judgment, and it continues to deny the culpability of its management. Remarkably, APS told the court it might appeal Judge Stephens' ruling. And, even as it asks the county for more money, APS is spending thousands of dollars punishing Dr Cramer and me for making what the court has now ruled a valid request. APS conveniently refused to renew our membership recently and told the court that, as non-members, we are not entitled to APS documents. Judge Stephens rejected APS's repetitive argument, to the very end. How much more time and money will APS spend before it hears the message? APS owes the public its apologies and a swift and graceful exit from the shelter. Judith Reitman ________________________________________________________________ Chapel Hill Herald Thursday, September 05, 2002 APS probe to address concerns Questions on adoptions and wildlife center have emerged CHAPEL HILL - Orange County Manager John Link and his staff will look into concerns raised about the Animal Protection Society of Orange County and report back to the County Commissioners on Oct. 1. Chapel Hill resident Judith Reitman started a push for a public forum on the APS last month, after trying to adopt a dog from the animal shelter in Chapel Hill operated by the APS. And now several APS employees at the society's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and animal clinic in Mebane are voicing concerns, about issues such as the control of disease among animals under APS care. At least a couple of angles have emerged. For one, Reitman is questioning the APS policy for adoption of animals from the shelter and the appeals process when adoptions are denied. Reitman sought to adopt a male Spaniel mix called Casey after the dog had been named as a "Pet of the Week." But after the APS did further testing of the dog's temperament, it reported that the dog was very aggressive and too dangerous to be adopted. The dog was euthanized in late August. The second angle - concerns raised by employees of the wildlife center in Mebane - is separate from the adoption issue. However, the wildlife center and the animal shelter both fall under the responsibility of the APS. The APS operates the animal shelter through a contract with the Orange County government, for a total of about $429,000 in the current fiscal year, with the county owning the building. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center also is operated by the APS, but on privately owned land and not through a contract with the county. The center was in the news earlier this summer, when Bobby Schopler left after a contract dispute with the APS. Schopler had been veterinarian and director at the center for five years, but he left in July after taking issue with some conditions in the contract offered by the APS. At the Orange County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, APS employee Stacy Hughes publicly aired some of her concerns about the wildlife center and clinic in Mebane, where she's worked for two years. She didn't refer specifically to Schopler, but she stated in part that the center currently has no veterinary care for wildlife. She said that APS management was not following a consistent policy for "protecting healthy animals and controlling the spread of disease," among animals such as cats and dogs in the care of APS, and that there were concerns about the treatment of birds without the proper federal license. "We would like to reiterate that our intent here is not to bash the APS," Hughes said. "We hope that by coming forward we can force into the open these issues and bring about positive change. It has taken a lot of courage for us to speak tonight, and we hope that in doing so you will take seriously our statements, and provide us with help in correcting these issues." Melanie Piazza, manager of the wildlife center, also submitted a statement to the County Commissioners, along with Cari Clifford, a surgical assistant at the center and clinic; employee Laura Kellner; and former surgical assistant Wendy McCall, who resigned from her job with the APS in August. Each described similar concerns about the control of disease among animals, and Piazza stated that she believes there is "just a shell of a wildlife center remaining." She also referred to the lack of a federal migratory-bird permit required for treating songbirds and birds of prey. "Wildlife center staff was put in the untenable position of unwittingly advertising for and providing for an illegal service to the community," Piazza stated. APS executive director Laura Walters, who was at the meeting Tuesday, said Wednesday that the APS has stopped accepting migra tory birds at the center. Veterinarian Kris Bergstrand and attorney Margie Huggins also spoke at the meeting, expressing concerns about the APS, and Reitman repeated her call for a public forum on such APS-related issues. She also is arguing that, since the animal shelter relies on a large chunk of public money, the APS should be subject to state rules for open meetings and public records in its operation of the shelter. Reitman said outright that the goal of looking into the APS would be to "clean house." Walters said Wednesday that the meetings of the APS board of directors already are open to the public. She said that records the APS provides to county agencies are public, but she said the society needs to keep some records private, in cases such as the investigation of animal cruelty. In addition to asking the county manager to report back to them next month, the commissioners asked County Attorney Geof Gledhill to weigh in on the question of meetings and records, related to the APS. "The APS is confident in the operation of the animal shelter and the other programs," Walters said Wednesday. "We're completely open to working with the county to make any improvements, and we appreciate the input." Durham County government has a similar arrangement with the APS of Durham, contracting with the organization to run the animal shelter in that county. The contract in this fiscal year is for $301,000. Susan Teer, vice president of the APS of Durham's board of directors and board liaison to the animal shelter, said her board's meetings are open to the public. Some APS records from the shelter are public, while the APS keeps others confidential, she said. Durham County Attorney Chuck Kitchen said he wasn't aware of the issue of public meetings and records coming up with the APS of Durham, which, as in Orange County, is a private entity and not a county department. But he held off saying exactly what rules would apply to the APS, stating, "We don't represent [APS] and we don't give them legal advice." Orange Commissioners Chairman Barry Jacobs said Wednesday that he wanted to get more information from Link before calling for any additional steps. But he said all the concerns lead him to feel there may be problems to address. "I'd be surprised if, given all the smoke, there isn't a little fire," Jacobs said. "But I also realize that [running the shelter] is a thankless job that opens itself up to endless second-guessing, so I'm reserving judgment. "I just want to make sure we're doing the right thing by all the humans and all the animals involved with our shelters, the APS and our community," he said. "I have every confidence that the APS board and executive director are dedicated and mean well. But if there are problems, we need to identify them and correct them. Lives are at stake, literally. And allegations, unsubstantiated or otherwise, flying around tend to wound people."