Harlan Kirgan
The St. Landry Parish Council voted for a study of the parish’s animal control ordinances and policies that include the animal shelter.
The Council’s Administrative-Finance Committee is to conduct the study that follows a controversy over the handling of two horses that were picked up by animal control. The owner had to retrieve his horses in Texas and paid more than $2,500. The owner is seeking reimbursement for his expenses from the Parish Council.
Attorney Katie Ryan and Parish President Bill Fontenot are to join the committee in its research.
The Parish Council meeting room was filled to capacity with supporters of animal shelter director Stacy Alleman McKnight on Wednesday.
McKnight had announced her resignation on social media, but is still on the job.
Parish Council Chairman Jerry Red said about 10 people signed up to speak on the animal issue, but he directed the crowd to select three speakers.
The three speakers were Kathy Bissell of the Bissell Pet Foundation, Jeff Dorson, director of the Humane Society of Louisiana, and Nancy Tabb Marcantel, director of the Animal Rescue Foundation of Louisiana.
Bissell, who said she has visited over 4,000 shelters, called McKnight “one of the most incredible shelter directors I’ve ever come across.”
Marcantel said the director has turned the shelter around. “This is a valuable employee of our parish. She is a pioneer.”
Dorson, who supported the director, also said he is glad the ordinances will be studied.
“I hope that you look at your own ordinances ... I don’t believe they have been upgraded since the 1950s,” he said.
The ordinances restrict McKnight’s ability to enforce animal cruelty laws “because your fines top out at $25 per cruelty.”
Dorson said St. Landry Parish probably has the highest incidents of violence and crimes committed against animals.
There are few arrests and fewer prosecutions for animal cruelty, he said.
Sheriff Bobby Guidroz agreed with the ordinance problem.
Proclaiming himself an animal lover, Guidroz defended his office’s investigation of the animal shelter director.
“We have conducted an investigation into a complaint of wrongdoing. We need to fix these ordinances in this parish. You need the ordinances that we have on the books so that the sheriff can properly conduct his investigations using the proper terms, the proper laws...,” he said.
Guidroz and many other referred to the director as Stacy Alleman at the meeting.
“Let me be clear, I believe Stacy Alleman loves her job,” he said.
The investigation into the complaint the handling of the two horses took six weeks, he said.
“For the record, my office has not charged Ms Alleman with any criminal wrongdoing,” he said.
The results of the investigation have been turned over to the district attorney, he said.
Guidroz said he has a duty to investigate complaints.
“Now, would you like me to ignore your complaint if you came in to file a complaint?” he said.
“I will not comment any further on this matter,” he said.
“The decision rests with the district attorney on any future action,” he said.
Councilman Harold Taylor said, “We fully understand that our ordinances are inadequate.”
Taylor added, “How in the hell can the district attorney prosecute when we have conflicting ordinances. That’s the problem.”
Taylor is the brother Earl Taylor, the district attorney.
But Councilman Taylor noted the parish government has been rapped in audits for money missing from a safe and $4,800 of dog food also missing.
“We can’t have that. We have to answer to the legislative auditor,” he said.
“We can’t have this kind of publicity and this kind of mismanagement or lack of management and it all goes back to the administration,” Taylor said. “We can’t go in there and correct her.”
In a statement read at the meeting by Wayne Ardoin, chairman of the Administrative-Finance Committee, it was stated funds raised for the shelter have not been accounted to parish government.
“Under state law these funds must be accounted for by parish government. To date parish government has taken over the administration of that GoFundMe account,” he said.
“In the 2019 the Parish Council appropriated $456,036 of Health Unit funds from the St. Landry Parish Animal Shelter for the care of animals. Additionally, the Parish Council appropriated $53,814 from donations received through the St. Landry Parish GoFundMe account. Once the Council appropriates funds the administration headed by the parish president uses the funds for operations and for the care animals,” Ardoin said in read in the statement.
In reference to the complaint about the horses, the statement read, “Recently, testimony was given to the Council regarding two horses being picked up by animal control and later transferred out to a rescue center in Texas. The original owner of the horses had to purchase his horses from two individuals in Texas. The owner requested that parish government (reimburse) him for all of his expenses incurred in the recovery of his animals. The owner spent in excess of $2,500 to recover his horses. Tonight the Council is considering appointing a committee to look into policies and procedures and the considerations updating ordinance in order to prevent this issue to ever occurring again.”