Three Members of Animal Services Board Are City Employees/Contractors

Nearly half of San Angelo's Animal Shelter Advisory Committee are city employees or contractors with Concho Valley PAWS.  Committee members Jenie Wilson and Victor Schulze, DVM perform contract work for the Animal Shelter through PAWS.  Wilson is PAWS Executive Director and over two programs, adoptions and veterinary services.  Dr. Schulze is a PAWS veterinarian, a service City Council recently awarded with no bidding.

Flashback to February 2015 when:

The City of San Angelo teamed with Concho Valley PAWS to launch an initiative aimed at reducing the number of unwanted animals who enter the shelter and are eventually put down. This effort was purposely rolled out to coincide with National Spay/Neuter Month.

Dubbed the Spay Neuter Initiative Program – or, appropriately, SNIP – this partnership will seek to persuade the public of the need to alter pets and will educate citizens of the many benefits to their pets of doing so.

Further, SNIP will raise awareness of the options for obtaining low-cost spaying and neutering through Concho Valley PAWS’ voucher program, which is detailed at ConchoValleyPAWS.org.

The current state of PAWS voucher program is "on hold until September 15th."  That's five months from the day I captured the screenshot.  That's a long time for a rescue organization with a new veterinarian on staff.

On 4-17-18 City Council reappointed PAWS Executive Director for another term on the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee.  The City had no contracts with PAWS when Wilson joined the Animal board the end of 2015.  PAWS now has two city contracts worth a combined $125,000.  This relationship was not detailed in Wilson's ASAC application shared with City Council.

The Animal Shelter Advisory Committee has both an oversight and advisory role to City Council.  It makes no sense for the rescue slot or the veterinarian position to be occupied by shelter contractors.  Wilson and Shulze are in a position to not ask questions regarding their performance and public accountability.   Non conflicted rescue and veterinary members of the public would provide City Council more impartial advice and counsel as ASAC members.

City Councilman Tommy Thompson nominated Jenie Wilson for another ASAC term.  Mr. Thompson may see conflicts of interest like his veterinary friend sees animal genitalia.  You miss a few now and then.

How did two members of a public board get large chunks of city animal shelter work and get to remain on that same board in an oversight role?  At least one member of the public wants to know.

Update 4-26-18:  The City plans to lease nearly 4 acres of land to PAWS for "no financial impact," which translates to free.